Roux Institute kicks off climate tech incubator in Maine [Video]

PORTLAND, Maine — On a recent Wednesday night, dozens of entrepreneurs, engineers and government officials gathered at the Roux Institute in Portland for the launch of a program promising to bring green jobs and breakthrough technologies to Maine.

The aptly named ‘ClimateTech Incubator’ is seeded by a $975,000 grant from the Governor’s Energy Office and supports founders of a dozen startups as they develop their companies under the auspices of Northeastern University and tech industry leaders. 

The excitement at the event was palpable. Attendees sipped from glasses of champagne and picked at hors d’oeuvres as they mingled with the startup founders. A roar of energetic voices spread across the swanky open-concept office space where the startups have been working for the past two months.

“The energy level is just off the charts,” said Jon Wallace, a part-time lecturer in engineering at Northeastern and one of the incubator’s “entrepreneurs in residence,” who coaches other members.

Wallace is developing his own company …