Climate Collider Program for Startups (Switzerland)

Aims

• Powered by Innosuisse and managed by Swissnex, the program aims to build a transatlantic startup community and foster international collaboration in climate innovation.

Two Ecosystems: Boston and New York

• The fall 2025 edition of Climate Collider will bring a cohort of Swiss startups to Boston and New York, two leading climatetech hubs in the US:
  • Boston | Boston’s climatetech ecosystem is anchored by its renowned research universities, which have spun off numerous groundbreaking clean energy companies. Among these are Form Energy, developing low-cost, long-term battery storage solutions, and Commonwealth Fusion Systems, the leading commercial fusion startup, based in nearby Danvers, Massachusetts. The area also hosts the world’s largest climatetech incubator, Greentown Labs, and a wide range of organizations and initiatives pushing innovation in the field, such as Activate, the Northeast Clean Energy Council, and the MIT Climate and Energy Prize.
  • New York | New York has its own climate momentum with various incubators and accelerators in the field, the world’s biggest climate event, Climate Week NYC, as well as new climate-friendly policies. Passed in 2019 as part of the Climate Mobilization Act, Local Law 97 is expected to reduce cumulative emissions from large buildings at least 40% citywide by 2030 through retrofits – a major boost in the drive to decarbonize the city’s building stock. Climate legislation passed in 2022 also accelerates the phase out of dirty fuel oils in buildings and mandates electrical vehicle chargers to be included in many parking lots in the city.

Program Structure

• The fourth edition of Climate Collider will take place in fall 2025:
  • Part 1 | Boston Week
    • Peer learning, training, and expert feedback
    • Networking events and immersion into the local climatetech ecosystem
  • Part 2 | New York Week
    • Participation in Climate Week NYC
    • Networking and pitch events
• The program will kick off with an event in Switzerland during which Swiss participants will get an introduction to the climatetech market in the US and beyond and the opportunity to connect with each other, program alumni, and global energy experts.

Funding Information

• Participating startups are eligible to receive a stipend for their travel to Boston and New York.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible to join the Climate Collider cohort, Swiss startups must fulfill the following criteria:
  • Climatetech solution from any sector with high market potential and scalability
  • Headquartered in Switzerland
  • Participating in Innosuisse Start-up Coaching (note that startups can apply in parallel to Climate Collider and Innosuisse’s Initial Coaching program)

For more information, visit Swissnex.