Ireland’s Climate-Tech Accelerator Turns Corporate Pilots Into Global Wins
Tamara Leigh (Director of Innovation Strategy, Dogpatch Labs) and Steve Lock (Head of Operations, PES Technologies)
Climate-tech founders don’t have time for multi-year pilots, so Dogpatch Labs’ 2050 Accelerator provides access to state forests, the dairy supply chain and electricity network support in an equity-free programme to prove traction with industry partners.
18 startups, from San Francisco to Singapore, have already chosen Ireland’s “living lab,” drawn by world-class talent, a single interoperable energy grid and founder-friendly regulation.
The latest cohort will showcase pilot progress on 19th June in Dublin which will be officially opened by Timmy Dooley, TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment.
Dublin, Ireland Climate-tech startups typically spend years and substantial financial resources transitioning from the proof-of-concept stage to commercial deployment. The 2050 Accelerator addresses this challenge by immediately connecting each startup with anchor customers, including ESB (Ireland’s leading energy utility), Kerry Dairy Ireland (a global leader in sustainable dairy), and Coillte (Ireland’s forestry company). This approach offers startups the advantages of early market validation, access to real-world deployment opportunities, and the potential for establishing long-term partnerships.
“We set out to prove that Ireland can attract world-class talent and serve as a global testbed for sustainability innovation, and it does,” said Tamara Leigh, Director of the 2050 Accelerator at Dogpatch Labs. “The trick is to test breakthrough ideas rapidly and get them into people’s hands fast. The showcase day isn’t the finish line; it’s only the beginning.”
Ireland is able to move quickly because it has one energy market, engaged regulators and an island you can cross in three hours. A vibrant and proactive agriculture and forestry sector, and ambitious ecosystem management and biodiversity goals, create opportunities to stress test new technologies, build enterprise customer relationships and generate investor-grade data efficiently.
Since launch in 2023, the accelerator has cut pilot timelines from quarters to weeks:
IONA Drones (UK) is leveraging ESB’s telecoms network and infrastructure along with Ireland’s rapid sub-30-day regulatory approvals to advance a key phase of their development. “At ESB, we believe that innovations like Iona’s can position Ireland as a global leader in sustainable logistics. By supporting transformative technologies, we are committed to accelerating Ireland’s journey to net zero.” said Donal Phelan, Head of Innovation at ESB.
Wholechain (US) is tagging low-carbon Irish dairy on blockchain for export. “Irish dairy production has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world, making it a model for sustainable farming practices. Wholechain’s traceability platform will help us share this great sustainability story by bringing to life the end-to-end story of Kerry Dairy Ireland’s supply chain from the farm to the product on your table.” noted James O’Connell, Director of Agribusiness & Sustainability at Kerry Dairy Ireland.
Tern (US) is aiming to increase efficiencies in Coillte’s supply chain, ultimately reducing emissions with GPS-free navigation. David Feeney, MD of Coillte Land Solutions and Chief Sustainability Officer, said: “The 2050 Accelerator has been an invaluable platform for connecting us with innovative startups like Tern whose patented position recognition software offers an intelligent mapping and driver routing solution for areas where GPS falls short - helping save time, cut fuel use and ultimately reduce emissions.”
Additional wins from the previous cohort include Yale spin-out CREW Carbon, which captured CO₂ in wastewater plants and closed a US $5.3 million seed round.
Other startups in the 2050 Accelerator cohort include:
TurtleTree: Uses precision fermentation to produce bioactive milk proteins like LF+, a sustainable, animal-free lactoferrin, aiming to nourish the planet with better nutrition for all.
PES Technologies: Creates handheld devices that, by analysing gas patterns produced by soil life, provide real-time data for soil health assessments, empowering farmers to make informed, sustainable farming decisions.
Terra Motion: Uses satellite imagery and data analytics to monitor peatland, safeguarding communities and infrastructure from subsidence and ground instability risks.
Soilytix: A Hamburg-based biotech company, uses DNA sequencing and machine learning to decode soil DNA, offering insights to optimize crop yields and promote sustainable agriculture globally
Battery Cycle: The software orchestration layer for EV fleets delivering lower energy costs, simplified reimbursements, and asset-level intelligence.
