Partner with Imagine Next
Shape the Future of Planet-First Innovation
The Imagine Next Global Innovation Challenge is a worldwide initiative designed to identify, evaluate, and accelerate planet-first innovations aligned with Earth's living systems.
We partner with organizations that help bridge innovation, evaluation, capital, and real-world deployment — not through hype, but through structured collaboration and shared responsibility.
Why Partner with Imagine Next
Breakthrough climate and planetary solutions already exist — in research labs, startups, communities, and Indigenous systems worldwide. What remains fragmented is the infrastructure that connects discovery, validation, capital, and implementation.
Imagine Next was designed to close this gap.
Partners play a meaningful role in shaping how next-generation innovations are identified, assessed, and supported — using emerging frameworks focused on planetary coherence, systems impact, and long-term resilience.
Partnership Pathways
We collaborate across four primary partnership pathways. Select the one that best reflects how your organization would like to engage.
Innovation Scouting Partner
For:
Universities, research centers, accelerators, innovation hubs, ecosystem builders
Role:
Support the discovery and nomination of promising planet-first innovations.
What this involves:
- •Identifying and nominating relevant innovations or research-backed ideas
- •Sharing the Challenge opportunity with your ecosystem
- •Acting as a local or thematic reference point
What partners gain:
- •Visibility as an ecosystem contributor
- •Early insight into emerging innovation trends
- •Connection to a global evaluation and capital network
Level of involvement: Light to moderate
Capital & Evaluation Partner
For:
Venture funds, family offices, foundations, corporate venture arms, impact investors
Role:
Participate in the evaluation of innovations and explore pathways to capital, pilots, or further diligence.
What this involves:
- •Reviewing shortlisted innovations aligned with your mandate
- •Contributing perspective to evaluation frameworks
- •Optional participation in private briefings or demo sessions
What partners gain:
- •Curated access to early, high-signal innovation pipelines
- •Exposure to next-generation evaluation methodologies
- •Strategic insight into planetary-aligned innovation trends
Level of involvement: Moderate to strategic
Regional / Institutional Partner
For:
Governments, development agencies, chambers of commerce, NGOs, public institutions
Role:
Support innovation pipelines within a specific geography, sector, or institutional mandate.
What this involves:
- •Promoting the Challenge within a defined region or sector
- •Supporting local innovators in navigating the process
- •Exploring opportunities for pilots or institutional adoption
What partners gain:
- •Visibility as a supporter of planet-first innovation
- •Access to globally benchmarked solutions
- •Connection to international capital and expertise networks
Level of involvement: Moderate
Strategic Platform Partner
For:
Corporations, multilaterals, global organizations, system-level actors
Role:
Collaborate on shaping next-generation innovation evaluation frameworks, pilots, or long-term platforms.
What this involves:
- •Strategic dialogue around planetary systems challenges
- •Co-development of evaluation or pilot frameworks
- •Selective engagement with top-tier innovations
What partners gain:
- •Early access to system-level innovation thinking
- •Influence on emerging evaluation standards
- •Alignment with a globally visible, future-oriented platform
Level of involvement: Strategic
How Partnerships Work
Initial alignment conversation
A short call to confirm fit, scope, and expectations
Defined partnership role
Clear agreement on contribution and engagement level
Active Challenge phase
January – March 2026
Summit & next steps
Imagine Next Summit April 21–23, 2026 — Berkeley · San Francisco · Palo Alto (hybrid)
Partnership Principles
- ✓Contribution-based collaboration
- ✓No partnership fees for the Imagine Next Challenge
- ✓Respect for diverse innovation origins — scientific, technological, ecological, cultural
- ✓Long-term systems impact over short-term visibility
We prioritize partnerships that meaningfully support planetary-scale innovation and responsible deployment.
Who We Partner With
Start a Partnership Conversation
If your organization is interested in partnering with the Imagine Next Challenge, we invite you to start a conversation.
We review partnership inquiries weekly and respond personally.