Cleanergy Batch II Opened Its Doors to 18 Teams Entering Phase One
Nov 15 2021
The second batch of the Cleanergy program has started with 18 startups, selected out of 174 received applications, each innovating within the cleantech sector in Lebanon, including renewable energy, solid waste management, water and wastewater management, agriculture, and transportation.
The 18 teams were chosen to join the first phase of the Cleanergy Batch II Accelerator program. Equipped with a grant of $2,000, the teams will go through a two-month cycle of support during which they have to validate their ideas and work on building the foundations of their business.
Ardona: is a startup that cultivates Azolla and mixes it with fruit and vegetable waste to generate organic animal feed.
Azca Solar: is working on low-cost solar water heaters with a simple tankless design, in which the system has the solar collector and the tank in the same unit.
Cloud Pads: is providing disposable period pads that are healthy, yet 100% biodegradable and compostable, using innovative eco-materials.
CMU-PCM Tech: is a startup working on developing innovative sustainable construction material with the main goal of enhancing the thermal comfort of the building while also reducing its electrical consumption.
EnviroWaste: is aiming to foster community-driven governance for sustainable solid waste management and innovation in Lebanon, by mimicking a zero-waste model inspired by nature.
G4WT: designs generators for wind turbines and installs reliable small-scale wind turbines with a mission to increase renewable energy production in Lebanon and the MENA region.
Green Growth Generation: aims at boosting environmental, social, and economic sustainability by creating connections between communities in the food supply chain.
Green Soap: is minimizing food waste by converting used cooked oil into soap by adding sodium hydroxide.
Haulo: is a digital platform where fleet drivers or freight companies can sell the extra capacity available in their vehicles or containers to other companies and clients.
HVACION: is a mechanical UVC-assisted COVID19 annihilator equipment, standalone and central, that eradicates 99.999% of airborne viruses during the transmission of flow from infected sources to uninfected sinks.
Lead Acid: is reducing the number of wasted lead-acid batteries by providing maintenance and rejuvenation services for used lead-acid batteries.
Lebanon Waste Management: is an operating sorting facility that treats dry solid waste generally and polystyrene exclusively.
MOWEC: is building a coastal machine that can use the natural power of ocean waves and transform it into green energy.
Partner With Sun: is replacing traditional burners and ovens with innovative solar technology.
ReFuse: is working with underserved communities enabling them to sort recyclables and get rewarded for it.
Semaan Company: is developing an innovative construction brick composed of plastic waste and sand with an alternative method of construction.
SRV: is working to reduce energy consumption in air conditioning with a new AC system that has a lower cost, lower consumption, and higher efficiency.
YY ReGen: is working to re-energizing the agricultural sector in Lebanon with a one-stop platform for on-demand renewable energy targeting Lebanese farmers.
The 18 shortlisted applicants were interviewed by 15 judges including the Berytech team, joined by Barbar Akle, Assistant Provost at Lebanese American University; Carol Ayat, Head of large corporates and specialized lending at Bank Audi; Reem Irany, Project Coordinator at The Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC); Nadine Asmar, Trainer – Facilitator at IES-Social Business School; Mario Goraieb, Energy Program Manager at Istituto per la Cooperazione Universitaria (ICU); Christophe Zoghbi, Founder & CEO of ZAKA; Jesse van Bemmelen, Investment Analyst at YES!Delft; Hannah Wuzel, Project Manager at cewas Middle East.
The finalists were chosen based on their innovation potential, business model, scalability, and team.
The first phase of the accelerator is scheduled with an extensive set of activities allowing the founders to enhance their knowledge and improve their skills.
The participants were given an induction day, introducing the program along with an overview of the upcoming activities, workshops, clinics, deliverables, timelines, processes, access to the Berytech dedicated office spaces, and the Berytech Fab Lab.
The workshop on concept initiation allowed participants to frame the problem at hand and map potential solutions. It gave them the tools to validate the market requirements by building an understanding about themselves, what drives them towards completing the mission, the problem they want to solve, the personas that suffer from the problem they intend to address, and the measurement framework that will allow them to assess the impact of the solution they will create.
By the end of December 2021, up to twelve (12) teams will be chosen by Berytech to continue to Phase 2 of the Cleanergy program, whereby each team will be granted $15,000 to build their MVP, in addition to receiving training and coaching. Phase two focuses on operations, product development, business modeling, and go-to-market. Experts and mentors will follow-up and advise the startups on how to build and launch an MVP. Founders learn about product-market fit, how to communicate to the right audience, develop the basics of a sustainable financial structure to secure the stability and growth of the business, and clear all bottlenecks that limit their product delivery. At the end of phase two, the participants should have a functioning MVP with enough traction to be selected for phase three.
By the end of May 2022, up to eight (8) startups will be chosen to go through the third and final phase of the program. This incubation and growth phase is scheduled over 5 months, with $20,000 awarded in matching capital to the teams, who will start preparations for their scale-up. This phase is crucial in helping the participants receive investment from venture capitals or angel investors.
Learn more and stay tuned about the different activities of the second batch enrolled in Berytech’s Cleanergy Accelerator Program here.
