Urban Future Prize Competition 2025

For the ninth consecutive year, the Urban Future Lab is proud to present the Urban Future Prize Competition, which identifies and supports top climatetech startups.

Prize Tracks

• The Climate Mitigation Prize:
  • The Climate Mitigation Prize focuses on solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Startups with technologies or business models designed to mitigate climate impacts are encouraged to apply. They will also consider the impact of your solution on vulnerable communities.
  • Eligible solutions include, but are not limited to:
    • Smart Grid and Grid Flexibility
    • Renewable Energy
    • Energy Distribution and Storage
    • Circular Economy
    • Transportation and Mobility
    • Buildings, Energy Efficiency, and Building Materials
    • Geothermal
    • Climate Finance
    • Industrial Decarbonization
    • Artificial Intelligence (mitigating its climate impact, vertical AI agents, etc.).
• The Climate Adaptation Prize:
  • The Climate Adaptation Prize focuses on solutions that help communities and ecosystems adapt to and build resilience against the impacts of climate change. Startups with technologies or business models designed to strengthen adaptation and resilience are encouraged to apply. They will also consider the impact of your solution on vulnerable communities.
  • Eligible solutions include, but are not limited to:
    • Insurance Innovation
    • Risk Modeling and Analysis
    • Water Scarcity Solutions
    • Heat Resistant Material Innovations
    • Urban Infrastructure and Resilience
    • Extreme Weather Vulnerability Solutions
    • Advanced Warning Solutions
    • Biodiversity and Natural Ecosystem Resilience
    • Public Health
    • Food Security
    • Adaptation Financing Solutions

Benefits

• Urban Future Prize Winner Benefits:
  • $50,000 Prize
    • $50,000 cash prize with zero-equity stake, so you can focus on your company’s next steps.
  • ACRE Incubator Membership
    • Acceptance and membership into New York City’s premier climatetech incubator, with incubator specific benefits and unmatched startup support.
  • Recognition and Opportunities
    • Ecosystem recognition, media opportunities, and access to introductions to key partners in the public and private sectors.

Eligibility Criteria

• The Competition is open to startups working to reduce carbon emissions through technology or business model innovations (each, a “Startup”).
• All entrants must be at least 18 years of age.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Previous winners of the Urban Future Prize Competition are not eligible. The Competition is not open to residents of North Korea, Sudan, Syria, and any other U.S. sanctioned country and is void where prohibited by law.

For more information, visit Urban Future Lab.