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Open Call
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We’re excited to announce the return of the Founder Fellowship for its fourth year. In collaboration with NYCEDC’s Venture Access NYC initiative, Newlab is set to support a new cohort of 15 climate tech founders from underrepresented communities, providing them with the tools they need to scale their impact.
Fellows will gain access to practical resources through hands-on workshops, connections to industry leaders, and personalized mentoring to help address their specific challenges. Each founder will also benefit from a year-long membership at Newlab Brooklyn and key connections to investors for fundraising support.
"Newlab is incredibly proud to continue as an operator of the Founder Fellowship," said Cam Lawrence, CEO at Newlab. "What began three years ago as a small pilot has grown into a transformational program, supporting visionary climate and deep tech founders from underrepresented backgrounds across New York City. We can't wait to see what future cohorts will accomplish."
As part of the broader Venture Access NYC initiative, our goal remains clear: to foster a more inclusive tech ecosystem by connecting founders, investors, and industry leaders across New York City.
“We are thrilled to continue NYCEDC's long-standing partnership with Newlab to host a fourth cohort of Founder Fellows together in 2025, and to support local innovations in climate, energy, mobility, and materials that are building our sustainable future” said Fernando Montejo, VP of Innovation Industries at NYCEDC.
We’re also pleased to announce our continued partnership with Bank of America, whose support will power the program through Fall 2025. With their focus on transformative tech and unparalleled reach, Bank of America will help further accelerate the growth of these climate tech startups, amplifying their potential to make a real-world difference.
"Bank of America is pleased to continue its partnership with Newlab and NYCEDC’s Venture Access NYC initiative. As a leading financial force in NYC with a focus on Emerging Tech, our support for emerging tech companies is core to our mission as the #1 bank for small businesses in the US," said Cathleen Callahan, Market Executive at Bank of America.
The selection committee is comprised of the following representatives:
Applications are open now through December 6th and the program activities will start in March of 2025. Apply Now
Newlab’s Founder Fellowship will provide sponsored Newlab memberships and tailored founder support to companies led by founders from underrepresented backgrounds to support diversity and inclusiveness in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, thought, culture, and economic experience.
Fellows will be awarded a 12-month Flex II membership (valid for two individuals), which offers access to Newlab’s 84,000 square foot space in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Newlab’s extensive network, and resources that support business growth, including:
Newlab collaborates with and invests alongside top-tier funds with deep domain expertise—with an investor and partner network of over 400 organizations, including AlleyCorp, Google X, and New York Angels. Newlab frequently connects member companies with corporate and civic partners for business development opportunities and offers pilot opportunities through our Applied Innovation Studios. Founders will also benefit from a direct connection to our investment team and access to investment opportunities.
Additionally, founders will enjoy hands-on business and personal financial planning assistance from our program partner, Bank of America, as well as discounts on software and services.
With a peer community of 250+ companies scaling transformative technology, Newlab fosters an environment of cross-functional collaboration and knowledge-sharing, with members regularly collaborating on new products. Fellows will receive highly curated 1:1 introductions to mentors, investors, customers, partners, and talent.
Newlab also helps members navigate legal, marketing, fundraising, and offers skills-building events, workshops, office hours, and networking-focused gatherings.
Founders will also have access to the many high-profile events hosted at Newlab, such as New Climate Futures.
Newlab provides extensive facilities for prototyping and product realization. Members have 24-hour access and each shop contains state-of-the-art equipment designed to facilitate the product development workflow—from idea to design to a working prototype. Onsite prototyping resources include 3D printing, CNC milling, wood and metal shops, casting and finishing, textiles, electronics, and more.
We encourage early-stage companies founded by entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds that are working on urban tech solutions to apply. Examples of urban tech solutions include transformative technologies applied to Climate Change, Energy, Circular Economy, GovTech, Public Health, Safety, Mobility, Transportation, Agriculture, Water, Infrastructure, and Accessibility.
The program will primarily focus on startups in the mobility, energy, and materials sectors, while also considering other tech solutions that can drive climate action.
Newlab is a global venture platform for critical technology startups building our sustainable future. We help startups commercialize faster by aligning infrastructure, pilots, and capital in locations with strategic advantages. Newlab operates 3 innovation hubs, as well as active programming in additional regions. To date, Newlab has partnered with over 50 industry and government leaders; and supported its 300+ member companies in raising over $5.8B from venture capital firms, with over $2.3B of successful exits and a collective valuation of over $20B.
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that creates shared prosperity across New York City. Their work is organized around four main areas of focus—investing in neighborhoods to address long-standing community needs, building a more sustainable city to meet the challenges of climate change, creating workforce development opportunities to help New Yorkers succeed in 21st century industries, and advancing the growth of both startups and established companies to ensure New York City’s competitive edge.
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,700 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 58 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BAC).
