Greentown Labs to Partner with Holcim

Holcim enters partnership with Greentown Labs, North America's largest climate tech start-up incubator, to accelerate open innovation for decarbonization of the built environment. The premium "Terawatt" partnership with Greentown, which operates incubators in Somerville, Mass. and Houston, Texas, provides Holcim prime access to promising start-ups focused on innovative and sustainable building solutions. Through this partnership, Holcim aims to become an early adopter of cutting-edge technologies for building decarbonization. Holcim will participate in targeted engagements with innovative start-ups and attend exclusive building-sector pitch days. The company also joins Greentown's Industry Leadership Council, which provides strategic guidance to Greentown, including on reducing tech-to-market lead times. Nollaig Forrest, Chief Sustainability Officer at Holcim, said: "With our open innovation ecosystem, we partner with hundreds of start-ups worldwide to accelerate the shift to sustainable building. By partnering with Greentown Labs, we aim to empower the best and brightest startups active in the built environment to scale up their impact. The combination of Holcim MAQER Ventures, our venture capital program, with Greentown's stellar roster of successful climate tech startups will serve as a catalyst to reinvent how the world builds for a regenerative future." Kevin Knobloch, CEO of Greentown Labs: "Greentown Labs is thrilled to be partnering with Holcim, a global leader in sustainable building solutions to decarbonize the built environment to bolster cutting-edge climatetech innovations in this critical sector. We look forward to seeing Holcim engage with our building tech start-ups, sharing its unmatched expertise in low-carbon building innovations and helping advance our entrepreneurs' solutions." Greentown mobilizes climate solutions by providing climate tech start-ups with the resources, knowledge, connections and equipment they need to thrive. Home to over 200 start-ups and having supported over 525 since being founded in 2011, Greentown's two incubators offer lab space, shared office space, machine shops, electronics labs, tool shops, software and business resources, and a large network of stakeholders. Holcim's open innovation ecosystem spans hundreds of start-ups with which it partners through MAQER Ventures, its corporate venture capital program. With advanced research in 15 areas from ultra high-strength concrete to 3D printing, Holcim's innovative solutions cover the entire lifecycle of the built environment. They range from low-carbon ECOPact concrete and ECOPlanet cement, to advanced roofing, insulation and facade systems that make buildings more sustainable in use. Source