CleanTech Alliance awarded $175,000 Small Business Development grant from JPMorgan Chase
CleanTech Alliance, the nation’s largest state-level clean technology industry association, and JPMorgan Chase are working together to support Washington State’s cleantech industry. The Alliance received a $175,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase focused on accelerating cleantech entrepreneurs and high-growth companies.
JPMorgan Chase is committed to helping small business acquire the capital, expertise and other resources needed to grow. In 2014, JPMorgan Chase launched Small Business Forward, a $30 million, five-year initiative to support the formation, growth and success of sector-specific small business clusters by helping nonprofits provide small business owners with access to investors, managerial training, skilled workers, supply chains, facilities and new markets.
The CleanTech Alliance will leverage the JPMorgan Chase Small Business Development grant to create a variety of new commercialization programs and services, expand the Cleantech Open accelerator program in the Pacific Northwest, and create synergies with existing acceleration efforts and partners.
“The path to market for entrepreneurs is long and full of hurdles, which creates somewhat of a Catch 22. The nation needs innovations, but it is hard for entrepreneurs to get the support they need.” said J. Thomas Ranken, President and CEO of the CleanTech Alliance. “The CleanTech Alliance is working with JPMorgan Chase to deliver that support and help entrepreneurs bring game-changing cleantech technologies to market. The result will spur innovation, build our economy and create jobs.”
The 2015 Small Business Development grant is the CleanTech Alliance’s second. In 2014, the organization partnered with JPMorgan Chase to create cleantech entrepreneurial opportunities and visibility across Washington State. More than 80 companies took part in Alliance commercialization programs, which helped to attract millions of dollars of funding to the state, expand industry partnerships and collaboration, and create new cleantech jobs.
“Entrepreneurs and high-growth companies play a leading role in our efforts to build a stronger cleantech industry in Washington State,” said Gabe Boeckman, Commercialization and Outreach Manager for the CleanTech Alliance. “Our partnership with JPMorgan Chase presents new opportunities for our industry and enhances our ability to offer commercialization programs and services across the greater Pacific Northwest. Several new programs are under development. I encourage any cleantech entrepreneur to contact us to learn more about how we can help.”
Visit the CleanTech Alliance website to learn more about the organization’s commercialization programs and services: https://www.cleantechalliance.org/?page=Commercialization