Startup Yale

The Planetary Solutions Prize (formerly the Sustainable Venture Prize) supports Yale’s most innovative ideas for businesses that advance a more sustainable way of life. Past winners include an online social platform to expand the adoption of solar power, a software package for improving forest inventory data, and a sustainable protein producer.

The competition provides participants with constructive feedback from experienced professionals, mentorship from relevant experts, and chances to meet venture capital investors and industry leaders. First place winners receive a cash prize of $35,000 and second place receives $15,000. 

The program was created in 2008. It is managed by the Yale Center for Business and the Environment (CBEY) and funded by Yale Planetary Solutions. The prize seeks to:

1. Stimulate applications of entrepreneurship and innovation to address issues of sustainability;
2. Promote multi-disciplinary approaches to environmental/social problem solving;
3. Generate ideas that are scalable, achievable, quantifiable, and financeable; and
4. Educate about how entrepreneurs turn a concept into a successful reality.

Judging Criteria

• Opportunity: The problem the venture/organization/idea seeks to address is clearly defined, and there is evidence that there is a significant target population who considers it important.
• Innovation: The idea is truly innovative. It presents a new model, product or service that fills a unique gap and/or applies an existing model to a new context.
• Traction & Engagement: The team has developed a clear solution to the problem, has a realistic path for getting the solution to the end user, and can continue to deliver the solution in a way that is financially and operationally sustainable. The venture contributes environmental benefits to society.
• Team: The team has the knowledge, skills, passion, energy and ability to execute.
• Sustainability & Catalytic Potential: The prize will be meaningful in driving the team/project forward in ways that may otherwise not have been possible as quickly or at all.

Important Dates

January 27, 2026: Startup Yale Application Fest
February 2, 2026: Startup Yale application opens
February 12, 2026 at 5:00 pm EST: Startup Yale application deadline
March 6, 2026: Finalist announced.
April 10, 2026: Finalists participate in a live pitch event as part of Startup Yale.

Contact

• Sign up here for Planetary Solutions Prize office hours with CBEY’s environmental innovation fellow, Josie Jayworth, as well as other members of the environmental startup funding team. During these sessions, you should feel free to discuss processes, questions, or anything on your mind regarding the Planetary Solutions Prize.
• Meet with CBEY mentors for feedback and connections to other resources at Yale.

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2025 Winners:

• Planetary Solutions Prize: 
  • First Place: MudderAI
  • Second Place: Verustruct
• Audience Choice Winner: Verustruct

• 2024 winner: Catala (James Licato, YC ’25, and Claire Chouinard, ENG ’27) offers a sustainable water membrane technology which enables a one-stop, drop-in solution for industrial water treatment at a fraction of current costs.
• 2023 winner: General Biological 
• 2022 winner: Aatma Leather 
• 2021 winner: EcoPackables 
• 2020 winner: Floe 
• 2019 winner: GreenGear Supply Co.