Mostly remote six-month program leverages New York-based Federally Designated Battery Tech Hub
The National Science Foundation as part of its mission to spur innovation across the U.S. awarded a $4.5 million grant to NextCorps and Binghamton University. Part of this initiative was used to open the new accelerator ChargeUp in upstate New York, focusing on battery innovations.
Companies participating in the accelerator program, which is mostly remote, benefit from the region’s growing battery industry cluster enabled by New Energy New York (NENY). The cluster was federally designated as a battery innovation Tech Hub by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) in support of New York State’s commitment to pioneer critical energy storage technologies.
“The Binghamton region is internationally recognized for its expertise in energy storage. This accelerator will allow us to attract the best startups and talent to the region, and connect them to the benchmark assets and expertise available here to change the trajectory of their business and technology commercialization,” said Binghamton University Associate Vice President of Innovation and Economic Development, Per Stromhaug.
Binghamton University’s Koffman Southern Tier Incubator under the NENY initiative will run ChargeUp, utilizing its established format. Companies in the program will receive over 200 hours of curriculum over six months to be investment-ready, mastering business due diligence, design for manufacturing, complex supply chains, product pricing, and other topics.
The Koffman’s Southern Tier Clean Energy Incubator program has much to tout, having fostered over 60 startup companies since 2017. Included is iM3NY, which opened the state’s first battery Gigafactory. In addition, Binghamton University’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships leads the NENY initiative with Battery-NY, a first-of-its-kind in-the-nation battery technology and prototyping center.
The ChargeUp curriculum follows two of NextCorps’ proven accelerators: Luminate, focusing on startups developing technologies enabled by optics, photonics, and imaging (OPI), and the Manufacturing Accelerator, moving early-stage companies from prototype to mass production. The methodology leverages university, community, and industrial involvement.
The companies participating in the accelerator will receive $25,000, gain connections to investors, and have access to opportunities for follow-on investment, including up to $100,000 for technical development. The program will begin April 14, 2024.
Key online info sessions are scheduled for January 25 and February 8 for companies to learn the details and assess program. Register at:
- Scale Your Startup at ChargeUp (Jan. 25, 2024, 1–2 p.m. EST)
- Tips for Applying to ChargeUp (Feb. 8, 2024, 1–2 p.m. EST)
To apply to ChargeUp, visit: https://www.f6s.com/chargeup-accelerator-2024/apply
