Net Zero — AI Accelerator
A focused accelerator for early-stage teams applying AI to the hardest parts of decarbonization.
Decarbonize with AI.
An in-person and hybrid accelerator for AI-enabled startups solving critical climate challenges — from carbon markets to manufacturing, mobility to energy. The most recent cohort ran in San Francisco with weekly live sessions and one-to-one mentorship, culminating in a Demo Day. Startups in the program received AWS cloud credits and hands-on help deploying AI workloads on AWS.
We look for ambitious founders whose solutions can drive significant emissions reductions, and we give them the resources, mentorship and network to turn a groundbreaking idea into a scalable venture.
Target decarbonization sectors.
Energy & grid
Generation, transmission, storage and the systems that keep them balanced.
Buildings & efficiency
Where the built environment meets energy demand.
Transportation & logistics
Moving goods and people with far less carbon.
Data centers
The compute layer and everything that cools and powers it.
CCUS & carbon markets
Capture, use, storage, and the market machinery around them.
Nature-based solutions
Biodiversity, food and agriculture.
Advanced materials & biomanufacturing
New materials and biological routes to making things.
Industrial manufacturing
Process efficiency in the hardest-to-abate industries.
What the program provided.
Accelerated customer access
Fast-tracked B2B traction. Founders were introduced to pilots, customers and partners through a curated corporate network of more than 70 organisations, including Shell Ventures, Amazon and United Airlines — with hands-on help navigating complex B2B sales.
Deep industry expertise
Built by industry veterans from the DOE, utilities, industrial OEMs and cleantech manufacturing. The team knows the systems these startups are disrupting and brought battle-tested guidance rather than generic advice.
A de-risked next raise
Milestone-based strategy so teams hit the technical and commercial marks that make the round after Demo Day straightforward, addressing the funding gap that catches most early-stage hard-tech companies.
Founder-aligned and impact-driven
Every part of the program was tailored and hands-on. Weekly group sessions on business, product, commercial and fundraising strategy, plus one-to-one coaching shaped around each company's situation.
Who chose the cohort.
Seasoned experts and leaders from venture capital, corporate innovation and deep industry, brought together so evaluation was holistic rather than narrow.
Jane Ge
Managing Partner, Vectors Capital
Johnny Huang
Venture Partner, Vectors Capital
Cece Zhao
Vice President, Vectors Capital
Zachary Keats
GS Futures
Joao Felix
Brisa Innovations
Bill Dong
Schreiber Food Ventures
Jerrod Wang
GC Ventures
The 2025 cycle.
Format
Nine weeks, in person and hybrid, based in San Francisco. Founders were strongly encouraged to be in the city to be fully immersed in the innovation ecosystem and to build customer and investor relationships while there.
Rhythm
Applications reviewed on a rolling basis, an interview week, then the program itself running from September through to a physical Demo Day in San Francisco at the end of October.
Who it suited
Teams planning to raise a seed round within six to twelve months who could already demonstrate early customer interest — letters of intent, customer emails or funded pilots.
Open on geography and technique
Founders outside the US were welcome. We are agnostic about how AI is used — hardware or software, any technique — as long as it is a critical part of solving a decarbonization problem.