Find, fund, and foster entrepreneurs with ideas to solve our greatest environmental and energy challenges
Apply for CTO NOLA 2026 now through April 6th!
Calling all founders, entrepreneurs, investors, and startup ecosystem partners! . . . building on our successful 2025 Shell GameChanger Cohort 01, Deep Blue Academy and Cleantech Open NOLA are pleased to open the 2026 recruiting season for our second New Orleans-based cohort of climate and cleantech startup companies to participate in the National Cleantech Open competition. You can also recommend a company for the 2026 cohort.
Join our first 2026 kickoff webinar on February 3rd, 2026 at 10:00 AM CT. Learn all about the program and the benefit to submitting your application in the Early Bird Period.
Deep Blue Academy and The Cleantech Open are proudly collaborating as 2025 GCxN Channel Partner Strategic Award winners for the Shell GameChanger Accelerator Powered by NREL. Now in our second year, we are pleased to be hosting the first Climate Tech / Cleantech accelerator program specifically focused on homegrown New Orleans region startups. In its first year, the program provided participation and travel funding assistance for 4 local cleantech startups participating in the 2025 CTO cohort. Cleantech Open (CTO) runs the largest cleantech accelerator program in the world, supporting critical early-stage startups that are addressing global climate, energy, and environmental challenges. Since 2005 CTO has trained over 4,000 entrepreneurs from 2,100+ early-stage clean technology startups through its annual business accelerator. For more information, contact us at: info@deepblue.academy.
2026 Program Timeline:
February 1st - Application period opens
April 6th - Application Deadline ($80)
May 28 - 29th - National Academy in New York City
June, July & August - Main Curriculum & Virtual Business Clinics
September (dates TBA) - Regional Finals
October 20th - 22nd - Global Forum
2026 Program Prize Overview:
Regional: $5,000 - 10,000 per company for various categories
National: $50,000 grand prize for the national winner
For more information, go to www.cleantechopen.org , or email Cleantech Open at contact@cleantechopen.org with questions.
Find out all the ways you can get involved with Cleantech Open, or recommend a company for the 2026 cohort
CTO NOLA 2025 Cohort 01
Find out more about our 2025 CTO NOLA cohort / alumni:
Beth Galante; Fortifyy - digital marketplace for Fortified Homes
Daisy Dodge; FLOAT - modern floating homes
Jeremiah Piper; Renovigo Chemicals - upcycling CO2 emissions
Stephen Herrera; Pinpoint Irrigation - precision intelligent irrigation
Special thanks to the Dan Lucas Memorial Fund, our founding sponsor and trusted advocate, and to the Pontchartrain Conservancy, our fiscal sponsor.
