Articles Archive

ARTICLES.

Interviews, takeaways and stories from the urbantech community including our annual reports with data-rich insights into the problems our startups face and the ecosystem in which they exist.

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UNETY: FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE WITH FINANCING

Most buildings function as small businesses, not big corporations. 90% of commercial buildings are smaller than the average grocery store.…

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THERMA: ENSURING THE INTEGRITY OF THE COLD CHAIN TO PREVENT FOOD WASTE

Food waste and refrigeration are two of the three leading causes of global warming. According to the U.N. Food and…

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HADES: THE UNDERGROUND CAN NO LONGER BE IGNORED

"Out of sight, out of mind” is how most city-dwellers think of sewer infrastructure. There are over one million miles…

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CHARGELAB: CREATING THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO POWER THE FUTURE

What’s the biggest blocker to EV adoption in 2020? The world still doesn’t have enough places to plug in. That’s…

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EVA: CREATING THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR LIFE-SAVING DRONES

Sometimes the best ideas come when you are sitting in traffic. Former Tesla executive Olivier Le Lann, who is now…

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VARUNA’S JOURNEY TO URBAN-X

Seyi Fabode's path to URBAN-X Cohort 06 started with a recommendation. An acquaintance in his network in Chicago recommended Seyi, co-founder…

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METALMARK: REDUCING AIR POLLUTION WITH NANOTECHNOLOGY

URBAN-X Cohort 07 company, Metalmark, is designing technology inspired by nature to improve air quality. Sissi Liu, co-founder of Metalmark,…

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LEARNING FROM THE PAST TO BUILD FOR THE FUTURE.

Times are changing. Construction teams report issues on iPads directly from the job site. Developers and construction companies now store…

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CLOSING YOUR SEED ROUND OF CAPITAL.

"Creating a narrative that this is the freight train that you better grab on to. As a Founder, you have…

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The costs of climate change are enormous — and so are the opportunities.

As vast and complex as the climate change crisis is, there is no ambiguity regarding the costs.

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Best Behavior.

Six ways to save the planet, one solar-powered, plant-based burger at a time.

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Can innovation be the solution to climate change?

The “Green New Deal” has quickly become shorthand for a last-ditch effort to prevent climate change – one in which…

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In Search of Better Worlds.

This year, a flower came back from the dead. The Hawaiian National Tropical Botanical Garden announced in April that a…

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Too Much Is Not Enough.

"To wriggle free from the paradox, both Toggle and Treau are aiming for a larger transformation in how we design,…

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What’s Old Is New Again.

Thrilling CEO Shilla Kim-Parker is making second-hand clothing the first choice for fashionistas seeking the thrill of the new without…

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HOW TO CREATE MORE DIVERSE WORKSPACES.

Studies have shown that gender and racial diversity helps create stronger business outcomes, however, companies can not retain these employees…

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How To Stay Sane While Doing Insane Things.

Up until now, most of us have never thought of ourselves as something that can be hacked. A computer? Yes.…

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HOW TO GET CLOSER TO NET-ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS.

There is often a disconnect between climate change and action in architecture practices. Even though most architects and consultants are…

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4 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE YOU START FUNDRAISING.

Preparation is key to raising your startup’s first or next round.. During our 20-week accelerator program our startup founders get…

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HOW TO CRAFT BRAND VALUES.

IS THIS ON BRAND? This is a question founders ask a lot. As companies grow from ideas to startups to…

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Three Critical Opportunity Areas for New Startups to Create Solutions.

Three opportunity areas calling for singular solutions, mold-breaking fixes and scalable business models that render our cities healthier, more sustainable…

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Tips and Advice for Applying to the URBAN-X Accelerator Program.

THE FUTURE IS BEHIND COMPANIES THAT ARE STUBBORN AND EXTREMELY HARD TO DISHEARTEN. That’s Hripsime Rema Matevosyan, co-founder of URBAN-X…

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Bluetech: A Thirst for New Solutions.

Water tech — specifically, technologies that enable water conservation and the distribution of safe, clean and easily accessible water to…

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Aging: Opportunities In The Silver Tsunami.

Not too long ago, the cutting edge of tech for older adults was a medical alert device made pop culture-famous…

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Catching Up With Our Alumni.

More and more, cities spanning the globe are finding themselves embracing new technologies that make traversing the urban landscape safer,…

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Terms of Service.

Last summer, New York City struck back against the congestion caused by Uber and Lyft, adopting a one-year cap on…

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STEPHEN SMYTH: STAYING NIMBLE IN THE FLUCTUATING MOBILITY WORLD.

Every startup begins with an innovative idea. But the key to success, though it might sound counterintuitive, might actually lie…

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Top 5 World Tour Takeaways.

What we've learned from the global tech community.

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REDUCING CONGESTION WHILE MAINTAINING LIVABLE NEIGHBORHOODS.

Last-mile delivery services are undergoing significant disruption in light of the explosion of e-commerce around the world. This trend has…

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A CONVERSATION WITH UPCYCLES.

Nick Wong and Daniel Wendleck, members of the second cohort at URBAN-X, develop transportation equipment for on-demand and neighborhood-scale deliveries…

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SIX QUESTIONS WITH DAN BOWDEN FROM O2O2.

Dan Bowden, a member of the second cohort at URBAN-X, helps active urbanites in polluted megacities like Beijing and London…

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FACEWEAR FOR BETTER AIR / BETTER AIR BY DESIGN.

While many world issues are constrained by national borders, air pollution is a problem that knows no boundaries. It affects…