Founded in 2008, Bethesda Green works to address environmental challenges locally by creating a sustainable, green community, built collaboratively through citizen engagement, environmental education, government partnership and innovative business development. Bethesda Green’s Innovation Lab supports entrepreneurs building solutions in the areas of Environmental Sustainability (clean energy, water, climate, natural resources, circular economy) and Food Systems (agriculture, food production, manufacturing, distribution, retail). Since revamping the original incubator program in 2018, the Innovation Lab has expanded our programming to meet the needs of entrepreneurs from idea stage through Series A funding and beyond.
Today, the Innovation Lab includes the following programs:
* Incubator – The Incubator program guides new entrepreneurs through the hurdles of early-stage business development, such as clarifying the problem, identifying potential customers, developing a prototype, conducting a pilot, and building a founding team. We help entrepreneurs build a self-paced program to accommodate their schedules and vision.
* Accelerator – The Accelerator program includes a fast-paced, high-touch, 4-month intensive curriculum. We look for companies with a coachable, committed, founding team with a rapid growth mindset, and a demonstrated problem/solution fit.
* Residency Program – Select members of the Accelerator program who receive financial awards from Bethesda Green are automatically enrolled in the Residency program, where we provide ongoing support for up to four years.
* Amplifier Program – We welcome the opportunity to support validation and growth stage companies who have received outside investment and want to benefit from the growing Bethesda Green community. We’ll work with entrepreneurs to grow their teams, strengthen their business models, and expand their networks of customers, partners, and investors.