Lewi · $15,000 in techno-economic analysis
Are you the next hot climate startup?
The $15K TEA Challenge puts a full techno-economic analysis and feasibility assessment — built by Lewi's own analysts, not a software seat — behind one early-stage venture. Investor-grade, data-room-ready, yours to keep.
Expressions of interest close —
Fig. 01 — The world you're building for
A note from our co-founder
Investors want confidence, but founders deal with uncertainty every day.
Closing the gap between ambitious capital and capable founders is why Lewi exists. In climate deep-tech, the valley of death between a working concept and a commercially ready technology is littered with failed ventures that no-one was willing to pay for. This challenge is our way of giving the right team a fighting chance to survive till 2050 (so that we can). If you're working on a project and think the science is there but the capital isn't, we'd love to hear from you.”
Fig. 02 — The valley of death
Why timing is everything
Most climate and deep-tech ventures don't fail on the science. They run out of runway in the stretch between a working prototype and a bankable commercial project — the point where the spending is real but the revenue isn't yet.
Fig. 03 — The prize
What you actually get
Lewi's own team runs the assessment end to end — the same class of work paying clients commission, not a template or a trial account.
Capex and opex modelling, unit economics, and sensitivity analysis built around your specific process or technology.
Structured to go straight into a data room — built to withstand investor and technical due diligence, not just internal planning.
You're in the room while the assessment gets built, not waiting on a document that arrives cold.
Retail value
$15,000
USD, awarded in full to one winning venture. No cash alternative.
This isn't Lewi's software. The prize is our analysts doing the work for you — not a platform licence or a self-serve tool.
Why this exists
The gap between a good idea and a fundable one
Early-stage climate and deep-tech ventures live and die on unproven assumptions. Investors want the technology validated and the numbers stress-tested before they'll sign a term sheet — and building that case yourself, without a technical and economic outsider's eye, is slow, and easy to get wrong.
The $15K TEA Challenge exists to hand one team the kind of assessment that's normally out of reach pre-seed: built by analysts who do this for a living, sized for a real data room.
$3B+
In technology valuations Lewi has assessed since 2022 — including $631M in 2025 alone.
Fig. 04 — Key dates
How the challenge runs
Stage 1
—
EOI closes
Submit your expression of interest through the form before this date.
Stage 2
—
Shortlist announced
Lewi's team reviews every entry and announces a shortlist of finalists.
Stage 3
—
Winner announced
One venture is selected to receive the full $15,000 assessment.
Fig. 05 — Eligibility
Who can enter
Early-stage startups and scaleups of any sector — climate and cleantech applicants are especially encouraged given Lewi's own focus, but eligibility isn't limited by industry.
Building a technology, process, or venture that would meaningfully benefit from independent technical and economic validation.
One expression of interest per company.
Lewi employees, contractors, and immediate family members are not eligible to enter.
Fig. 06 — Questions
Before you apply
What exactly is a $15,000 techno-economic analysis? +
A full TEA and feasibility engagement scoped to the winning venture's technology — the same class of assessment Lewi delivers to paying clients, covering capex and opex modelling, unit economics, and sensitivity analysis, delivered as a written report.
Do I need a working product to apply? +
No. Early-stage and pre-revenue ventures are welcome. You do need a defined technology or process that can actually be modelled.
Which sectors qualify? +
Any sector. Lewi's own work spans cleantech, mining and resources, water and utilities, and research commercialisation, so ventures in those areas will find the assessment especially relevant — but eligibility isn't limited to them.
Is this the same as using Lewi's software? +
No. The $15,000 prize is hands-on work from Lewi's analyst team, not a software licence or platform seat.
Who owns the final report? +
The winning company. It's yours to use in fundraising, due diligence, or internal planning.
What happens if I'm shortlisted but don't win? +
Only one venture receives the full $15,000 assessment. All shortlisted applicants will be notified once a winner is selected.
Fig. 07 — Apply
Submit your expression of interest
* Required field
Thanks — you're in.
We've received your entry. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted around .
Fig. 08 — Terms
Terms and conditions
Read the full terms and conditions +
01
The promoter
Lewi (“the Promoter,” “we,” “us”) administers the $15K TEA Challenge (“the Competition”). For questions about these terms, contact geraldine.tb@lewisoftware.com.
02
Eligibility
The Competition is open to early-stage startups and scaleups of any sector, subject to the eligibility criteria set out above. Entrants must be authorised to submit an entry on behalf of the company named in it. Lewi's employees, contractors, and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. Only one entry is permitted per company; additional entries from the same company may be disqualified at the Promoter's discretion.
03
Entry period
Entries must be submitted through the official EOI form linked from this page before 11:59pm on 30 September 2026 (“the Entry Period”). Entries received after this time, or that are incomplete, will not be considered.
04
Selection process
This is a competition of skill, not a game of chance — winners are not selected by random draw. All eligible entries received during the Entry Period will be reviewed by Lewi's team, with a shortlist of finalists announced on or around 9 October 2026. One winning entrant will be selected from the shortlist and announced on or around 31 October 2026, at the Promoter's sole discretion. The Promoter's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome.
05
The prize
The prize is one (1) techno-economic analysis and feasibility assessment, delivered by Lewi's analyst team, with a retail value of USD $15,000 (“the Prize”). The Prize is awarded to a single winning company, is non-transferable, and cannot be exchanged, redeemed for cash, or substituted except at the Promoter's discretion. The scope and timeline of the assessment will be agreed directly with the winning entrant and may vary with the complexity of the technology being assessed. If the winner is unable to take up the Prize, the Promoter may select an alternative winner from the shortlist or withdraw the Prize.
06
Use of your information
Information submitted as part of an entry will be used by Lewi to administer the Competition and, where consented to, for related communications. Winning and shortlisted entrants may be asked to take part in reasonable publicity about the Competition (for example, being named publicly as the winner); participation in publicity is not compulsory.
07
Intellectual property
Entrants retain all intellectual property rights in the materials they submit. By entering, an entrant grants the Promoter a limited licence to review and discuss those materials internally for the purpose of administering the Competition.
08
Confidentiality
Lewi will treat entry materials as confidential and will not share them outside the team involved in reviewing entries without the entrant's consent.
09
Liability
To the extent permitted by law, the Promoter is not liable for any loss, damage, or expense arising from entering the Competition or from accepting or using the Prize.
10
Changes to these terms
The Promoter may amend these terms, or cancel, suspend, or postpone the Competition, at any time and for any reason, including circumstances beyond its reasonable control. Material changes will be reflected on this page.
11
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the Promoter is registered.