2026 Urban Future Summit: 10 Years of Impact
SAVE THE DATE: October 22, 2026!
We know how busy everyone’s schedules can get and we want to make sure you don’t miss out on one of our biggest events of the year.
The 2026 Urban Future Summit is supported by New York Community Trust, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, MUFG Bank, and NYU Tandon School of Engineering - this year is extra special as we’re celebrating 10 years of supporting climate innovation and the entrepreneurs who have shaped it.
For more than a decade, the Urban Future Prize Competition has identified and accelerated the founders building the technologies, infrastructure, and systems that cities need to thrive in a changing world. What begins as an early-stage idea has repeatedly become a market-shaping company: 23 startups supported, more than $1 million awarded in non-dilutive funding, and over $515 million in follow-on capital raised - a remarkable 515x return on prize dollars deployed.
At this year’s Urban Future Summit, attendees will actively participate in the next chapter of that story. The Summit will culminate with presentations from the 2026 Urban Future Prize Competition finalists - founders tackling some of the most urgent challenges we’re facing today, from climate resilience and emissions reduction to mobility, energy, and the circular economy. These entrepreneurs are not only competing for funding; they are competing for the opportunity to join ACRE, New York’s longest-running climatetech incubator, where breakthrough ideas are transformed into scalable businesses.
This year marks an important milestone for the Urban Future Prize Competition. For the first time, four awardees will be selected across the Climate Adaptation and Climate Mitigation prize tracks. Two winners get access to $50k and two runner-up teams in each track will also receive $10k in non-dilutive funding and admission into the ACRE Incubator. By expanding support to a broader cohort of entrepreneurs, we’re investing in a larger pipeline of innovators at a moment when climate resilience and decarbonization must advance together.