Taylor said that ATI's independent funding — it doesn't draw money from the university — has made the incubator"a very nimble lean, mean fighting machine with a friendly demeanor." That affable disposition includes some 75 mentors who work in teams of three to five. They share their expertise, whether it's technical or in areas like legal, business development, or sales, to help founders by offering advice and other insights.
This tech ecosystem is likely to grow, in part, because of stepped-up interest in green technology. The research firm HolonIQ found that VCsinto climate-tech companies in 2022, an 89% surge from just the year before. In the US alone, investments in 2022 were so large that they surpassed all of the money put into the space for 2006 to 2011 combined.