Small Business, Big Impact

Supporting entrepreneurs in their fight against climate change

 

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Helping Entrepreneurs and Innovators Bring Their Clean Tech Ideas to Life Since 2005

Business Accelerator

Our focus on innovation equips startups with the tools, resources, and industry insights needed to stay ahead in the competitive cleantech landscape.

Educational Resources

Our specialized training and education programs to equip entrepreneurs with the latest trends, technologies, and regulatory insights.

Collaborative Ecosystem

Join our vibrant community shaping a sustainable future where innovation thrives and impactful solutions come to life.

CONNECT

At CleanStart, we cultivate connections for small businesses and entrepreneurs, fostering collaboration on sustainable initiatives through events, forums, and meet-ups. Join a network that shares your passion for positive environmental change.

PROMOTE

Dive into CleanStart’s Progress Report, celebrating Northern California’s clean tech achievements and expertise. Join the clean tech revolution, empowering positive impact on the environment.

EDUCATE

Transform with knowledge. Access workshops, webinars, and guides for the latest in sustainable business insights. Equip yourself to seamlessly integrate sustainability into your operations.

Latest Blogs

Dive into the dynamic landscape of clean tech, exploring ideas and success stories.

Sacramento’s Startup Community Comes Together for a Festive Holiday Celebration

This week, more than 70 innovators, founders, and ecosystem champions gathered at The Urban Hive for the annual Sacramento Startup Ecosystem Holiday Party. The energy in the room made one thing clear: our region’s entrepreneurial community continues to grow stronger,...

From Hypothesis to High-Growth Startup: Building Resolv Rebates

From Hypothesis to High-Growth Startup: Building Resolv Rebates In our latest CleanStart Perspective, I had the chance to sit down with Sam Ruderman, co-founder of Resolv Rebates, to dig into his entrepreneurial journey of how he validated his idea, built early...

Core Envision Wins Accelerate California Prize for Sustainability

Out of four teams competing at our Rising Star Showcase, the Carlsen Center announced that Folsom-based Core Envision was selected as the winner in the Sustainability category of the Accelerate California competition sponsored by CalOSBA.  The win includes a $50,000...

How Climate Innovators Can Secure the Capital to Scale: Insights from River City Bank & Climate Tech Finance

In this month’s CleanStart Perspectives webinar, Executive Director Thomas Hall hosted an in-depth conversation with three leaders shaping how climate innovators access capital in California: Rosa Hilmarsdottir Cucicea of River City Bank, and George McDaniel and...

Congratulations to the Deep Dive Accelerator Graduates

At the Rising Stars Showcase, we proudly presented Certificates of Completion to the companies graduating from our Deep Dive Accelerator program. These companies have already shown strong customer traction and revenue, and they joined our intensive coaching program to...

Sixth Annual GrowTECH Fest: Two days of bold ideas, big energy and next-gen momentum

GrowTECH Fest 2025: Two days of bold ideas, big energy and next-gen momentum What a whirlwind two days of inspiration in Chico! On November 6 & 7 Chico Start brought the North State startup ecosystem out in full force for GrowTECH Fest 2025 – and the energy was...

And the Winner Is ….LiCAP!

Congratulations to  CEO Linda Zhong and her team for the outstanding presentation at our Rising Star Showcase on October 22.  She showed how their latest technologies for making anodes and cathodes for batteries avoided half of the capital cost (with an 80% smaller...

New Advances in Commercial Building Efficiency

There are some big changes coming next year in commercial building design for more energy efficiency. On September 25, we held a MeetUp to consider what other changes might be in the works, based on some challenges that were launched two decades ago to push the...

September’s Startup Challenge

Every quarter, Sacramento State’s Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship hosts The Startup Challenge—a fast-paced, hands-on competition where teams build a company from scratch in just one weekend. Running in parallel with the Traction Cohort for existing...

Glimpsing the Future of EVs

On September 17, we hosted 35 people at our MeetUp to talk about “Building EVs that People Want.” And it was more than a discussion. We co-hosted the event with the Sacramento Electric Vehicle Association (SacEV) and that meant we had 15 personal EVs on display which...

Start Your CleanTech Business

We provide comprehensive support for aspiring innovators in the cleantech industry.

 

  • Product Ideation Support: Guiding individuals in creating and selling cleantech and sustainability products.
  • Critical Question Assessment: Helping entrepreneurs answer nine key questions to validate their product concept.
  • Concept Worth Validation: Supporting the process of proving the viability and value of new product ideas.
 

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Testimonials

"As an entrepreneur in the sustainability sector, CleanStart Inc. has been an invaluable ally. Their expert guidance, networking events, and access to funding opportunities have been instrumental in turning our vision into a thriving reality."

Diana, CEO of ThermēShade

"I appreciate the work that Clean Start has done so far with and for EV Life, your CEO crash course in the very beginning of my journey was really an incredible experience and really set us up to go tackle the first set of challenges with confidence. So thank you."

CEO Kevin Favro, EV Life

"Being a part of CleanStart Inc. has opened doors we never thought possible for our sustainable business. The continuous learning opportunities and exposure to industry leaders have significantly contributed to our success. Forever grateful for their commitment to fostering innovation in cleantech."

President of LiCAP Technologies, Inc.

“We established CleanStart with the mission to empower visionaries and guide them towards success in the marketplace, eliminating the need for numerous costly mistakes.”

Gary Simon

Chairman/Founder, CleanStart Inc.

“We take pride in empowering startups. Our personalized mentorship and tailored programs drive clean energy ventures to new heights, showcasing our commitment to innovation and tangible industry impact.”

Thomas Hall

Executive Director, CleanStart Inc.

Regional Companies

Our comprehensive map is a dynamic guide highlighting the emerging and thriving cleantech companies in our region.

 

  • Facilitates Collaboration:
    • Fosters networking and partnerships among nearby cleantech companies, driving collaborative initiatives.
  • Economic Boost:
    • Attracts investment, creates jobs, and stimulates economic growth by showcasing a thriving regional cleantech sector.
  • Community Engagement:
    • Enhances community awareness, encouraging local support and participation in sustainable initiatives.

Some of Our Sponsors

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CMC
RiverCity Bank
Bloom

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