As the planet faces unprecedented environmental challenges, the consequences of climate change are manifesting with alarming speed and severity, affecting every aspect of our lives—from weather patterns to food security. In this critical moment, the need for innovative and scalable climate technology solutions has become not just important, but imperative.
The Climate Tech Challenge, a partnership between nasscom foundation and Cadence, is designed to address this critical urgency by leveraging the power of social innovation and technology.
Nasscom Foundation, part of the nasscom ecosystem, has always believed in the power of technology to solve social challenges. This philosophy of TechForGood has been the driving force of all the impact created by nasscom foundation over the last two decades.
Powered by the same belief of technology as a force for social good, Cadence, a leader in EDA and Intelligent System Design solutions, has joined forces to support the acceleration of climate based innovations that help build a greener and more sustainable planet.
Together, nasscom foundation and Cadence aim to create more opportunities for climate change innovators and connect these visionaries to resources and expertise that will further their impact in the fight against climate change.
The Climate Tech Challenge is dedicated to scaling the impact of mid-stage climate-tech startups by offering the support they need to grow and thrive. This one-year initiative supports these startups with proven technologies, helping them enhance their market presence and align their innovations with sustainable development goals.
each will receive Rs. 10,00,000
Each of the final two startups will be awarded a CSR Grant of ₹10 lakhs.
The ₹10 lakhs CSR Grant, along with mentoring support, will greatly benefit the final two startups by helping them connect with the right stakeholders to deploy their solutions in an impact-centric manner. This initiative highlights the commitment of the NASSCOM Foundation and Cadence to empowering social entrepreneurs who leverage technology for positive change. By facilitating these connections, we are enabling the startups to create meaningful case studies and align their solutions with CSR programs for broader impact on climate-related issues.
The entity must be a private limited company, partnership firm, or LLP and not older than 10 years from its incorporation or registration date.
The startup’s annual turnover must not have exceeded ₹100 crores in any financial year since its incorporation.
The startup should be developing new or significantly improved products, processes, or services with high growth and scalability potential, particularly in employment or wealth creation.
The enterprise must not be a split or reconstruction of an existing business.
The startup must have a recognition certificate from DPIIT to be officially recognized under the Startup India scheme.
Startups will apply via an online portal. (Please add a hyper link here)
Two innovators would be chosen as the finalist Based on market potential, impact, and regulatory compliance.
Round 2 Jury Round : Startups that applied through the online portal will be narrowed down to the top 10. In Round 2, these 10 startups will present their pitches to a jury for final selection.
Innovations that promote the generation and use of renewable energy sources.
Technologies that enhance energy efficiency and reduce consumption.
Solutions that tackle waste management through recycling or upcycling.
Innovations that prevent significant greenhouse gas emissions throughout their lifecycle.
Technologies directly focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
