Procurement Subscribe
The image features the logo of the Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator, which includes the words "MARYLAND ENERGY INNOVATION ACCELERATOR" in a bold font, accompanied by a series of horizontal lines. The background is black

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.

Apply Now

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.

A man with a short beard and bald head is seated, wearing a dark blazer over a black shirt. He is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. The background is softly blurred, suggesting an indoor setting

Kobby Osei-Kusi

Founder & CEO, Pirl Technology

A man with a short beard and bald head is seated, wearing a dark blazer over a black shirt. He is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. The background is softly blurred, suggesting an indoor setting

Kobby Osei-Kusi

A man with short dark hair and glasses is wearing a checkered button-up shirt. He is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression against a plain background

Mike Ducker

Ecosystem Manager, MEIA

A man with short dark hair and glasses is wearing a checkered button-up shirt. He is looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression against a plain background

Mike Ducker

A middle-aged man with a bald head and a slight smile is wearing a dark blue button-up shirt. The background is a gradient of gray

Edmund Pendleton

Assistant Director, M-Tech

A middle-aged man with a bald head and a slight smile is wearing a dark blue button-up shirt. The background is a gradient of gray

Edmund Pendleton

A person with short, reddish-brown hair smiles while resting their chin on their hand. They are wearing a gray button-up shirt and are in an outdoor setting with a blurred background

Dea Pratt

Marketing Leader, Startup Mentor & Climate Tech Growth Expert

A person with short, reddish-brown hair smiles while resting their chin on their hand. They are wearing a gray button-up shirt and are in an outdoor setting with a blurred background

Dea Pratt

To top