Offshore Wind Innovation Hub

🎉 2026 CALL FOR INNOVATORS: DEADLINE EXTENDED 🎉 ⏰ LAST CALL: Apply by August 3, 2026 at noon ET ⏰ The deadline for our 2026 Call for Innovators has been EXTENDED — but time's still short. If you're building in offshore wind, maritime, ocean, or climate infrastructure, this is your window. 🌊⚡ 📊 WHY APPLY NOW? JUST LOOK AT WHAT LAST YEAR'S COHORT ACHIEVED📊 Metrics below reflect the collective performance of all 6 companies in our 2025 cohort: 💰 Secured an additional $2.7M in grant funding, including a $2M demonstration grant and a $400K grant boost 📈 16% funding growth across equity and grants, bringing total cohort funding to $13.4M 🚀 Revenue grew 327% with 130% growth projected for 2026 👥 Team growth of 24%, from 45 to 56 employees, with active hiring across the cohort 🌍 Multiple companies gearing up for new funding rounds in 2026 This is what happens when the right founders get the right support. Now it's your turn. AS A SELECTED COHORT COMPANY, YOU'LL GAIN: 📈 Direct mentorship from industry leaders Vestas and Ørsted 💸 Non-dilutive seed grants to validate your tech and demonstrate it right here in NY 💼 Hands-on business development coaching built around your startup 📚 Workshops and expert sessions to accelerate your solution 🏢 A home base at our new Hub coworking space at BATWorks in Brooklyn Army Terminal 🌐 A network that opens doors. We're the only US-based incubator solely dedicated to offshore wind startups. We're proud to be an initiative led by Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and the National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium (NOWRDC), in collaboration with NYSERDA and New York City Economic Development Corporation. If this sounds like the right fit for your company, throw your name in the ring! 🎯 And if you know someone who'd be a great match, tag them in the comments and help them apply! 👇🏼 📝 Deadline: August 3, 2026, at noon ET — apply today 📝 bit.ly/3WnTypx 🎥 Recording from our 2026 Innovator Program: Exploration and Information Event: https://lnkd.in/eYHs6Vh4 #offshorewind #cleanenergy #renewable #windpower #sustainableenergy #innovation \#startup #entrepreneurship #community #NYC #NYUTandonMade #UFLInnovatesForClimate

🌬️ EVENT RECAP: 2026 INNOVATOR PROGRAM Q&A SOCIAL HOUR 🌬️ What a night! Thank you to everyone who came out a few days ago for our 2026 Innovator Program Q&A Social Hour, held at Windscape Brooklyn, which brought together NYC's maritime and ocean renewable industries for an evening of conversation, connection, and a firsthand look at the city's clean energy future. A special thank you to our Hub partner representatives — Stephan Kremers from Vestas, Katherine Thomas from NYSERDA, and Ana Fisyak, AICP — for sharing their time and expertise with the room. Your remarks gave attendees a genuinely valuable window into the program, and we're so grateful for your continued support in bringing this event to life. Hosting at WindScape Brooklyn, the first-of-its-kind offshore wind learning center right here in NYC, made the evening feel especially fitting: a room full of people building this industry, inside a space built to showcase it. A FEW TAKEAWAYS FROM THE EVENING 🎯 The bar for a strong application is knowing your "why." Several of the most useful exchanges of the night came from attendees pressure-testing their project ideas directly with the program team before submitting. 🤝 This industry runs on relationships. The connections made between innovators, industry, and program partners in the room may end up mattering as much as anything discussed on stage. 💬 Curiosity was the through line. From questions about eligibility to deep dives into the technologies in scope, attendees left with a much clearer picture of not just whether to apply but also how to put their best application forward. 🏗️ NYC's offshore wind story is tangible. The window tour of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal was a reminder that this isn't a future industry. It’s one being built right now, right here. 📝 Still thinking about applying? There's no better time — learn more and apply here by July 27 at noon ET: https://lnkd.in/eRynWueY

🌊 HUB TEAM MEMBER KORI GROENVELD ATTENDS THE NEW BEDFORD OCEAN ECONOMY CONFERENCE SERIES 🌊 Last week, Kori Groenveld, our colleague from Hub Partner, the National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium, joined the New Bedford Ocean Economy Conference Series for its offshore renewable energy track. A three-part event exploring innovation and technology across key areas of the regional blue economy: Aquaculture, Offshore Renewable Energy, and Commercial Fishing. Hosted by the New Bedford Ocean Cluster, the series brings together research, industry, and public-sector leaders at the forefront of the ocean economy to learn, network, highlight technology, and share the latest trends and best practices in the industry. CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS 🌬️ Broad update on the U.S. offshore wind market 🏗️ Progress on innovation infrastructure in Massachusetts 🤖 Commercialization trends in AI and robotics 🔬 Site visits to SMAST testing facilities/labs along with a new mobile testing dock developed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) WHY IT MATTERS FOR THE HUB 🎯 Testing sites are directly relevant to us — the 2026 Innovator program will offer cohort members a seed innovation grant opportunity to conduct pilots 🚀 The range of available facilities is expanding and exciting: from brand new sites such as WHOI's dockside mobile testing dock to established ones like MassCEC’s Wind Technology Testing Center, WHOI's core labs We connect innovators with facilities like these to help move technology forward, enabling them to bring real-world applicability and feasibility to their solutions. 📅 Want access to seed innovation grants to test your products at facilities like those highlighted above? Apply to the Hub's Innovator Program by July 27, 2026 at noon EST: https://lnkd.in/edvU92tg #offshorewind #cleanenergy #renewable #windpower #sustainableenergy #innovation #startup #entrepreneurship #community #NYC #NYUTandonMade #UFLInnovatesForClimate

🌱 CHIPOTLE'S CULTIVATE NEXT BACKS HUB COHORT ALUMNI BENCHMARK LABS 🌱 Exciting news! Benchmark Labs Inc., part of our 2023 Cohort through the Hub's Innovator Program, has landed a spot in Chipotle's latest round of venture investments. The company joins five others — IMIO, Clean Crop Technologies, Inc., Athian, SIMPLi, and PopID — as the newest members of Cultivate Next / Chipotle portfolio. They’re each working to solve critical challenges across agriculture, supply chains, sustainability, food systems, and restaurant technology. 🌾 FROM CULTIVATE NEXT ON WHY BENCHMARK LABS MADE THE CUT "As weather-related disruptions become more frequent, growers need better tools to anticipate risk and make informed decisions. Benchmark Labs' technology aligns with Chipotle's interest in supporting agricultural resilience and long-term supply chain stability." 💬 FROM CHIPOTLE PRESIDENT & CHIEF STRATEGY AND TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, Curt Garner: "Together, these companies demonstrate how innovation is reshaping agriculture, sustainability, supply chains, and the guest experience, creating new opportunities to build a more resilient food system. Their technologies have the potential to create meaningful value for farmers, suppliers, restaurant operators, and guests alike." Hats off again to the Benchmark Labs team! We are incredibly proud to have you as part of our alumni cohort and to continue to support your wins and advancements in your work. 👉 Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gu2W-Djr 📸 Here's a throwback photo of Co-Founder Ulrik Soderstrom pitching Benchmark Labs 3 years ago at the Hub's signature Wind-Win Startup Showdown, an event originally created as part of the final stage in our downselection process. Feels like yesterday!

⚡ T-MINUS 13 DAYS TO APPLY — HERE'S WHY IT'S WORTH IT ⚡ Want to know what makes the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub's 2026 Innovator Program special? Our team — Michael D. Lam, Anna Yum, Tone Søndergaard, and Kori Groenveld — is pulling back the curtain to show why you should apply, what sets our program apart from others, and the real benefits offered to select cohort companies that await across the Hub's partner consortium — NYSERDA, Vestas, National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium, Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, New York City Economic Development Corporation. Spots are limited. Momentum is building. Don't let your company miss the boat! 📅 Applications close July 27 at 12:00 PM EST — 13 days to get your company in the running. We want to hear what you're building. Show us. 🔗 Apply now: https://lnkd.in/edvU92tg 🍻 NOT READY TO APPLY YET? MEET US FIRST. 🍻 Bring a friend and swing by our 2026 Innovator Program Q&A Social Hour next week on July 22 — 5 days before applications close. We're bringing together NYC's maritime and ocean renewable energy crowd for a laid-back evening at WindScape Brooklyn. Ask your last-minute questions, meet the team and partners, and connect with the partners powering this program. 🌟 RSVP here: https://luma.com/vj2ty743 Come for the answers, stay for the community. See you there. 🌊 #offshorewind #cleanenergy #renewable #windpower #sustainableenergy #innovation #startup #entrepreneurship #community  #NYC #NYUTandonMade #UFLInnovatesForClimate

🎉 2024 COHORT ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: PLIANT ENERGY SYSTEMS 🎉 Huge congrats to 2024 Alumni Cohort member Pliant Energy Systems Inc, which has secured over $11M in combined Office of Naval Research funding — an $8M contract in April 2024 and a $3.1M deal inked in August — to advance two new versions of its fin-powered autonomous system. Pliant's technology ditches traditional rotating turbines in favor of undulating fins inspired by sea slugs, letting it move through debris-heavy water, shallow areas, and even land without getting tangled. "We're doing something completely different, and there's no engineering precedent for it," says founder and CEO (Benjamin) Pietro Filardo. THE TWO ONR-BACKED BUILDS MCM-Ray — a four-finned version built for high-agility mine countermeasure missions, able to close in on and scan targets that would normally require multiple systems to handle. C-Ray Regen — a self-recharging model that can stay on mission indefinitely by generating power from water currents flowing over its fins. The Navy is leaning into persistent monitoring solutions like these to keep tabs on critical assets below the surface as the undersea domain becomes increasingly contested. Pliant was also just named to the 2026 cohort of NATO's DIANA accelerator, which helps startups scale toward real-world defense deployment. 🚀 So proud to watch our alumni keep landing major wins and pushing the industry forward. 📖Read more in the National Defense Magazine here: https://lnkd.in/gR_F5dcE #offshorewind #cleanenergy #renewable #windpower #sustainableenergy #innovation #startup #entrepreneurship #community  #NYC #NYUTandonMade #UFLInnovatesForClimate

Are you an offshore wind or maritime innovator wondering whether the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub is right for you? Or are you in the NYC maritime and ocean renewables industry and just looking to connect with others in this space? Come join the hub's Innovator Program Q&A and Social Hour for an evening of connection and conversation. Consider it your one-stop shop for any last-minute questions ahead of the application deadline — with the added bonus of an exclusive tour of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, a critical infrastructure project at the heart of NYC's clean energy future and a prime example of where innovative technology like yours can play a potential defining role. Register for the event here: https://lnkd.in/g4cFgauA The initiative is led by Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and the National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium (NOWRDC) in collaboration with NYSERDA and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). 📝Applications close July 27, 2026, at noon ET 📝 Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/eRynWueY

🌬️ JOIN US FOR THE 2026 INNOVATOR PROGRAM Q&A SOCIAL HOUR 🌬️ Applying to the Innovator Program? Join us on July 22 for our 2026 Innovator Program Q&A Social Hour, bringing together NYC's maritime and ocean renewable industries for a casual evening at WindScape Brooklyn. Meet the team and partners behind the program, connect with fellow innovators, and leave with everything you need to submit a strong application. We're thrilled to host this event at WindScape Brooklyn — the first-of-its-kind offshore wind learning center right here in NYC, and a living testament to the industry being built in our own backyard. WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU This isn't just a networking event — it's your most direct path to application-ready answers and real industry connections: ❓ Get last-minute questions answered directly by the program team before the deadline 📋 Learn what it takes to apply — program benefits, eligibility, and the technologies in scope 🏗️ See it firsthand with an exclusive window tour of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, a critical infrastructure project at the heart of NYC's clean energy future 🤝 Build relationships that matter — meet the partners, funders, and industry players behind the program, plus the network we've built over the past three years 💡 Get real signal, not just a pitch — leave with a clearer sense of whether and how to apply, straight from the people and partners running the program EVENT DETAILS 📅 When: July 22, 4:00–6:30 PM ET 📍 Where: WindScape Brooklyn 🌟 RSVP here: https://luma.com/vj2ty743 🎙️ Speakers will be announced soon — stay tuned! 🥂 Light bites and refreshments will be provided. 📝 Applications close July 27, 2026, at noon ET 📝Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/eRynWueY #offshorewind #cleanenergy #renewable #windpower #sustainableenergy #innovation #startup #entrepreneurship #community  #NYC #NYUTandonMade #UFLInnovatesForClimate

🌊 TOP APPLICATION TIPS FOR OUR 2026 CALL FOR INNOVATORS 🌊 Want to put your best foot forward for our 2026 Call for Innovators? Scouting is officially underway, and we're offering an inside look at how we assess the best and brightest applicants. The Hub's Director, Tone Søndergaard, shares her top tips for prospective applicants — clear, honest advice as we prepare to welcome our 4th cohort.🎥 Watch the video below for her insider perspective. Applications close on July 27 at 12:00 PM EST, so be sure to put your company in the running before then. We'd love to hear more about what you're building. 🔗 Apply today: https://lnkd.in/edvU92tg Before then, join us for our 2026 Innovator Program Q&A Social Hour on July 22. We're bringing together NYC's maritime and ocean renewable industries for a casual evening at WindScape Brooklyn, where you can get your last-minute questions answered and meet the team and partners behind the program. 🌟 RSVP here: https://luma.com/vj2ty743 #offshorewind #cleanenergy #renewable #windpower #sustainableenergy #innovation #startup #entrepreneurship #community  #NYC #NYUTandonMade #UFLInnovatesForClimate