University Climate Incubators: Can They Really Drive the Next Wave of Innovation?

Are universities just ivory towers—or can they actually launch climate startups that scale? At NYU’s Urban Future Lab, the answer is clear: yes.

In this episode, we sit down with Austin Evarts, Director of the Acre Incubator, the longest-running cleantech incubator in New York. Austin has mentored hundreds of founders, raised billions in follow-on funding through UFL’s programs, and seen firsthand what separates the winners from the rest.

He shares why adaptation startups are suddenly outpacing mitigation, how universities give founders an unfair advantage, and why “anti-hustle culture” might be the smartest path to scale.

💥 Key Takeaways

Adaptation Rising: Year-over-year, adaptation startups in UFL’s pipeline grew 33%, and are showing 2× the revenue of mitigation peers.

Founder First: Austin breaks down what traits he looks for most—coachability, passion, and commercial muscle.

The Anti-Hustle Incubator: Why working smarter, not harder actually produces more resilient founders.

NYU’s Edge: Access to labs, researchers, and grants gives climate startups non-dilutive R&D and real validation.

NYC as the Testbed: Utilities, real estate giants, and state agencies make New York a launchpad for pilots.

Listen to the full episode now to understand how universities can be the hidden powerhouse behind the next generation of climate tech.

Episode Topics:

(00:44) What the Acre Incubator Does(05:32) How Skiing Shaped Austin’s Entrepreneurial Mindset(09:37) Anti-Hustle Culture & Founder First Lessons(15:16) UFL’s Programs Beyond the Incubator(20:36) The Shift Toward Adaptation Startups(26:22) Novel Startups: Aquaria & Levitree(28:32) Mapping the Adaptation Landscape (Flood, Fire, Heat)(32:58) Common Misconceptions About Incubators(39:06) The Power of NYU Partnerships(43:40) Why New York Is Becoming the Climate Commercialization Capital(45:34) Skills for Program Managers & Future of UFL

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