Biomimicry Institute’s Ray of Hope Accelerator

Deadline: 3 May 2024

Apply for the Biomimicry Institute’s Ray of Hope Accelerator, a 6-month program to accelerate the growth of nature-inspired startups to scale systemic solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

They support a cohort of ten high-impact nature-inspired startups, spanning from Pre-seed to Series A stages and representing various sectors and regions. This includes tailored coaching, investor introductions, a 4-day Nature Retreat, and comprehensive training materials covering topics such as Impact and Sustainability Business Training, Innovation Storytelling & Amplification, DEI, and Founder Mental Health.

They prioritize your growth as an individual, startup founder, and visionary leader, they emphasize relationship-building and foster a vibrant community of innovative startups inspired by nature to drive positive impact. With a proven track record of over 40 thriving companies in the portfolio, they’re ready to support your entrepreneurial journey.

The Program

Six-Month Accelerator
- A unique program designed for nature-inspired Pre-seed, Seed and Series A startups,
- $15,000 non-dilutive capital and $50,000 of in-kind services,
- Remote programming: 1h live session per week, and ~3h additional committment per week
- An inspiring and committed alumni community and a dedicated Ray of Hope Accelerator team.
NY Climate Week & Nature Retreat
- One week together in-person (9/26 – 10/2) to get to know each other! Including:
  - A meeting at NY Climate Week to connect with the nature-inspired startup ecosystem, followed by:
  - A 4-day Nature Retreat to reconnect with yourself, your mission, and the natural world, and to build a community of trusted peers to support each other through the program and your entrepreneurial journey.
Vibrant Ecosystem
- An unparalleled network of nature-inspired enthusiasts, mentors, investors, corporates, and entrepreneurs,
- Personalized mentorship to meet your needs,
- Matchmaking and monthly meetings to learn from investors,
- Gain access to potential corporate partners to scale and develop proof of concept or pilot projects.
Impact & Sustainability Business Training
- Live Expert Sessions and workshops on topics such as: green chemistry, supply chain sustainability, life-cycle analysis, impact reporting, etc.,
- Curriculum tailored to serve your purposes.
Innovation Storytelling & Amplification
- Enhance your science and innovation storytelling skills to amplify your story,
- Increase your visibility and reach via science communication support and content creation.
- Explore the award-winning animation series featuring the portfolio startups.
Nature-Inspired Solutions Demo Day
- Refine your pitch with 1:1 coaching sessions,
- Concluding online Demo Day to pitch to investors, potential partners, customers and to network with key stakeholders.

Eligibility Criteria

At the Biomimicry Institute, they’re accelerating the growth of nature-inspired startups to scale systemic solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. To enter the program, you need to meet a certain number of requirements:
- Nature-Inspired Solution & Technology
  - Nature-inspired solutions are a broad classification of innovation that encompasses a great number of technology categories. At the accelerator, a nature-inspired solution draws inspiration from the natural world, often adapting biological principles and properties, ecological relationships or other aspects of nature’s strategies to address humanity’s greatest environmental challenges.
  - Your Nature-Inspired Solutions may be:
    - Grounded in deep scientific research – like Retein
    - Evolved from an understanding of biological systems – like Mycocycle
    - Enabling bio-inspired solutions – like Fusion Bionic
  - Explore the portfolio of companies for more examples.
  - Historically, the nature-inspired startups they support fit within at least one of the following categories:
    - Chemistry and Materials
    - Built Environment
    - Manufacturing and Advanced Robotics
    - Renewable Energy
    - Transportation and Mobility
    - Food and Agriculture
    - Conservation and Remediation
    - Life Sciences and Medtech
    - Biotechnology
    - Consumer Products, Cosmetics, Textiles
    - Water
    - BlueTech
    - ClimateTech
- Development Stage
  - They support early-stage startups at the Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A stages. Most startups entering the program have a working prototype (i.e.: achieved a Technology Readiness Level of 4) and secured between $250,000 and $5M in funding (friends and family, grants, private investor, VC). There are exceptions, however, and they encourage you to apply as they will evaluate your fit within the program holistically.
- Geography
  - As a global accelerator program, they welcome applicants from all over the world.
- Legal Entity
  - Your startup must be established with a legal entity before entering the accelerator program and receiving the allocated non-dilutive funding. Historically startups they have supported have two or more full time team members.
- Participation & In-Person Events
  - At least one founder/executive team member must actively engage with the accelerator by participating in the program, submitting deliverables and attending the mandatory in-person week in New York (including a 4 day Nature Retreat).