Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator

Undaunted Tyre Collective collage

Unlocking climate solutions in London’s built environment

The Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator creates a pathway to growth and commercial success for a diverse range of climate startups who are ready to implement and scale up their solutions to the climate crisis across the built environment sector, with a particular focus on decarbonising buildings. It offers a gateway into the London retrofit market, with the aim of unlocking the barriers to market entry, setting the foundation for a successful commercial scale up and reducing London’s greenhouse gas emissions significantly. 

Here is a glimpse of the Challenge Identification Workshop with the first cohort.

Hear from our cohort participants about their challenges and inspiration to join the accelerator:

  1. Anzen's co-founder Preethi Jayakumar
  2. Building Atlas' co-founder Stephen Lorimer

Powered by Imperial College London, via Undaunted and Enterprise, the Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator is part of the Greater London Authority's Better Futures programme, co-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. 

What to expect from the programme 

Climate innovation SMEs

The Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator is looking for high-potential innovative climate tech SMEs and businesses whose technologies can provide a significant impact in reducing greenhouse gas emissions within the built environment retrofit sector. Innovations in physical and digital technologies, but not limited to:

  • building materials
  • building systems
  • energy solutions
  • digital products
  • other advisory services

Eligibility

Eligibility for businesses to participate in the cohort:

  • London-based
  • classified as in the LCEGS (Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services) sector
  • developing products or services suitable for the retrofit sector which have the potential to save significant green-house gas emissions
  • ready to implement and scale up their solutions

We encourage people from underserved communities to apply and recognise under-representation of women, minority ethnic groups, disabled persons, neurodivergent persons, and the LGBTQI+ community in our startup portfolios.

To bridge this gap, Undaunted encourages applications from people of all races, religions, national origins, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and ages, as well as veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Imperial College London and Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment values equity, diversity, and inclusion to improve representation across all its programmes and partnerships.

How do you benefit from being a part of the cohort?

Select participants from the cohort will get the opportunity to get access to:

  • R&D advice
  • internships
  • technical workspace
  • a network of key industry stakeholders
  • demonstration trials and deployment of low-carbon building innovations

Participate

Applications are now closed for the Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator. If you're an interested stakeholder - investor, climate tech business expert, consultant or local authority working on making a relevant impact in London's built environment, you could get a chance to meet exciting businesses and hear live pitches. Reach out to us at undaunted@imperial.ac.uk to learn how you can participate in creating a sustainable retrofit market for SMEs to scale up.

Stakeholders and partners

To drive this transformative initiative forward, we are also looking for stakeholders to lend their expertise to SMEs and businesses in the built environment. The cohort will be guided through their knowledge to unblock the implementation of climate change solutions in London’s built environment. We are also looking for visionary partners who are willing to use a building project as a frame for the actions of the cohort, and to demonstrate first-of-a-kind innovations. 

Get in touch to participate

Please get in touch with us if you are interested in becoming a stakeholder or partner. Register your interest in the programme via undaunted@imperial.ac.uk.

The partners behind the Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator

Imperial College London - Enterprise

Imperial's Enterprise Division has created an entire ecosystem to support startups from the earliest seeds of an idea, via initiatives such as the Climate Entrepreneurs Club and Imperial Enterprise Lab, right through to fostering a flourishing innovation community at its campus in London’s White City Innovation District, where promising young businesses can access incubation support and scale up.

Undaunted

Grown in Imperial’s Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, Undaunted has climate expertise, science and passion for the planet in its DNA. Its thriving innovation ecosystem aims to make London and the UK a great place to start and scale intelligent, sustainable solutions to the climate challenge at pace. Close to 150 exciting climate businesses have graduated from Undaunted’s accelerator programme, The Greenhouse, going on to raise more than $1 billion in investment since 2012 and creating over 1,500 jobs in 30 countries.

Better Futures

Better Futures is a collaborative initiative among leading organisations, led by the Greater London Authority, supporting cleantech SMEs across London to enable innovation, growth, job creation, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to achieve net zero. After a recent £2.3m cash injection from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), Better Futures is set to embark on its third phase. Imperial's Retrofit Accelerator programme is part of Better Futures 3.0.

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