Climate Tech Fellowship
Inaugural Cohort
Eight fellows, from six universities in The Exchange’s partner network, were part of this inaugural group. The cohort included professors, PhD researchers, students, visiting scholars and executives-in-residence, representing a diversity of perspectives and experiences. From September 2025 to February 2026, fellows participated in a tailored climate tech venture curriculum taught by industry experts, were matched with mentors for one-to-one support, and received non-dilutive funding, piloting support, as well as entry to the world-class climate tech ecosystem in New York. Collectively, they are developing innovations for grid resilience, hydrogen storage, coral restoration, and real-time wildfire and flood management, among other areas.
Meet the Fellows
Charlie Mydlarz
Floodnet
“The fellowship allowed us to define our business model to potential clients. we’ve created a pitch deck that clearly communicates our solutions value and we’re now engaging in much more serious conversations.”
Fares Al-Lahabi
CarbonCLAIR
“The Climate Tech Fellowship was a life-changing experience that expanded my perspective and connected me with an inspiring community of builders working on real climate solutions.”
Mauricio Hernandez
GridSeer
“The fellowship helped us refine market segmentation, pursue an additional pilot through the networks we built, apply systematic customer discovery methods, and sharpen our value proposition”
Shannon Parker
Reefcycle
“The fellowship was invaluable in connecting us to folks that not only got our process and technology but were prepared to help us move forward with our second patent application.”
Stephanie Taboada
HySep
“Climate Week was a huge part of the fellowship for me — I was able to network with stakeholders, founders, and investors including leaders from Activate, BAT, and Newlab”
Ty Roach
Wholome
“Going to Climate Week and giving my first-ever pitch was a success — the moment I walked off the stage, I was approached by investors including NYU's impact investment fund, and since we were selected finalists for the fund and nominated for other competitions.”
Xiao Liu
Leveraging data and AI for real-
time wildfire management.
“For many of us coming from an academic bubble, this Fellowship is a breath of fresh air — you really can't overstate how rewarding it is to communicate with people from so many different walks of life.”
Patricia Stathatou &
Christos Athanasiou
Yeast-enabled removal of micropollutants from water to provide safe, clean water
following disasters.
“The Fellowship genuinely changed how we think about building our technology. We gained clarity on the practical steps required to move from lab to market — and learned that we can build early momentum, including hiring support, without having secured funding first”
Applications Now Open
Deadline: Saturday, August 1st, 2026, at 11:59PM
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis
How to Apply
Submit your Application for the 2026 Climate Tech Fellowship. The application is free and open to innovators globally.
Innovators interested should complete the Online Form, and provide details on the innovation, goals for the Fellowship, and team. We will review applications on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early.
Review the detailed FAQ and the Evaluation Criteria to learn more.
Join our office hour sessions via Calendly, or reach out to Megha Mehdiratta at mmehdiratta@nyclimateexchange.org.
News
Stony Brook University
September 9th, 2025Blog | New York Climate Exchange
April 1st, 2026
Blog | New York Climate Exchange
February 10th, 2026Stony Brook University
September 30th 2025