Fueling Boston Innovation: Activate at ClimaTech 2025

Since Activate Boston’s first cohort in 2020, the community has supported 40 fellows, with a concentration in the Boston area and growing representation in regions like Western Massachusetts. Last December, we deepened our roots in the local ecosystem, officially partnering with The Engine, a Boston-based incubator that has been supporting science entrepreneurs for almost as long as Activate. 

Earlier this month the Boston ecosystem came together for ClimaTech 2025, an intensive conference designed to unlock the business potential of climate innovation. Activate CEO Cyrus Wadia took the stage on Tuesday along with other leaders supporting hard-tech entrepreneurs, including Emily Knight, CEO of The Engine, and Georgina Campbell Flatter, CEO of Greentown Labs, to highlight how incubators and R&D accelerate early-stage climate ventures. Their “Fueling Climate Tech Innovations” panel, moderated by Massachusetts Competitive Partnership’s Rebecca Davis, emphasized the critical need for collaboration and funding to enable the growth of technologies of national significance. 

“We need to get more technologies out of the lab—that is what we continue to be committed to,” said Wadia. “This is also a moment for Massachusetts to lead.”

Activate CEO, Cyrus Wadia, during Fueling Climate Innovation panel during ClimaTech 2025

Activate Fellows also had an impressive presence: Francesco Benedetti (Osmoses, Cohort 2020) and Jose LaSalle (florrent, Cohort 2023) joined a panel on innovation at the intersection of climate and industry, and Erin Linebarger (Robotics88, Cohort 2024), Ian Goodine, and Ethan Walko (rStream, Cohort 2024) showcased their technologies on the B2B Expo Floor.

Francesco Benedetti (Osmoses, Cohort 2020) and Jose LaSalle (florrent, Cohort 2023) were panelists at ClimaTech 2025.

At the culmination of the two-day event, Found Energy (Peter Godart, Cohort 2021) was named the winner of the ClimaTech Innovation Challenge, which leveraged AI tools to interview and judge early- and late-stage startups with promising climate and energy solutions.

As we prepare to welcome our sixth cohort of fellows to the Activate Boston Community, we recognize events like ClimaTech, strong ecosystem partners like The Engine, and growing cooperation with state government all drive us toward the same goals of advancing hard-tech innovations and strengthening ecosystem support for science entrepreneurs.