Greentown Labs requests applications for innovative ideas to disrupt the built environment value chain. The Greentown Labs InNOVAte 2019 Challenge is a program in partnership with CertainTeed, Saint-Gobain’s leading building and construction brand in North America, along with Saint-Gobain NOVA, the external ventures arm of one of the world’s largest building materials companies and manufacturer of innovative material solutions.
Image credit: NOVA by Saint-Gobain
Startups will be selected based on potential partnership fit with Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed and will work with respective employees and Greentown Labs to explore bringing a partnership to fruition over a 6-month period*.
*partnership is not guaranteed and will be determined by mutual agreement between Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed and startup(s) on a case by case basis and with support from Greentown Labs
Awards and Benefits
Selected Greentown Labs InNOVAte 2019 awardee(s) may be eligible for the following awards and benefits, including:
- Partnership and/or investment from Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed by end of program
- $25,000 in non-dilutive grant funding
- Desk space at the Greentown Labs Global Center for Cleantech Innovation
- Acceptance into Greentown Launch, a 6-month acceleration program for startups at Greentown Labs
- Exclusive access to the Greentown Labs and Saint-Gobain networks
- Access to select Saint-Gobain testing capabilities, technical facilities and expertise
What We’re Looking For
We are looking for entrepreneurs and innovators who have reached the prototype stage with an eye to disrupt the built environment value chain. According to studies by The Economist, JLL, McKinsey & Company and others, the construction industry has notoriously lagged in the productivity increases seen across other industries and the economy as a whole. Consistently slow adoption of new, digital solutions and efficient processes have contributed to this laggard approach—but the mission of this Challenge is to change the industry’s status quo. We believe construction technology is on the rise and we know there are entrepreneurs poised to reinvent the market. We need them to help disrupt our value chain.
Eligibility
- Submit your completed application online by April 8, 2019
- Be available for Skype interviews and in-person interviews after the close of Round 1 application deadline, if selected for further rounds
- Disclose the status of any intellectual property (IP) relevant to your submission. Should you be selected as an awardee, your IP will be fully protected throughout the process
- The more defined your problem and solution, the better chance you have at being accepted into the program
Source: NOVA by Saint-Gobain
