Urban Future Prize Competition (by Urban Future Lab) is a global competition for early-stage climatetech startups tackling climate change. It offers non-dilutive funding and access to a leading incubator to help founders scale high-impact solutions. The competition features two main tracks:
Climate Mitigation Prize
Focused on solutions that reduce or eliminate emissions across industries. Eligible solutions include, but are not limited to:
Renewable Energy (solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, tidal/wave, nuclear, hybrid, other)
Smart Grid and Grid Flexibility
Energy Distribution and Storage
Circular Economy
Transportation and Mobility
Buildings, Energy Efficiency, and Building Materials
Climate Finance
Industrial Decarbonization
Artificial Intelligence and Compute Infrastructure (AI energy impact, data centers, edge)
Robotics, Automation, and Advanced Materials
Climate Adaptation Prize
Focused on building resilience to climate impacts. Eligible solutions include, but are not limited to:
Insurance Innovation
Risk Modeling and Analysis
Water Security
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
Eligibility
Early-stage climatetech startups
Typically raised under $5M
Market-ready solutions with clear climate impact
Open globally, with preference for startups connected to the New York ecosystem