Joining a growing portfolio of Yale Ventures funds, the new accelerator will provide funding, mentorship, and commercialization support for Yale faculty-led teams developing solutions to planetary challenges.

Yale University has announced the launch of the Yale Planetary Solutions Impact Accelerator (PSIA), a new initiative designed to fast-track the development of transformative solutions to planetary challenges.

Part of Yale Planetary Solutions (YPS), a university-wide effort to bring the full breadth of Yale’s  resources and insights to bear on the world’s most pressing planetary challenges , and powered by Yale Ventures, the university’s hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, the accelerator provides support to Yale faculty innovators translating breakthrough research into real-world impact.  

With its profound strengths in the arts, humanities, and social sciences and its excellence in the physical, natural, and applied sciences, Yale is positioned to generate a wide array of scalable solutions that transcend disciplinary boundaries. The accelerator will advance cross-cutting innovations that address climate change, ecosystem degradation, and a range of other planetary challenges.  

The initial focus of the accelerator is on commercializing technologies that can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the root cause of climate change. Selected faculty-led projects will receive milestone-based funding, expert mentorship, and access to a global network of investors and partners.

The accelerator builds upon the current YPS Grants Program and joins a growing portfolio of accelerator funds managed by Yale Ventures dedicated to maximizing the positive societal impact of Yale research. These funds include the Blavatnik Fund for Innovation (which supports development of new therapies for a wide range of human diseases), the Roberts Innovation Fund (which supports the scaling of discoveries in Yale Engineering), and the Colton Center for Autoimmunity (which advances novel treatments for autoimmune disorders).   

The accelerator is made possible by a generous gift from Eleanor and Chad Laurans, both graduates of the Yale College Class of 2000 and co-founders of the home security company SimpliSafe, with additional support from Beth Birnbaum ˊ94 and Barney Harford.  

We are launching this accelerator to transform Yale’s world-class research into applied innovations with measurable planetary benefit,” said Julie Zimmerman, Vice Provost for Planetary Solutions and a professor jointly appointed in the Yale School of the Environment and the School of Engineering & Applied Science. “By supporting bold ideas, we aim to  scale solutions from campus to New Haven and out into the world.

The accelerator complements the broader vision of Yale Planetary Solutions, which engages every facet of the university — from teaching and research to operations and entrepreneurship — to advance solutions for people and the planet.  

Faculty from across the university are invited to apply when applications open this fall. The accelerator will initially prioritize proposals aligned with key technical areas, including: 
 

• Carbon Management & Energy Systems

• Low-Carbon Industry & Built Environment

• Biosystems, Food & Agriculture

• Water & Ecosystem Technologies

Each selected project will receive grants ranging from $100,000 to $250,000, along with commercialization coaching from Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs) and advisors drawn from industry, venture capital, and the nonprofit sector. Student associates from across Yale will support the program, gaining hands-on experience in a novel model of entrepreneurship that inspires conventional and unconventional forms of impact.

A cross-disciplinary advisory committee will guide proposal selection and ensure alignment with both scientific excellence and market readiness. Finalists will have the opportunity to present at a high-profile annual pitch event, showcasing Yale’s climate innovation pipeline to prospective funders, licensees, and collaborators. Companies founded to scale up projects may transition to ClimateHaven, a non-profit climate technology startup incubator in New Haven founded with support from Yale that offers additional support, space and prototyping infrastructure. 

“This accelerator advances Yale’s role as a global leader in innovation with real-world impact,” said Josh Geballe, Managing Director of Yale Ventures. “By providing faculty with the resources and pathways to translate their research discoveries, we’re helping Yale innovators tackle the root causes of the climate crisis.”

Yale is actively recruiting for the founding director of the accelerator.  People with experience and expertise building climate tech companies and/or investing in climate-related technology who enjoy coaching and mentoring scientific founders are encouraged to apply.  

For more information about the position and the accelerator, visit Planetary Soutions Impact Accelerator.