Holcim partners with Greentown Labs to accelerate climate tech for sustainable building

Holcim is entering a partnership with Greentown Labs, the largest incubator of climate tech start-ups in North America, to accelerate open innovation for the decarbonisation of the built environment. The premium “Terawatt” partnership with Greentown, with incubators in Somerville, Massachusetts, and Houston, Texas, gives Holcim prime access to promising start-ups focussed on innovative and sustainable building solutions. Through it, Holcim aims to become an early adopter of cutting-edge technologies to decarbonise building. It will participate in targeted engagements with innovative start-ups and attend exclusive building-sector pitch days. Holcim also joins Greentown’s Industry Leadership Council, which provides strategic guidance to Greentown, including on reducing tech-to-market lead times. 

Nollaig Forrest, chief sustainability officer of Holcim, said: “With our open innovation ecosystem, we partner with hundreds of start-ups worldwide to accelerate the shift to sustainable building. By partnering with Greentown Labs, we aim to empower the best and brightest startups active in the built environment to scale up their impact. The combination of Holcim MAQER Ventures, our venture capital programme, with Greentown’s stellar roster of successful climate tech start-ups will serve as a catalyst to reinvent how the world builds for a regenerative future.”

Kevin Knobloch, CEO of Greentown Labs: "Greentown Labs is thrilled to be partnering with Holcim, a global leader in sustainable building solutions to decarbonize the built environment to bolster cutting-edge climatetech innovations in this critical sector. We look forward to seeing Holcim engage with our building tech startups, sharing its unmatched expertise in low-carbon building innovations and helping advance our entrepreneurs' solutions."

Greentown mobilises climate solutions by providing climate tech start-ups with the resources, knowledge, connections and equipment they need to thrive. Home to over 200 start-ups, and having supported over 525 since being founded in 2011, Greentown’s two incubators offer lab space, shared office space, machine shops, electronics labs, tool shops, software and business resources, and a large network of stakeholders.