Planetary Solutions Impact Accelerator
Accelerating breakthrough Yale innovations to solve the most urgent planetary challenges.
The Yale Planetary Solutions Impact Accelerator (PSIA) is a faculty accelerator launched in late 2025 to fast-track the development of transformative solutions to planetary challenges. PSIA is part of Yale Planetary Solutions and powered by Yale Ventures, aimed at mobilizing the breadth of Yale’s research enterprise.
The initial focus of PSIA is on commercializing scalable technologies that directly address root-causes, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change, rather than adaptation or resilience strategies.
Through milestone-based funding of $100,000-$250,000 from the Yale Planetary Solutions Grant Program, expert mentorship, and commercialization guidance, this accelerator harnesses Yale’s research strengths—and its global networks of investors, nonprofits, and policymakers—to translate bold ideas into scalable innovations with lasting planetary impacts.
PSIA is led by Stuart DeCew, the Director of the fund at Yale Ventures, and overseen by Julie Zimmerman, the PI of the fund and Yale's Vice Provost for Planetary Solutions.
PSIA 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 the Planetary Solutions Impact Accelerator to transform Yale’s world-class research into applied innovations with measurable planetary benefit. By supporting bold ideas, we aim to scale solutions from campus to New Haven and out into the world.”
—Julie Zimmerman, PSIA Lead PI; Vice Provost for Planetary Solutions;
Professor, Yale School of the Environment and the School of Engineering & Applied Science
PSIA News
