Winter 2026 Pre-Accelerator: 1/13 – 3/24
The Maryland Climate Tech Pre-Accelerator is a unique opportunity to test your climate-tech research, invention, and ideas to have commercial viability. The Maryland Innovation Energy Accelerator (MEIA) implements the program with the NSF Mid-Atlantic Hub I-Corps team at the University of Maryland.
The exciting agenda of the Pre-Accelerator will have you work on the following elements for your potential venture:
- Understand if you are personally ready for the startup journey
- Learn the customer discovery and opportunities to learn more at the NSF Mid-Atlantic Hub I-Corp programs at the University of Maryland
- How to develop a viable business model
- Provide a commercialization path that includes potential funding sources, such as grants, equity, bank financing, or sweat equity.
Sound right for you? Start your application today.
Meet the Instructors
These experienced startup coaches, Kobby Osei-Kusi, Edmund Pendleton, Dea Pratt and Mike Ducker, will facilitate the pre-accelerator. They have experience with climate tech, startups, customer discovery, facilitating investment, finding federal grants, and product development.
The pre-accelerator will run with weekly mentor sessions or workshops between February and March. The workshop will be primarily virtual, with an in-person graduation. Pre-accelerator graduates who want to continue the startup journey will be welcomed into MEIA’s Launchpad or Accelerator programs, where MEIA will recruit an executive and support team for you.
Kobby Osei-Kusi
Founder & CEO, Pirl Technology
Kobby Osei-Kusi
Mike Ducker
Ecosystem Manager, MEIA
Mike Ducker
Edmund Pendleton
Assistant Director, M-Tech
Edmund Pendleton
Dea Pratt
Marketing Leader, Startup Mentor & Climate Tech Growth Expert