The Make It in Brooklyn Climate Tech pitch contest took place at Downtown Brooklyn’s Hana House on Tuesday, September 24, as part of Climate Week NYC. The event was a showcase for innovative startups introducing new innovative solutions to combat climate change, as well as a place for entrepreneurs to connect with industry professionals, potential investors, and fellow innovators in the climate tech space.

Climate Week NYC is an annual event that brings together international leaders from business, government, and civil society to showcase global climate action and discuss ways to do more.

The competition showcased a diverse array of innovative companies tackling climate change. The five finalists included: CarbonBridge, using microbial technology to convert waste gases into sustainable fuel; Plantaer, developing plant-integrated building materials; Cycleau, offering compact water treatment systems; CarbonPilot, providing software for corporate decarbonization; and Unified Ground, connecting environmental investors with local sustainability initiatives.

Sabina Sethi Unni, a public theater artist, community organizer, and urban planner, emceed the event, entertaining the crowd throughout. Each finalist was allotted 3 minutes to present their work and describe how they would use the prize money, and the judges were then given three minutes to ask questions.

Competition was fierce, and the judges had their work cut out for them, with CarbonBridge emerging as the winner – impressing judges with its groundbreaking approach to fuel production. Their innovative technology centers on a proprietary bioreactor that enables economically viable gas fermentation. This process maximizes energy efficiency while minimizing carbon footprint and costs, resulting in an unparalleled method for converting waste greenhouse gases into sustainable fuel.

The panel of judges included professionals working at the intersection of climate and technology, Sonam Velani, Managing Partner of Streetlife Ventures; Griffin Reilly, Department Manager of Area Substation Planning and Analytics at ConEdison; Tøne Sondergaard, Director of the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub; Greg Humphries, Head of Business Operations at Vycarb; Iben Falconer, Director of Strategic Partnerships at itselectric.