Michael Burz, Founder and CEO of Enzinc

Enzinc is leading the charge in the pursuit of better, more sustainable battery technology. Through strategic use of public funds, the company is breaking through the limitations that have held back the use of zinc as a powerful and rechargeable battery material. What makes their innovation unique is that zinc is not only safe and nontoxic, but it is also fully recyclable and affordable for everyone. By prioritizing both innovation and accessibility, Enzinc is helping to pave the way towards a cleaner, brighter future for all.

Private v. Public

As the clean energy industry continues to grow, entrepreneurs require more funding than ever to transform their groundbreaking ideas into reality. Though initial seed investment from private investors is commonly sought after, unproven technologies and startups at an early stage are often deemed too risky by these investors. This lack of funding has hindered the progress of clean tech innovation, prompting the California Energy Commission (CEC) to establish the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program. Utilizing EPIC funds, the CEC has created an energy innovation pipeline that includes funding and programming to minimize the risks associated with new technologies and to bring clean energy solutions from the laboratory to the market.

Michael Burz, the Founder and CEO of Enzinc, a battery startup based in the Bay Area, never thought that an ARPA-E award to work with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratories (USNRL) would set him on a journey through EPIC’s burgeoning energy innovation pipeline. Several years later, Enzinc has received four out of five of California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Energy Program Investment Charge (EPIC) grants.

These include the CalSEED Concept Award for US$150,000, the CalSEED Prototype Award for US$450,000, a CalTestBed voucher worth US$292,000, and US$1.8 million from the CEC’s BRIDGE program to build its pilot line. Enzinc is now ready to apply for the final grant, RAMP, which will enable them to achieve low-rate initial production.

Enzinc’s remarkable success in leveraging the CEC’s public funding pipeline to develop their zinc-based batteries can serve as a blueprint for other startups looking to follow in their footsteps. During an interview last month, we spoke with Burz to learn how Enzinc navigated the public funding sphere, and we’ve distilled his valuable insights into 5 essential pieces of advice for early-stage cleantech entrepreneurs embarking on their own journey through EPIC’s pipeline of funding.

EPIC Pipeline

Funding for the EPIC program comes from ratepayers, or anyone who pays an electric bill in California. By implementing a tiny charge on monthly bills, the CEC has accumulated funds that can be used to improve the California electric system. This could mean investing in innovative technologies like Enzinc’s new battery, or educating people on how to better manage their energy usage. The result is a cleaner, more efficient energy system that benefits everyone.

Advice #1: Get Started with Early-Stage Programs and Grants

Enzinc, like many startups, struggled to secure investment from private sources in the early stages of developing their novel battery technology. However, Burz found success after enrolling in CleanTech Open (CTO), the world’s largest accelerator program. It was through CTO that they discovered the CalSEED initiative and applied twice before being accepted into the 2019 cohort.

“When we first applied to CalSEED I don’t think that our business plan was fully developed, we were a bit too early, ” said Burz. “That kind of feedback helped us formulate a better business plan rather than just focus on the technical aspects of our innovation, which I think helped us get into the 2019 cohort.”

CalSEED, the first program in the EPIC funding pipeline, offers non-dilutive grants of up to US$600k for clean energy concepts. Enzinc’s participation in both CTO and CalSEED provided them with a platform to work out the complexities of their business model, while also gaining valuable insights, mentorship, and connections from energy innovation clusters and networks.

Advice #2: Public Funding = Credibility

“Luckily, we did get angel funding at the same time that we got CalSEED funding. The attractiveness of course, was that with the CalSEED funding, it’s non-dilutive which of course helped a lot in our pitch to angel investors,” said Burz.

When a business undergoes the long process of applying for public funding it not only exhibits their determination and diligence but also endows them with a level of reliability and credibility that is highly appealing to private investors.

“We have successfully completed four out of the five stages and have used each accomplishment to gain investment and show progress,” said Burz. “The fact that we have received competitive awards from the California Energy Commission adds credibility and validation to potential investors, as it demonstrates that we have passed a rigorous evaluation process and reduces investment risk.”

Advice #3: Rinse and Repeat

To navigate the EPIC pipeline, it’s essential to understand the framework and requirements of the application process. Although you can’t copy and paste from one application to another, you can utilize your company’s narrative, technology, and funding goals to streamline the process. Instead of reinventing the wheel each time, save your templates and build from there to make the application process easier and more efficient.

Advice #4: Get Accounting and Administrative Help

While it might seem like investing in more engineers, scientists, programmers, etc., may be the best decision, in hindsight Enzinc revealed that they should have hired a program manager earlier to help with administrative and accounting tasks.

“After winning BRIDGE, we recognized the need for a program manager to help us navigate the administrative requirements that come with receiving funding from a large government body. As a small company, we were not accustomed to dealing with such paperwork-heavy processes, but we learned from our previous experience with the ARPA-E program. Compared to that, the CEC’s administrative process is less burdensome, but still requires careful attention. The program manager has been instrumental in simplifying these tasks, freeing up valuable executive time to focus on other priorities.”

Advice #5: Tap into the Ecosystem

Enzinc is a prime example of how powerful the EPIC pipeline and ecosystem can be. Thanks to the support and guidance of the CEC, they were able to create an Industry Advisory Group (IAG) that includes 14 companies – several of them multibillion-dollar global energy leaders – with a keen interest in Enzinc’s battery material. This kind of credibility is invaluable and could be the key to taking our business to the next level.

Enzinc’s Technology

Enzinc is not just a master of securing public funding, they are also revolutionizing the world of batteries with their innovative approach. Their secret weapon: zinc – a plentiful and low-cost material that has been largely overlooked by the battery industry.

For years, zinc has been a difficult material to use in batteries due to the formation of dendrites, which are like sharp, short stalactites that can damage the battery and reduce its lifespan. However, Enzinc is leveraging the USNRL’s work to create a zinc microsponge that forms unimpeded pathways for a consistent flow of electrons. This breakthrough means that zinc can finally be used as a powerful and rechargeable battery material, without the limitations of pastes or slurries.

Enzinc’s mobility and stationary batteries made with zinc boast the high energy levels of lithium, the durability and wide temperature range of lead acid, and none of the fire hazards or supply chain limitations associated with those materials. What’s more, Enzinc’s zinc batteries can be produced by lead-acid manufacturers, allowing those companies to compete with lithium battery makers at a fraction of the cost of building new lithium battery factories.

Enzinc’s Future is Electric

Enzinc has three significant projects in progress that they aim to complete by the end of 2023. The first is an electric mobility battery, and the second is a stationary energy storage battery, both of which they are developing in collaboration with industrial partners. The third project aligns with BRIDGE’s philosophy and involves constructing a pilot production line for anode manufacturing. “Currently, we are manually building these anodes, but to bring them into full-scale production, we must automate the process, ” said Burz. “Therefore, we will utilize the funding provided by BRIDGE to build out a 3000 square foot facility with an automated production line. Our goal is to demonstrate the ability to manufacture 1000 anodes per day by the end of 2023, before ramping to full rate production of 1000 per hour by the end of 2024.”

“It’s truly amazing to witness the transformation of our battery technology, from mere PowerPoint slides to a tangible, operational reality. It’s thrilling to see our concept become a practical solution,” said Burz. “Equally exciting is the fact that our testing has confirmed that our technology offers a viable alternative to both lead acid and lithium batteries. This is fantastic news for California, as it provides a more diverse range of options for energy storage. What’s even better is that zinc, the primary component of our batteries, is abundantly available worldwide, eliminating any potential supply chain complications. Plus, our battery is incredibly safe, so you can rest easy knowing that we’ve got you covered on every front.”

About CalSEED

CalSEED is funded through the CEC’s EPIC program which invests approximately US$130 million annually for innovative clean energy technologies and approaches benefiting the ratepayers of California’s three largest electric investor-owned utilities. Through the CalSEED initiative US$48M will be deployed to back over 150 startups in coming years CalSEED is the flagship program of New Energy Nexus.

About New Energy Nexus

New Energy Nexus is the world’s leading ecosystem of funds and accelerators supporting diverse clean energy entrepreneurs to thrive. NEX started in Silicon Valley and now runs programs in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Uganda, and the USA. Since 2004, NEX has accelerated over 600 clean energy startups, supported over 3000 entrepreneurs, and mobilized over US$1.5 billion in investment. NEX is also one of three organizations delivering the US Department of Energy’s Lithium Bridge project to accelerate the growth of America’s lithium battery supply chain and industry. For more information, please visit newenergynexus.com

Check out the CalSEED and CalTestBed websites to learn about the programs and sign up for the mailing list to stay up-to-date on funding and voucher opportunities.

CalSEED’s Prototype Award winners represent the next generation of clean tech entrepreneurs… 

The seven newest awardees – Startups Tolo, ALD Solutions, RePurpose, Gridware, Hago Energetics, Parthian Energy, and Leap Photovoltaics – were selected this year to receive CalSEED’s Prototype award of $450,000 to continue to develop their breakthrough innovations for batteries, storage, energy efficiency, and renewable generation.

Not only are they solving critical energy issues in California and beyond, but they are also positioning themselves to take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act. As one the most significant climate related bill in US history, this could be a game changer for clean energy startups across the country.

Find out what these early stage startups think about the IRA.

RePurpose Energy makes lithium ion batteries a sustainable solution.

REPURPOSE ENERGY

RePurpose Energy is creating a circular economy for EV batteries by creating reliable, low-cost “second-life” energy storage systems. Their turnkey solution involves testing, reassembling and redeploying used electric vehicle batteries for use as storage for solar energy. The repurposing of used EV batteries safely gives them 7-10 years in “second-life” as energy storage systems at around half the cost of new battery alternatives.

“In our view, the IRA is the single most important piece of climate legislation in US history, and it presents a myriad of opportunities for clean tech startups such as RePurpose Energy. Especially exciting are the investment and production tax credits. These incentives will reduce the capital costs of scaling our EV battery repurposing facilities, enhance the profitability of our second-life battery products, and augment our customers’ demand for solar PV + second-life battery systems. In addition, the bill will accelerate EV adoption, which will in turn increase available supplies of retired EV batteries.“ Joseph Lacap, CTO Repurpose Energy

Founders Thomas Karagianes (left) and Iain McClatchie (right) at TOLO

TOLO

Tolo is making in-person inspection of utility infrastructure a thing of the past with their remote inspection platform. Tolo pairs state-of-the-art cameras with unmanned aerial

vehicles (UAVs) and collects thousands of detailed photos from every angle of a utility tower, capturing images at greater detail than what is visible to an inspector in the field at a lower cost. Inspectors can view these images through a novel software application custom-built for utility inspection which provides them  with advanced tools and greater inspection freedom and flexibility than field inspection, resulting in more accurate, shareable, monitorable inspections that drive better maintenance decisions and enhanced grid reliability. Remote inspection creates unique benefits impossible through traditional approaches, like inspection review by regulators, machine learning-assisted inspection, and year-over-year comparison.

“Tolo applauds the Inflation Reduction Act as a much-needed first step in the fight against climate change and a long-overdue investment in modernizing our aging energy infrastructure. Working in utility inspection, we know first hand the damage that inadequately maintained infrastructure can cause, and we look forward to helping support the newly created transmission infrastructure resulting from this bill. Many of the most innovative climate change solutions in clean energy have come from our startup peers, and we hope the IRA will help provide the investment these technologies and companies need to shine.” Thomas Karagianes, CEO Tolo

Wilson Hago, CEO at Hago Energetics looking down the line of cattle.

HAGO ENERGETICS

Hago Energetics is working to convert agricultural waste from dairy farms in the Central Valley of California into green hydrogen that can be used for long-haul trucking and industrial applications. Their technology works by processing biogas generated from cow manure waste in a novel chemical reactor to ultimately convert the biogas into hydrogen. Using just renewable energy as well as waste wood as a catalyst for this chemical conversion, makes their  innovative process distinctly unique.

“It is encouraging to see the Federal government incentivize the production of clean hydrogen with the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The IRA allows us to obtain a Production Tax Credit of $3 per kg of hydrogen or an Investment Tax Credit of 30% given our expected negative carbon footprint. These incentives will enable us to attract investors quicker to our projects, for a faster deployment of our technology.” Wilson Hago, CEO Hago Energetics

Mahshid Roumi, Co-founder and Vice President at Parthian Energy.

PARTHIAN ENERGY

Parthian Energy is dedicated to reducing the cost of battery manufacturing with an intelligent screening technology.

The “Parthian Electromagnetic Sensor (PES”) can detect internal defects in lithium-ion battery cells, which enhances safety and enables higher energy density cells to be deployed into EVs and grid storage with much less risk of lithium-ion batteries overheating. With additional CalSEED prototype funding they will develop a scalable prototype, demonstrate the feasibility of reducing the duration and cost of battery quality control, as well as perform pilot testing on a battery cell manufacturing line.

“A large portion of the most valuable businesses in history started as highly technical startups, at the right place and right time. The IRA can help provide the right conditions for the exponential growth of several key industrial sectors, provided that a meaningful portion of the funding reaches small businesses, who are developing groundbreaking new technologies. No amount of funding is enough, if the government stays too conservative and keeps feeding the incremental growth of the traditional technologies by the old businesses, who have not been able to invent new markets for decades.” – Mahshid Roumi, Co-founder and Vice President Parthian Energy

David Needle Berneyman, Founder and CEO at Leap PV in his lab.

LEAP PHOTOVOLTAICS

Leap Photovoltaics is developing a new process to manufacture solar cells. Their unique approach allows crystalline silicon solar cells to be built without wafers, instead directly depositing a layer of silicon microparticles to a surface that absorbs sunlight and converts it to electricity, achieving the same performance and reliability as traditional solar cells at half the cost using entirely local supply chains.

“The passing of the IRA also could not be more timely. The IRA provides strong incentives to manufacture not only solar modules, but also upstream components like solar cells here in the US. Leap is uniquely poised to take advantage of these incentives by linking the parts of the supply chain that already exist in the US and doing so with a manufacturing process that requires dramatically lower capex to bring online and dramatically lower cost in operation.

“Domestic ratepayers who now have easier access to demand-side subsidies through the modifications to the solar ITC and new PTC will also be able to reap the economic benefits of a domestic end-to-end supply chain, while also knowing that all the components in their solar panel were produced to the highest product, labor, and environmental standards.” David Berney Needleman, Founder and CEO Leap PV

Gridware’s wildfire prevention technology powers a grid that is smarter and more reliable.

GRIDWARE

Gridware is working to create a future where suburban wildfires are a thing of the past. Using multi-sensory perception and edge AI, their wildfire prevention technology continuously monitors a grid that is smarter and more reliable than ever before. The system detects faults in the grid early and in real-time to enable inspectors to schedule timely repairs and rapidly respond to ignitions so disastrous wildfires can be avoided. With the CalSEED Prototype award, Gridware will advance analytical tool development and continue to improve fire prevention capabilities.

“Gridware already has established partnerships with co-operative utilities in California and Utah. Our products are well positioned to benefit from section 60201 of the IRA, as they enable these utilities to both adapt and mitigate against the negative impacts of climate change on their critical infrastructure, especially as it relates to wildfire ignition.” Timothy Barat, Co-founder & CEO Gridware

ALD TECHNICAL  SOLUTIONS

ALD Wire Wrap offers innovative advanced composite material and solutions to accelerate penetration of renewable and clean energies.

As our grid infrastructure is aging and becoming more stressed with new electricity generation sources, women-owned, clean-tech company ALD Technical Solutions is commercializing a patented novel technology that will structurally strengthen grid lines by using advanced hybrid composite materials.

ALD’s Composite WiRe Wrap increases ampacity, the power capacity of existing grid lines, and extends lifespan while also addressing thermal sagging, with NO downtime. This is a key requirement for achieving safe, resilient and reliable 100% renewable energy goals.

Utilities are building new lines to increase power capacity of grid lines and placing power lines underground to mitigate utility caused wildfires. Current approach is extremely expensive, and it takes many years. It would cost well over $100 billion to place across PG&E’s entire territory underground. At the current pace, moving all of California’s utility lines underground would take 1,000 years, according to the California Public Utilities Commission. ALD Technical Solutions’ Composite WiRe Wrap is a patented, lightweight, high strength, fast, easy to install, long lasting and cost-effective composite reinforcement system. This technology can withstand high temperatures and can be installed and cured in-place around existing power lines by our robotic installer.

“[The] Inflation Reduction Act will not only drive the acceleration of clean energy growth but also it will boost the economy through clean energy and green jobs. Like the internet boom in the late 1990’s, [the] IRA will  accelerate adaptation of clean energy and green jobs.” Davoud Zamani, CEO & Co-Founder ALD Technical  Solutions

About CalSEED

The CalSEED initiative is the first program in a robust energy innovation pipeline the California Energy Commision (CEC) has created with the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program. CalSEED provides two levels of funding: a Concept Award of $150,000 and a Prototype Award of $450,000. Each year, winners of CalSEED’s Concept Awards are eligible to compete for a Prototype Award in the annual Business Plan Competition put on in collaboration with national incubator CleanTech Open (CTO). Last fall, 23 CalSEED Concept Awardees participated in CTO, with 7 startups standing out to the judges due to their innovative efforts and solutions for batteries, storage, energy efficiency and renewable generation – areas that are critical to meeting California’s ambitious climate goals.

The Overlooked Emitter 

The residential water heater – often unsightly and awkwardly installed in garages and closets – is an essential home appliance that is often overlooked when it comes to energy efficiency upgrades. This is despite the fact that gas-powered water heaters are the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in California’s building sector. Reaching ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals will be virtually impossible without reimagining the residential water heater — and CalSEED Concept Awardee ZYD Energy is doing just that.

ZYD Energy’s Technology

The first step in decarbonizing residential water heaters is to replace all gas water heaters currently in use with electric heat pumps. The second — and potentially far more complex — step is to integrate electric heat pumps with the electric grid to ensure electricity from renewable energy sources, e.g. solar and wind, is used to heat water.  This is where ZYD Energy’s innovative LOCUS control technology comes in. LOCUS stands for load optimization control using storage and will enable heat pump water heaters to achieve grid-interactive efficient operations, which reduce customers’ energy bills, maximize renewable energy utilization, and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. ZYD Energy seeks to advance water heater technology through a three prong strategy:

• Integration: using controllable storage configurations to achieve large load flexibility for all heat pump water heater products and system designs, including those not feasible for conventional temperature controls.
• Optimization: using sophisticated computer algorithms to determine operational schedules according to time-dependent electricity supply conditions, including electricity price, demand response signals, renewable energy availability, and electricity carbon intensity.
• Connectivity: using IoT technologies to establish versatile data connection with users, building and grid management.

ZYD Energy’s Pathway to Success

ZYD Energy was founded by Dr. Yanda Zhang after many years of working in energy efficiency and his desire to develop something that could rapidly reduce emissions and energy consumption in the building sector. In 2017, shortly after he conceived LOCUS, Dr. Zhang received a CalSEED Concept award from the California Energy Commission’s EPIC program which supports early-stage clean entrepreneurs with critical seed funding and support. With the CalSEED Concept award he was able to continue to develop LOCUS as well as bring on recent UC Davis graduate Sophia Racke as a Business Development Manager. With Sophia on board, they focused on not only technical development of their product but also understanding the needs of their audience so that they could create a strong value proposition. As Sophia sees it, “Our solution isn’t just optimizing the performance of the heat pump water heaters but also changing the customers perspective to embrace a new paradigm of water heating.”

A key component of the CalSEED program is participating in CleanTech Open (CTO), a national accelerator program aimed at providing early-stage companies with the training and resources they need to launch and grow successful cleantech businesses. Dr. Zhang learned from CTO how to truly understand potential customers, not just focus on the technology,  “CTO encouraged us to conduct a survey with homeowners to understand from their perspective – the why – why do they care? What do they think about water heaters? With that knowledge we were able to develop a product that was oriented around customer-based solutions.”

The HeaterHive by ZYD Energy

ZYD Energy’s main customers are single family homeowners, multifamily building property owners, and building mechanical system designers. For homeowners, “There’s a need for a solution that’s both effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the water heating systems and can also make the transition simple and appealing. By providing customers with additional value, we will make it more exciting and easier for them to adopt new clean energy technologies.”

To address this, ZYD has created an appealing package for single family homes. They’ve combined the LOCUS control technology with a heat pump water heater as well as a unique exterior design that offers home organization and decoration features. “We’re branding the single family package as HeaterHive to provide customers with a refreshing home improvement product and not just another water heater that they’re going to forget about.”

For multifamily buildings, ZYD Energy addresses a different challenge faced by building designers – how to design heat pump based water heating systems to serve multiple dwelling units. This requires a new knowledge of how different equipment and systems can be connected and controlled, as well as take significant efforts and time for the building design and construction industry to familiarize themselves with heat pump water heater based systems in those multifamily buildings. ZYD Energy provides a solution to simplify system design and installation. “The intention is that LOCUS control can function as a central interconnection of the different equipment in the water heating system so building and designing those complicated water heating systems can be simplified by connecting heating and storage equipment through the LOCUS control.”

ZYD Energy’s Next Step

The ZYD Energy team is well on their way to demonstrate the solution, having just received another EPIC Award – Advancing Next-Generation Heating, Cooling and Water Heating Systems – where they will be piloting their LOCUS systems in three low-income multifamily buildings in Northern California. The aim of these projects is to demonstrate the load flexibility for three different types of central heat pump water heating systems in multifamily buildings using ZYD Energy’s LOCUS technology with social and environmental benefits of lowering operating costs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving electricity reliability, and reducing planning uncertainty.

Moving Forward

Dr. Zhang is hopeful that this opportunity will open doors for ZYD Energy to further collaborate with building design firms, expanding their business development opportunities. “I think our success is kind of a testament to California’s drive to achieve a clean energy transition. With support from California research funding like CalSEED or EPIC we have been able to grow our business. It’s also California’s decarbonisation goals that will continue to help support us as more and more areas have to replace their gas appliances with electric ones.”

What are the unique challenges and hurdles women face to become clean energy entrepreneurs? What needs to be done to break down these structural barriers? And what advice do other women in the clean energy ecosystem have for up and coming talent? We asked some experts around the world at New Energy Nexus.

Only 20% of global startups are led by women (2019), while women represent only 32% of the workforce in the renewable energy sector. 

The challenges are social, cultural and financial…

In the United States, female founders remain far behind their male counterparts in raising venture capital. According to an article published by Bloomberg: “Female founders secured only 2% of venture capital in the U.S. in 2021, the smallest share since 2016 and a sign that efforts to diversify the famously male-dominated industry are struggling.” This means that women need to find alternate means of raising the funds to support the development and commercialization of their innovations. 

‘’Considering these hurdles, incubators, accelerators and other government programs are working hard to deliver funding, education and resources at the right time to female entrepreneurs to close this gap. NEX is on the forefront of this mission, seeking to provide critical support to a diversity of entrepreneurs so that they can be successful despite lack of venture capital funding.’’ – Tenley Dalstrom, Director at CalTestBed (our California program)

Mia Perez of Solarwise PH, a startup that offers a centralized one-stop online platform linking solar customers, installers & suppliers, supported by NEX Philippines.

In the Philippines and India, the socio-cultural conditioning and gender biases significantly disadvantage women in business, especially in the energy sector, which is perceived to be a male-dominated industry. Another challenge is the lack of strong women role models in the industry to look up to or engage with as mentors.

”There are still informal and social myths and constraints that women face which can stem from lack of strong women role models in energy entrepreneurship to societal expectations that women are less likely to bear harsh working conditions’’ – Brenda Valerio, NEX Philippines Program Manager 

In Uganda, some of the main challenges faced by female entrepreneurs are related to access to training. Most women entrepreneurs hesitate to start clean energy enterprises due to beliefs that they should have expertise in manufacturing and repairing clean energy products. They are unsure of the requirements by financial institutions and ways in which they can access financing for energy related businesses. This has resulted in the under-representation of women at all levels in the energy sector. 

‘’Financial structural impediments to gender equality translate into barriers to access investment capital. Most financial institutions require assets for one to access credit, yet in the past women were denied property ownership rights to their father’s assets which limits their access to credit’’ – Mackline Banaga, Program Analyst at ENVenture (powered by New Energy Nexus)

Heather Hochrein, Founder and CEO of EVmatch, said “This Rapid Response grant will immediately strengthen EVmatch’s ability to sustain our community-based EV charging network and grow our network at multi-family residential properties throughout California.”

How does NEX support women entrepreneurs?

A 100% clean energy economy for 100% of people requires us to rebalance the scales of power and money: shifting resources to support innovation where it’s needed most, empowering those traditionally excluded from the start-up ecosystem, and focusing on clean energy adoption as much as clean energy innovation. That’s why striving for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion is fundamental to our mission.

The New Energy Nexus California Programs, CalSEED and CalTestBed, support women and entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities, via an “equity in – equity out” framework. Both programs are committed to ensuring diverse communities across California have the opportunity to participate in the development and implementation of their clean energy solutions. To achieve this goal, the teams actively conduct targeted outreach to ensure that the applicant pool is representative of all Californians. Entrepreneurs are also encouraged to explore innovative ways to bring equitable and impactful clean energy solutions and opportunities to California’s most disadvantaged populations.

NEX California was also awarded a Wells Fargo/National Renewable Energy Lab IN2 Rapid Response grant to support underrepresented entrepreneurs affected by the covid-19 pandemic who contribute significant social impact. The awardees for these grants were female founders who each received US$15,000 non-dilutive grants, networking, and professional development that helped them survive the challenges posed by the pandemic. ‘

In the Philippines, NEX events are designed to incorporate safe spaces where everyone can voice their opinions and insights. The team constantly seeks feedback from the participants on how they can be better supported and create more impact. 

Saikrishna Mohanty of Solar Infra, a startup supported by NEX India in partnership with Climate Collective

NEX India supports aspiring women graduates and university students to take up entrepreneurship in clean energy and energy access through a unique startup simulation approach. NEX India also runs early stage accelerator programs for women-led startups in clean energy and energy access to bridge knowledge gaps, build business literacy, build networks and increase confidence to scale up.

‘’NEX India has built an integrated approach to run programs that support a higher number of women to take up entrepreneurship in clean energy and energy access. They support women-led startups in early stages to build capacity and ensure diverse pipelines’’ – Jui Joshi, NEX India Program Lead, Women in Energy Entrepreneurship

ENVenture, powered by New Energy Nexus offers women entrepreneurs business management training, mentorship and coaching programs aimed at improving their business acumen skills and giving them practical experience to run sustainable energy enterprises in the last mile. An effective a loan product has also been designed with women in mind, to address traditional impediments of access to capital. 

‘’We prioritize women and create an environment for them to start sustainable businesses by providing them renewable energy stock loans, cash to boost, accelerate, and grow their clean energy businesses. For instance, 70% of our enterprises in our program are women-led’’ – Robert Birungi, Head of Credit at ENVenture, powered by New Energy Nexus

What advice do you have for women entrepreneurs with a clean energy idea or want to create a startup?

Rose Juliet Tabu, a clean energy entrepreneur selling cookstoves and solar supported by NEX in the Bidi refugee settlement in West Nile.

The three pieces of advice were repeated by experts from across New Energy Nexus:

• Build your network: join professional organizations that are focused on your field, participate in webinars, networking events, make contacts, and follow up.
• Nurture a team of mentors and champions: It is important to build these relationships through authentic interactions, rather than transactional requests. Make sure you bring something to the table instead of only asking for help.
• Know your stuff: Make sure that you understand what problem your innovation is solving, the stakeholders involved, your product-market fit, the details of your technology, impact goals, technology readiness level and next steps toward commercialization.

According to the World Bank Gender performance indicator report (2013), women perform better in loan repayment as compared to their male counterparts. They should believe in themselves and be confident enough to acquire credit to start clean energy businesses. Also, one doesn’t necessarily need the technical expertise in manufacturing and repairing clean energy products to run a successful clean energy business, just basic business literacy and understanding of business models is essential. Thus women should step up and start up clean energy businesses being at the forefront of increasing energy access. 

If you’re a woman entrepreneur with a clean energy or climate  innovation waiting to take off, get in touch and check out our programs around the world!