GEW: Investor Spotlight Event with CleanStart

GEW: Investor Spotlight Event with CleanStart

Oct 18, 2023

Get ready to shine at Spotlight Pitch, where aspiring entrepreneurs showcase their ideas, talents, and innovations in a lively and engaging

Spotlight Pitch

These events shine a spotlight on the kinds of companies poised on the edge of significant growth, ones that could have a real impact on our regional economy, and ones that have substantially mitigated their risks.  The confirmed companies so far are:

  • XeroHome—an AI-based product for making tailored recommendations to homeowners on what clean energy investments to make, all without the need for site visits and labor-intensive audits.  The algorithm uses utility billing data, building records, satellite photos and more to analyze hundreds of thousands of homes in a few minutes, then put the results in a database the homeowners can query on their own.  Now multiple utilities across the country are using this software.
  • LiCAP Technologies—has a better way to make batteries.  It is less expensive, it requires fewer steps, it avoids using toxic solvents, it creates thinner electrodes, it boosts the energy and power density, and extends cycle life.  EV battery-makers are salivating over the technology, and have seen all the claims are valid.  What they want to see is a high-speed manufacturing process to confirm it is fully compatible their current processes.  
  • AscentOs—has developed software to optimize and simplify the process of selling solar and storage systems to homeowners and small businesses, getting the required permits, and scheduling the crews and materials, all to cut the cost of installations.  It is getting rave reviews from early users. 
  • JAPA—has the solution to avoid wasting time and fuel in trying to find a parking space by installing sensors and using software to tell drivers where the empty spots are.  They have some big hospitals as anchor customers who love the app.

Join us for an exciting in-person event at the Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Sacramento, CA, USA. Get ready to showcase your ideas and network with fellow entrepreneurs! At Spotlight Pitch, you’ll have the chance to present your business concepts to a captivated audience, including potential investors and industry experts. This is your opportunity to shine and gain valuable feedback. Don’t miss out on this amazing chance to take your entrepreneurial journey to the next level. See you there!

Destination Decarbonization: Student Contest with Real Prizes

Destination Decarbonization: Student Contest with Real Prizes

Jan 12, 2023

Are you an undergraduate college student and want a shot at several thousand dollars in prize money? Consider entering the 90-day Destination Decarbonization Challenge! Sam Fairbanks at the Water and Energy Technology (WET) Center at Fresno State provided a quick overview of what the challenge is and how to apply. The main point is that the window is now open through January 31. If you want to give it a shot, better move fast. A video of Sam’s presentation is available on our YouTube Channel.

The idea of the challenge is for small teams of 2-4 students to propose ways to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions either from a brand new idea or from an idea on how to improve something that is already happening. Teams can look at anything that broadly will reduce emissions or capture carbon dioxide for beneficial. The teams will work with mentors and other resources the WET Center can help arrange. The payoff comes on April 21 when the teams pitch their ideas to a panel of expert judges.

The top prize is $6,000, with $4,000 for second and $2,000 for third. There is a webinar that provides details on how to apply on January 19 at 5:30 pm. More information is available on the Challenge website.

Check it out!

Thomas Hall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary Simon is the Chair of CleanStart’s Board. A seasoned energy executive and entrepreneur with 45 years of experience in business, government, and non-profits.

CleanStart Sponsors

Weintraub | Tobin, BlueTech Valley, Revrnt, River City Bank

Moss Adams, PowerSoft.biz, Greenberg Traurig, California Mobility Center

CalNEXT: A New Resource for Innovation

CalNEXT: A New Resource for Innovation

Dec 27, 2022

Looking for help to crystallize your cleantech idea into a commercial product that finds a ready market? In July, the utilities in the state launched a new initiative called CalNEXT to speed the pursuit of promising emerging technologies. “CalNEXT is a statewide initiative to identify, test, grow electric technologies and delivery methods to support California’s decarbonized future.” They will fund projects in the range of $20-400K to assess innovations and help shape them to fit product needs that have already been identified.

CalNEXT

CalNEXT

CalNEXT is run by Energy Solutions in Oakland, a 25-year old analytics firm that provides insights on markets, designs for programs to incentivize adoption of innovations, and assessments of the potential of clean technologies. Program Manager Casidee Kido and her colleague Erin Fitzgerald explained how CalNEXT works in our Perspectives session on December 15.

Cassidee Kido

Cassidee Kido

CalNEXT is funded by the ratepayers of the investor-owned utilities in the state (PG&E, SoCal Edison, SoCal Gas and San Diego G&E) and is intended to focus the efforts of energy-efficiency innovators to work on things that can have the most impact on reaching a decarbonized future and the most effective ways to market them. It is an outgrowth of the work of the Emerging Technologies Coordinating Council created by the CEC with participation of all the investor-owned utilities plus SMUD and LADWP a dozen years ago. The idea of the ETCC was to encourage collaboration on RD&D among the utilities and to assure alignment of priorities with the CEC programs as well. As the innovation process evolved into one that involved a much broader set of entities, the ETCC added roles in increasing the visibility of ET resources and opportunities for engagement with ETCC members, along with strengthening the knowledge and capabilities of the ET community by sharing project results, methodologies, and collaboration opportunities. CalNEXT is the new way to achieve these goals and it comes at a great time with more money than ever being committed to clean tech deployment.

Erin Fitzgerald

Erin Fitzgerald

CalNEXT works through “Technology Priority Maps.” These are wish lists of innovations and market information the ETCC would like to see developed. They cover 6 technology groups and 46 families of innovations. The six are HVAC, lighting, plug loads/appliances, water heating, process loads, and whole -buildings. You can look at these here, and then dive into the details of the half-dozen or so technology families in each. Click on those and you get to specific innovations or market support projects the ETCC would like to see. You can then propose projects to address these needs each year. The current round will be open until February 23. The TPMs will be updated and probably adopted late in 2023, with applications then open in Q1 of 2024. Even if you are rejected, you can apply as many times as you like, and on multiple wish list items. To date CalNEXT has funded 35 projects totaling $14 million. At the end of each project, CalNEXT will provide help to connect companies to those in the utilities and elsewhere that can help on moving to demos and commercialization opportunities.

“CalNEXT will track and vet the efficacy and claims of these technologies, products, and solutions to assess and confirm their potential energy savings and operational performance, help estimate long-term cost-effectiveness, prioritize technologies with significant energy savings opportunities, and identify potential barriers to market adoption. CalNEXT is a great opportunity for programs to see their full potential, to get the evaluation and implementation support they need, and for good ideas to come to life and make major impacts to support California’s decarbonized future.”

This looks like a very helpful gateway to the kinds of connections and follow-on funding that innovators need. It is worth exploring even if you have been rebuffed on other programs. The vetting and evaluation process will be helpful in generating investor interest. The whole session is recorded and available.

Thomas Hall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary Simon is the Chair of CleanStart’s Board. A seasoned energy executive and entrepreneur with 45 years of experience in business, government, and non-profits.

CleanStart Sponsors

Weintraub | Tobin, BlueTech Valley, Revrnt, River City Bank

Moss Adams, PowerSoft.biz, Greenberg Traurig, California Mobility Center

A Friendly New Lender for Climate Tech Companies

A Friendly New Lender for Climate Tech Companies

Jul 11, 2022

Our friend Sedale Turbovsky at OpenGrants did a web interview with Dmitry Gershenson of Enduring Planet recently to highlight the increased availability of loans to build your company.  Enduring Planet is a much different lender than a bank because they understand startups and want to see more companies based on sustainability succeed.  Accordingly, their lending requirements are more generous than one typically finds at a bank.  

Specifically what Dmitry is offering is a revenue-based loan.  A company has to be generating revenue and growing to qualify, but doesn’t need to be immediately profitable.  It needs to show revenue of at least $25,000 per month and be growing 30% year-over-year.  Loan terms are pretty simple.  No collateral required and no personal guarantees.  As Dmitry says, this is the fastest and least expensive capital available.

Dmitry has also recognized a need for loans for another type of situation—cash flow loans to bridge the gap between expending money on a project funded by the government and getting reimbursed for that cost.  This may take more than 90 days.  Government grants and contracts are wonderful sources of non-dilutive capital, but a company can go broke dealing with the reality of the slow payment of invoices.  Dmitry hopes to have this offering ready before the end of the year.

Sedale recorded and transcribed the hour-long session and it is available here.  Check it out and even if you don’t qualify, keep this lender in mind when you are seeking capital.

Thomas Hall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary Simon is the Chair of CleanStart’s Board. A seasoned energy executive and entrepreneur with 45 years of experience in business, government, and non-profits.

CleanStart Sponsors

Weintraub | Tobin, BlueTech Valley, Revrnt, 

Moss Adams, PowerSoft.biz, Greenberg Traurig