Programs +
On Monday, we were honored to have U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal take the stage with Justine Lee to announce ClimateHaven's receipt of $1.5M in federal funding. Startup founders Nadia B. Ahmad of Mudder.ai and Conor Rooney of Oxylus Energy gave compelling presentations about the technology they are able to accelerate due to funding that supports Climatehaven, and New Haven's own Mayor Justin Elicker took the stage with us once again, one year after our ribbon cutting. Watch the highlights here.
The funding recognized comes from two federal grants: 1. A congressionally-directed Small Business Administration (SBA) grant for the buildout of our hub, allowing us to serve entrepreneurs in our downtown New Haven location; and 2. A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Round II, Phase III grant to provide sector-specific support to startups in green chemistry and engineering.
"This funding, secured with the invaluable support of Senator Blumenthal, Senator Murphy, and Congresswoman DeLauro, underscores the importance of federal partnerships in scaling transformative climate technologies. It is a testament of their commitment to fostering innovation in Connecticut, and to accelerating the transition to a resilient, low-carbon future,” said Justine Lee at the conference.
From left to right: Nadia Ahmad of mudder.ai, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Justine Lee of ClimateHaven, Dr. Conor Rooney of Oxylus
While these federal partnerships are promising, we cannot rest easy. The DOE EPIC award is an opportunity, not an obligation, and ClimateHaven and the DOE will undergo a negotiation process before ClimateHaven's receipt of this funding can be ensured.
As nonprofit 501(c)(3), ClimateHaven is supported by a diverse mix of foundations, institutions, federal and state grants, and individual donors like you. We depend on philanthropic support to deliver the expert mentorship, tailored programming, network-building and strategic guidance on which our startups depend. Your contribution funds these company-building services, fueling the development of transformative technology and creating a pipeline of scalable solutions that drive meaningful climate impact.
As you plan your year-end giving, please consider making a contribution to ClimateHaven.
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Founded by Miles Braxton and Savannah Whitfield, Okovate Sustainable Energy is a minority-owned company that develops and deploys agrivoltaic systems, combining solar energy generation with sustainable farming practices to optimize land use and generate clean energy for rural and underserved communities.
Follow Ockovate Sustainable Energy on Linkedin here.
The Okovate Sustainable Energy team: Jorrit Becking, Miles Braxton and Savannah Whitfield
Startup News
Andros won first prize and $10,000 as the winner of the CleanTech Product Development Grant at the Innovations Night CT hosted in collaboration with FORGE.
Mudder AI was selected to present at the New England Venture Summit on December 11th, 2024, at the Hilton in Boston Dedham. Hosted by youngStartup Ventures, this event connects the most innovative startups with leading investors, industry experts, and entrepreneurs.
Okovate's co-founders, Savannah Whitfield and Miles Q. Braxton, were recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 2025 in the Energy & Green Tech category.
Oxylus Energy's co-founders, Perry Bakas, Harrison Meyer and Conor Rooney were recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 2025 in the Energy & Green Tech category. The company was recognized as a Top Innovator for UpLink - World Economic Forum’s Carbon Capture and Utilization Challenge. Developed by World Economic Forum, hosted in partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Economy and Planning, the challenge spotlighted the top 11 innovators turning carbon into important resources for the energy transition such as sustainable fuels and chemical feedstocks.
Raise Green is now part of Honeycomb Credit. "With Honeycomb, we can now combine local small business funding with investments focused on sustainability and climate action, allowing investors to make an impact both locally and globally.” - Jackie Logan, Co-founder and President of Raise Green
VeruStruct and WindLoop won a total $20,000 through the 2024 Sobotka Seed Prize for Sustainable Ventures awarded through The Yale Center for Business and the Environment (CBEY).
Please consider making a gift to ClimateHaven during this giving season. In a shifting political landscape, now, more than ever, we need your help to fund the hands-on, company-building work we provide to our startups.
Haley and the ClimateHaven Team
Haley Lieberman
Dir. of Community and Marketing
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