Newlab

Rising ocean temperatures and nutrient pollution are fueling massive sargassum blooms in the Caribbean, disrupting coastlines, ecosystems, and local economies. To address this, Newlab and Invest Puerto Rico partnered to pilot technologies across the entire seaweed value chain. If implemented at scale, these solutions could transform how we view seaweed, turn it into useful products, and stimulate a completely new industry. The startups driving this transformation include: 🌊 SOS Carbon: Empowers local fishing communities to harvest sargassum with retrofitted boats, collecting over 70 tons daily for processing into sustainable products like agricultural bio-stimulants. 🍃 Sway: Turns sargassum into compostable bioplastics for commercial packaging. 🔬 Thalasso AS: Processes sargassum into valuable compounds with portable bio-refineries. 👕 PANGAIA: Creates sustainable textiles from sargassum. This initiative is more than a regional solution—it’s a blueprint for how waste can be reimagined as a commercial resource. By leveraging startup technologies and creating a new value chain, Puerto Rico is setting an example for the Caribbean and beyond, demonstrating how environmental challenges can drive meaningful, scalable change. 🎥 Learn more about the startups and commercialization projects in the video below.

Last week, Newlab Brooklyn wrapped up the year with our annual Member Holiday Party, celebrating the remarkable achievements of our startup community. In addition to the festivities, the event featured a gallery exhibition of innovations developed by Newlab member startups TômTex Inc., itselectric, Cycleau, Vycarb, Renovate Robotics, Project B, and Light Phone. From sustainable textiles and construction automation to EV charging and carbon capture, these startups are a testament to the diversity of the Newlab ecosystem. We’re grateful to our community for making this year a success, and we look forward to building on this year’s momentum in 2025! Check out photos of the party 🔽

Corporate innovation teams often face significant challenges on the path to commercializing disruptive technologies. In his recent article for InnoLead, Satish Rao, Chief Science Officer at Newlab, breaks down the three key conditions necessary for innovation teams to succeed—while also driving business growth and real-world impact: https://lnkd.in/ehmsEhyY

The application deadline for Newlab's 2025 Founder Fellowship NYC program is tomorrow! Apply by December 11, 2024 to ensure your application is considered: https://lnkd.in/eZY6uA8U In partnership with New York City Economic Development Corporation and Bank of America, this fellowship is designed to empower 15 NYC-based climate tech founders from historically underrepresented backgrounds. 2025 fellows will join the ranks of exceptional alumni like Fram Energy, Project B, and Cycleau. Program activities will start in March of 2025. Fellows will gain access to an extensive network of industry leaders, investors, and mentors, as well as benefit from hands-on workshops and Newlab's community of 250+ startup members. Each founder will also benefit from a year-long membership at Newlab Brooklyn, access to state-of-the-art prototyping labs, entry to high-profile Newlab events, and more.

We were honored to welcome the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to Newlab Brooklyn, where they hosted an event promoting Tokyo’s “SusHi” (Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo) initiative. This event cemented Tokyo's appeal as a business development destination for startups, emphasizing the city’s commitment to fostering its robust startup ecosystem. Highlights included opening remarks from Manabu Miyasaka, Deputy Governor of Tokyo; a presentation by Garrett Winther, Chief Venture Officer at Newlab; and a pitch contest featuring NYC-based startups. Read the press release: https://lnkd.in/eNRZwXth See photos from the event below 🔽

Applications are closing soon for Newlab’s Industrial Waste-to-Green Construction Innovation Program! In partnership with Montes del Plata and UPM - The Biofore Company, we’re seeking materials startups to transform inorganic industrial waste from the pulp and paper industry into sustainable construction materials. If your technology focuses on any of the following, this is your opportunity to pilot your solutions with leading forestry companies and expand into the LatAm region: ⚫ Cementitious or Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) ⚫ Geopolymers and Cement-Free Construction Materials ⚫ Legacy Aggregate Replacement ⚫ Other Sustainable Construction Materials ⚫ Inorganic Waste Dewatering and Drying Technologies Deadline: December 20th, 2024 Learn more about the program: https://lnkd.in/ezFQBvUE Apply to the program: https://lnkd.in/e6-wmiBu

We’re thrilled to announce that Satish Rao, Newlab’s Chief Science Officer, has been named as one of this year’s #Worthy100 by Worth Media Group! This recognition honors individuals driving meaningful change in the world—with his dedication to accelerating the adoption and commercialization of the technologies the world needs now, Satish is very much deserving of this honor. Visit Worth Magazine’s website to explore the full list of honorees, including Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology; award-winning actress and film producer Viola Davis; and Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation: https://lnkd.in/gWVsBBzV

The deadline is fast approaching to apply for our Founder Fellowship NYC program! In collaboration with New York City Economic Development Corporation and Bank of America, Newlab's Founder Fellowship supports a cohort of 15 visionary climate tech founders from historically underrepresented backgrounds as they build and scale their companies in NYC. Fellows will gain access to Newlab's extensive network of industry leaders, investors, and mentors, while sharpening their skills in hands-on workshops and building a strong community among Newlab's 250+ startup members. Each founder will also benefit from a year-long membership at Newlab Brooklyn and access to state-of-the-art prototyping labs. Ideal applicants are pre-seed to seed stage climate and deep tech ventures. Interested, or know someone who might be a good fit? Learn more and apply by December 6th: https://lnkd.in/eZY6uA8U

It’s official. We’re the 2024 Deep Tech Venture Platform of the Year. We’re honored to be recognized by FDI Insider for our commitment to advancing critical technology startups by providing the capital, infrastructure, and piloting opportunities they need to commercialize, scale. Learn more about the award here: https://lnkd.in/e7xr7U9t Learn more about the impact Newlab startups are making from our 2024 Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/gqTr5ATb

Did you know that music festivals and events typically burn significant amounts of fuel to operate? We got to host Brooklyn’s first-ever fully solar-powered concert at Newlab, following DER Task Force's DERVos conference focused on distributed energy. ☀️🔋 In collaboration with SOLARPUNKS and Stereogum, the DER Task Force demonstrated that concerts can run entirely on clean energy—and that decarbonization is happening faster than we think. Check out photos from this milestone event below 🔽