Evergreen Accelerator

Welcome to Sustainable Hudson Valley: Visioning, Protecting our Communities from Climate Impacts

Evergreen Water Solutions Accelerator supports cohorts of early-stage companies addressing water challenges with innovative manufactured products and software technology.

Why Water? Why Now? The U.S. and world face urgent water challenges! 

  • Climate change: leading to rising sea levels, more severe storms and floods, droughts, erosion and soil loss, stresses to biodiversity, fisheries and water quality.

  • Aging infrastructure: aging & vulnerable water supply and treatment infrastructure, especially on waterfronts and in flood plains. Water infrastructure is at risk globally.

  • Worsening pollution: drugs, hormones, diseases (e.g., COVID has been detected in sewage systems), microplastics, nutrient pollutants, and harmful algal blooms. 

  • Environmental Justice impacts: inequities in access to clean water and sanitation, drinking water source protection, siting of polluting facilities, jobs and training.

Water Pollution Remains Top Environmental Concern in U.S.

Why Hudson Valley (HV)? HV has been a watershed for New York City since 1830, providing the world’s largest supply of unfiltered drinking water to a large urban center. As a result, the HV has amassed strong industry knowledge and collaborative problem-solving relationships, to manage generations of technology and infrastructure. The region has a wealth of resources addressing critical water problems, and is positioned to be a test bed of diverse demonstration sites and a global showcase of innovative and scalable water solutions. 

Evergreen Water Solutions Accelerator is a strategic initiative co-founded by  GCSEN Foundation and Sustainable Hudson Valley, and in partnership with Ulster County. We are building a broad coalition of investors and public and private sector water experts. Evergreen is leveraging the nine-year proven accelerator model of its partner, gener8tor, a top 15 nationally ranked business accelerator. 

Evergreen is a cohort based program, with six cohorts over three years (2022 -2024). Each cohort consists of seven innovative companies, brought together after a highly selective process evaluating candidates from NYS, across the U.S. and international. Those selected for a cohort will participate in a three-month intensive program providing significant mentoring, coaching for investor readiness, and investor access. 

Each cohort will have a single theme such as: Emergency Management (Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, Recovery), Water Conservation, Water Purification, Water Pollution Prevention (from point and nonpoint sources), Water Data & Analytics, Aging and Vulnerable Infrastructure (wastewater treatment plants, municipal pipes), Water Scarcity, Ag & Water, Energy & Water, Ocean Cleanup (plastics, microplastics).

Evergreen is developing an $8.5M fund that will invest in 42 high growth startups across six cohorts (24 with manufactured products, 18 with software products). 50% of the investment capital must be spent with HV services providers, resulting in $2.8M in new money injected into the local economy. 

Evergreen balances social and economic impact with return for investors:   

  • Help solve the world’s most challenging water problems;

  • Make a significant positive impact on the HV local economy, through injection of $5.6M; 

  • Grow the vitality of the HV manufacturing ecosystem; 

  • Increase business retention as non-local startups engage with HV services providers; 

  • HV globally recognized as a showcase of water solutions, talent, and thought leadership;

For more information, contact Tony DiMarco, GCSEN Managing Director, tony@gcsen.com.