Extracting rare-earth metals from industrial waste. Delivering EV charging with autonomous robots. Converting plastic waste into liquid fuel.
These are just a few of the innovations being developed by this year’s ACCEL cohort. Now in its third year, this accelerator from Greentown Labs and Browning the Green Space (BGS) bolsters startups bolstered by BIPOC and other overlooked founders as they develop critical climatetech solutions by offering access to funding, networking connections, resources, and opportunities that structural inequities put out of reach. The year-long program combines acceleration with a curated curriculum, incubation through Greentown membership, and extensive mentorship from Greentown and BGS’s networks of industry experts.
Through the first six months of the program, the eight startup participants—Andros Innovations, Carbonext, FAST Metals, Inductive Robotics, PlasEne, Respire Energy, Tato Labs, Thola—have gone through comprehensive training with our Curriculum and Resources Partner VentureWell, diving into topics from product-market fit, to value-proposition development, to customer discovery and relations. They’ve met regularly with expert mentors, reached key milestones, and charted their paths forward.
This fall, they presented their impressive climate technologies at a sold-out ACCEL Showcase at Greentown Houston. Read on to learn what they shared about their solutions and progress during the program!
Thank you to ACCEL’s funders—the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), Equinor, the Growth Capital Division of MassDevelopment, Microsoft, Shell, Barr Foundation, and Somernova—for making this program possible, and to the ACCEL Showcase sponsors Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) and Wilson Sonsini!
Andros Innovations
Andros Innovations (Cambridge, MA) has developed a revolutionary reactor that produces ammonia more cheaply, cleanly, and safely than traditional methods do. Its founder is Laron Burrows.
During the first six months of ACCEL, Andros Innovations completed a 1,000-hour study of its tech and began discovery with investors and distributors—securing a $2M/year pipeline of revenue. The startup has finalized one offtake agreement and two letters of intent for pilot projects, and is also collaborating with four distributors.
Andros Innovations received a $75k grant from MassCEC earlier this year and is now raising a seed round to scale its reactor, validate economics at a larger scale, successfully execute its two pilot projects, and secure larger offtake agreements.
Carbonext
Carbonext (Houston, TX) uses proprietary, ready-made, cost-effective, and scalable 3D-graphene technology to develop integrated solutions featuring 3D-graphene coatings—including 3D-graphene-coated silicon anodes—addressing current issues in the graphite ecosystem and lithium-battery anodes. Its founder is Olanrewaju Tanimola.
Carbonext has demonstrated its technology on a bench scale and is now moving to pilot scale, aiming to produce 2.5 metric tons of graphene daily. The startup has started manufacturing viable samples of its waste-derived 3D graphene and 3D-graphene-coated silicon. The company is in advanced discussions with key partners to finalize offtake agreements for sourcing feedstock for testing and product development.
“The ACCEL program is well-structured and managed by experts, and that has really helped my team overcome some of our challenges,” Tanimola says.
FAST Metals
FAST Metals (Worcester, MA) has developed a hydrometallurgical-recovery process capable of extracting iron, aluminum, scandium, titanium, and other rare-earth elements from industrial tailings such as bauxite residue—also known as red mud—which is produced as a waste byproduct in the primary extraction of aluminum. Its founders are Sumedh Gostu and Anthony Staley.
The startup has secured a pilot letter of intent with Metalox to demonstrate its tech at 150 kg/day. It won a $75k grant from MassCEC in March and recently received an investment from Rio Tinto. It’s now raising a $3M first financing round, with $1M already committed.
FAST Metals was also selected for Activate’s 2025 cohort and named among the Most Promising Companies at the 2025 Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum.
“ACCEL has been an excellent program to shape us as first-time entrepreneurs navigate the real world,” Gostu says. “The cohort working on diverse climate problems has been inspiring each member company with each others’ successes.”
Inductive Robotics
Inductive Robotics (Austin, TX) deploys autonomous robots that deliver EV charging directly to parked vehicles in commercial parking facilities, using a subscription-based model. Its founders are Madhav Ayyagari and David Alspaugh.
Inductive Robotics is raising a $1.2M seed round to develop the next generation of its robotic platform, according to Ayyagari. It is working toward two paid pilot projects for 2026, including one with Olin College of Engineering thanks to an ACCEL introduction.
“ACCEL opened doors we couldn’t have accessed otherwise, from introductions to partners who are on the path to becoming customers, to showcasing our technology in front of industry decision-makers who can accelerate our growth.”
PlasEne
PlasEne (Houston, TX) offers an innovative platform that converts plastic waste into liquid fuel and low-carbon hydrogen by leveraging proprietary catalysts and modular, scalable, pre-engineered units. Its founders are Sohel Shaikh and Riccardo Raciti.
PlasEne has completed its lab-scale proof of concept and completed a small-scale pilot at a contract research lab. It’s now seeking to explore agreements with waste-management partners and raise a $1.1M seed round that will allow for pilot execution and scale-up certification.
“ACCEL has been pivotal in guiding us from a strong technical foundation toward real-world impact,” says Shaikh. “The program has connected us with strategic partners, mentors, and resources that accelerate our path to market.”
Respire Energy
Respire Energy (Boston, MA) is redefining energy storage with a safe, low-cost, and long-duration metal-air battery designed for microgrid and commercial & industrial applications. Built with non-flammable and earth-abundant materials, it delivers eight-plus hours of reliable energy storage and backup power. Its founders are Dave Hsu and Xiaowei Teng.
This startup has scaled up its material loading 100x over the past few months and received a $75k grant from MassCEC in March. Respire Energy is launching a pre-seed funding round this fall.
“From the mentorship to Greentown Labs to VentureWell, ACCEL has opened many doors and is a key part of our early journey,” says Hsu.
Tato Labs
Tato Labs (Brooklyn, NY) is developing scalable, innovative, bioplastic products and packaging solutions that leverage potato starch, protect and preserve the natural ecosystem, and minimize plastic waste. Its founder is Mecca McDonald.
A highlight for Tato Labs this year was partnering with Coach on a marketing activation at Bloomingdale’s featuring custom bio-based bag charms created with its potato-based process. Tato has received mentorship from both ACCEL and Greentown alumni as it finalizes upcoming partnerships with new brands across industries in New York.
“I love being in the ACCEL program. It’s helped me grow as a leader, public speaker, and improved my knowledge about pitching. This experience has been transformative and I’m grateful for all the relationships I’ve made through this program.”
Thola
Thola (Boston, MA and Portland, ME) provides an AI-powered “energy club” software for industrial parks that helps factories monitor energy use as a cluster, prevent costly coincident peak penalties, and reduce stress on the grid. Its founders are Nneile Nkholise and Lerato Takana.
Thola has launched its software product in 24 industrial buildings and begun fault detection. The startup’s shown that its technology is saving engineers 3.5 hours of manual administrative work per day, and the team is preparing to launch its compliance and incentive automation in 2026.
Thola was selected as a semifinalist in the Milken-Motsepe AI in Manufacturing for Africa Prize, highlighting the global relevance of its solution. It also raised funding from the Maine Technology Institute to support pilot demonstrations in Maine and plans to raise $5.6M to further its growth.
To date, Thola has completed pilots at 24 industrial buildings across New England and South Africa, including leading facilities such as Sun International, a Coca-Cola plant, and Glencore mining plant. Building on this traction, the startup has secured letters of intent with two industrial parks to roll out park-wide clustered energy monitoring, validating demand for Thola’s “energy club” model at corridor scale.
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