Each year, WCS hosts a startup pitch competition focused on spotlighting companies led by women, either as CEOs or in the C-suite.
Shining a spotlight on women-led startups from around the world, our annual pitch competition features female entrepreneurs from the cleantech and sustainability industry. The competition winner will enjoy a large prize pool to continue growing their business.
Selected startups will have 5 minutes on stage followed by 3 minutes for Q&A from the judges. Winners will be announced toward the end of the event
Who is Eligible To Apply?
Companies must have:
- Current funding stage from seeking Seed funding to closed Series A
- Founded by, or with a CEO or CTO, who identifies as female
- Solving a cleantech or sustainability challenge, either through hardware or software
Your business idea must be:
- Focused on cleantech and/or sustainability (broadly defined)
- Innovative and disruptive
- An operating company with a product in the market, or ready for testing or deployment
Program Lead
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Nagashree Manwatkar Co-Chair of the Entrepreneurship CommitteeNagashree Manwatkar is a seasoned leader in cleantech with a career dedicated to decarbonization and scaling sustainable solutions. As a Board Member and Co-Chair of the Women in Cleantech and Sustainability Entrepreneurship Committee, she fosters innovation and supports startups in the green economy. With extensive experience in operations, strategy, and business development—spanning Tesla Energy, large-scale infrastructure projects, and climate-focused nonprofits—Nagashree is passionate about empowering women entrepreneurs and accelerating the transition to a clean energy future. She also founded Gaia-Force, an upskilling initiative for climate professionals, demonstrating her commitment to workforce development in cleantech.
Past Winners
2025 Winner:
Karen Baert
Co-Founder and CEO at Ammobia
Karen Baert is a co-founder and CEO at Ammobia. Ammobia is a seed-stage start-up out of Stanford revolutionizing ammonia synthesis by enabling cost-effective clean ammonia production. Their novel, innovative integrated reactor and ammonia separation method enable ammonia production at 10x lower pressure, drastically reducing capex/production cost and increasing the flexibility and safety of ammonia production. With their breakthrough technology, Ammobia is on a mission to decarbonize fertilizers, chemicals, marine shipping and heavy industry. Prior to Ammobia, Karen Baert was Innovation Strategist at the Stanford Hydrogen Initiative, Investor at Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Strategy Consultant at Bain & Company and worked at multiple climate tech companies. Karen Baert holds a degree in Chemical Engineering (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium), Renewable Energy Engineering (Technical University of Berlin, Germany) and an MBA (Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA).
2024 Winner:
Sophia Wennstedt
Co- Founder and CEO, Blip Energy
Sophia is passionate about climate justice and energy equity. Drawing on her background working as a Mechanical Engineer on Roomba, she pivoted into the energy space with work at Exelon and at Tesla as a Product Manager for the home energy order portal. Sophia has been recognized by Forbes 30 under 30 Energy, Harvard Climate Circle, and has shared her perspective and experience on panels for ReutersNEXT, Chicago Venture Summit and SXSW.
2023 Winner:
Erika Boeing, Founder & CEO, Accelerate Wind
Accelerate Wind designs and installs wind turbines at the edges of roofs where wind speeds are fastest and can be paired with rooftop solar.
2022 Winner:
Lauren Gregor, Founder & CEO, Rent-A-Romper
Rent-a-romper is a sustainable way to dress your babies and toddlers because they grow in the blink of eye. A rental membership of curated clothing sent directly to your home.
2020/2021 Winner:
Dr. Laureen Meroueh, Alchemr
Alchemr makes it easy for customers across the hard-to-abate sectors, such as chemicals and heavy-duty transport, to transition to green hydrogen to harness cost savings and emissions reduction.
2019 Winner:
Sila Kiliccote, CEO & Co-founder, eIQ Mobility, Inc.
eIQ Mobility, Inc. was a fleet electrification acquired by NextEra Energy Resources in 2021.
2018 Winner:
Alina Adams, Founder and CEO, Artveoli
Artveoli developed a new Air Quality Management Device that produces Oxygen and removes CO2 inside buildings, similar to trees generating fresh air inside working 24/7.
Event Sponsorship
Email startups@womencleantechsustainability.org
