Partnering with IMPEL at Berkely Lab, Greentown Labs hosted Building Sector Pitch Day at their Boston campus on September 4. As a member of the Greentown incubator, Climative joined the lineup of presenting startups.
“Decarbonizing the built environment—including our homes, offices, retail spaces, and more—requires innovations that revolutionize how buildings are planned, built, retrofitted, and managed,” Greentown said on LinkedIn.
“Our Buildings Sector Pitch Day with IMPEL at Berkeley Lab focused on bringing together the startups, investors, and corporate partners whose collaboration can accelerate these solutions,” the post continues. “Following a networking lunch, 22 #buildingtech startups took to the stage to pitch and showcase their solutions—and five investors and corporates presented reverse pitches to share how they work with startups.”
Climative CEO Winston Morton took to the stage to talk about how AI-assisted home carbon reports can unlock $1 TRILLION in capital to support net zero retrofits. In his presentation, Winston likened planning home retrofits to planning a special family vacation.
“It’s not going to be cheap, so you do your research. But in order to book your trip, a travel agent has to come to your house. They give you some general tips on how to plan your trip, but no pricing details. The travel agent leaves you to call around for hotels, rental cars, and other arrangements. Finally, they tell you that you might be eligible for a sales tax rebate to help with your travel budget…. but you won’t know how much you get until the trip is over.”
“This is enough to ruin or trip or even discourage you from going at all,” Winston said. “This is the challenge homeowners face when retrofitting their homes: consulting multiple contractors, conducting extensive research, and navigating complex rebate systems. The process is time-consuming, confusing, and frustrating, often leaving homeowners unsure of the final savings until the project is complete.”
Winston went on to describe the systemic issue slowing down our progress to net zero buildings: “We have 110 million buildings that could be more cost-effective, healthier, and friendlier to the planet. These buildings make up close to 20% of global emissions. We only retrofit 1-2% of the building stock per year, putting us on a 142-year path to net-zero. We can’t wait.”
With the problem firmly established, Winston then moved on to describe the solution: “today manual energy advice and disjointed programs are at the core of the delivery. New technologies, particularly AI, can transform this chaos into simplicity. AI-assisted platforms can provide homeowners with a seamless, end-to-end solution for managing the retrofit process.”
Winston went on to say that this approach offers:
New technologies, particularly AI, can transform this chaos into simplicity.
“This approach not only simplifies the process but also ensures more accurate and beneficial outcomes” he said. “The home retrofit market is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2050. With AI-driven solutions, we’ve seen significant impacts, such as assessing over 6 million buildings and identifying over 25 million tonnes of annual carbon emissions. This demonstrates the powerful role technology can play in addressing climate change.”
“Furthermore, by collaborating with governments, utilities, and financial institutions, we can build comprehensive programs that support homeowners, driving major positive changes in energy efficiency and sustainability,” Winston said.
“To realize the full potential of AI in home retrofitting, we need collective effort and investment. It’s essential for industry leaders, policymakers, and communities to support the development and implementation of these technologies. By doing so, we can revolutionize the retrofit experience, making it more accessible and impactful.”
Climative was just one of 22 startups that presented at Building Sector Pitch Day. Congratulations to all of the participants and winners! Don’t forget to connect with Climative’s CEO Winston Morton and VP Product Ian McLeod on LinkedIn.
Jenny is a marketing professional with successes in home sustainability, biotechnology, agriculture, and more. She loves translating technology into stories and using stories to build communities.
Climative provides a collaborative AI-assisted data platform for organizations to enable personalized advice and offers to building owners, taking the guesswork out of building upgrades and transforming the low carbon economy.
