AWS Public Sector Blog

AWS launches new Sustainable Cities Accelerator for startups 

Infrastructure, or the built environment, encompasses all aspects of our lives: real estate, manufacturing, the systems that provide us with water and electricity, and the transportation systems we use to get from place to place. Building these systems requires energy. In fact, the United Nations (UN) estimates that the built environment accounts for about 40% of global energy use and about 30% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.

As consumption of materials continues to increase and competition for natural resources grows, building sustainable and resilient infrastructure is crucial in the fight against climate change. This is why Amazon Web Services (AWS) is launching the next AWS Sustainable Cities Accelerator cohort with a focus on infrastructure. The program empowers startups and leadership in the space to define, grow, and scale the cutting-edge solutions needed to solve today’s biggest infrastructure challenges.

Applications for this new built environment cohort are open for startups building technical innovations in commercial real estate, infrastructure, manufacturing, and other construction related technologies.

AWS Sustainable Cities Accelerator for infrastructure

The accelerator is a virtual technical, business, and mentorship accelerator. Over six weeks from early November through mid-December, the program will immerse startups in cloud education with hands-on technical training in capabilities like machine learning (ML) and high-performance computing (HPC). Participating startups may be eligible to receive up to $100,000 in AWS computing credits through AWS Activate to experiment with and accelerate how they transform their data and operations in the cloud. The startups selected for the cohort will also be connected with AWS customers, including CBRE, ProLogis, and Evergreen Climate Innovations, to learn more about their current challenges and understand how startup technologies can be part of the solution. The accelerator will be delivered in collaboration with Freshwater Advisors, a national innovation consultancy and venture catalyst, and Public Spend Forum, a market intelligence platform connecting government buyers with innovation.

AWS customers, subject matter experts, and key community participants will engage directly with startups throughout the program by serving as advisors and mentors, focused on helping accelerate startups’ business growth and cloud capabilities, in order to drive the transition to sustainable cities and joint solutions to climate change. Startups are also eligible to receive assistance with go-to-market and business development planning.

This program is AWS’s third Sustainable Cities Accelerator cohort focused on fostering rapid growth of clean tech innovations. Previous cohorts focused on mobility and transportation and clean energy.

“The AWS Accelerator gave us global exposure—markets, mentors, potential customers and investors. As a part of the accelerator, we were able to learn how to pitch our solution differently and it helped push our sales globally,” said Govinda Upadhyay, chief executive officer (CEO) of SmartHelio, which was one of the finalists for the AWS Clean Energy Accelerator. “We were able to leverage our association with AWS to build trust among our clients and investors.”

Applications are open today and proposals are due by October 21, 2022. Application criteria consists of several factors, including innovation, the overall value the solution will bring to the industry, the potential application of AWS to solve problems, and the team’s ability to deliver on an identified opportunity.

Learn more about the AWS Sustainable Cities Accelerator and how to apply.

If you’re a startup curious about working with AWS, email wwps-vc-startups-interest@amazon.com to start a conversation about your goals, so you may be aligned with the programs, teams, and initiatives that are right for your organization.

Read more about AWS for startups in the public sector:

Subscribe to the AWS Public Sector Blog newsletter to get the latest in AWS tools, solutions, and innovations from the public sector delivered to your inbox, or contact us.

Please take a few minutes to share insights regarding your experience with the AWS Public Sector Blog in this survey, and we’ll use feedback from the survey to create more content aligned with the preferences of our readers.