Incubatenergy Labs FAQ
LAB OVERVIEW
What is Incubatenergy Labs?
Open innovation program linking startups in the network with electric utilities to demonstrate and scale innovations in decarbonization, electrification, grid modernization and resilience. All project outcomes are share on our past project page.
What organizations are involved in Incubatenergy Labs?
The Electric Power
Research Institute (EPRI) is a non-profit institute driving R&D on behalf
of about 500 utilities worldwide. For 2022, American Electric Power (AEP),
Ameren, Consolidated Edison (Con Edison), Enel, Entergy, FirstEnergy, Fortis Inc.,
Grupo Energía Bogotá (GEB), National Grid Partners, New York Power Authority
(NYPA), Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Portland General Electric (PGE),
Salt River Project (SRP), Southern California Edison (SCE), Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA), Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO), and Xcel Energy are
involved.
Are there cash prizes?
We are looking for
companies whose innovations are past the cash prizes phase of development, are
ready for demonstration in real-world environments, and are nearing the point
of market scale. While we don’t have cash prizes, EPRI and our member utilities
are ready to work with you on paid demonstrations. Revenue is the best cash
prize, right?
How were the 2022 challenge areas selected?
The Incubatenergy Labs
process starts with ensuring there is customer demand for your solutions. The
participating utilities and EPRI review our strategic innovation imperatives
and identify the innovation challenge areas that are common across the group.
Doing so maximizes the value to both the utilities trying to solve these
challenges and the startups working to scale their solutions across a large
customer base.
Have you run similar challenges?
Yes. It started in 2019 when EPRI and seven utilities collaborated on the Illumination LAB and ran paid demonstration projects with six startups. In 2020, the program rebranded as Incubatenergy Labs, included eleven utilities and ran 10 demonstrations. In 2021, EPRI and fifteen utilities ran 20 demonstrations. This year, we are gearing up for a cohort of similar size to 2021. See the Past Projects page for an overview of the program and the companies selected.
APPLYING
What is the deadline to apply?
Every year our portal
is accepting application from December to mid-January. For 2022, the
application window was open from Dec 2nd to Jan 14th.
Is there a cost to apply?
There’s no charge to
apply online. We know your time is valuable, so we’ve kept the information
we’re asking for to a minimum.
Do you ask for equity?
No. We are seeking paid pilot demonstrations in a number of innovation
areas. However, if you are actively raising, you will have the opportunity to
engage the venture arms of participating utilities and other venture groups in
our network. We
facilitate connections but we don’t participate in the
investment discussions.
Does EPRI or the utilities ask for equity for participation?
No. We are seeking
paid pilot demonstrations in a number of innovation areas. However, if you are
actively raising, you will have the opportunity to engage the venture arms of
participating utilities and other venture groups in our network. We facilitate
connections but we don’t participate in the investment discussions.
What information do I need to provide?
Along with the
questions included in the application, we’ll ask you to upload an overview deck
of your company and innovation, information on third-party validation, market
traction, a short (nothing fancy required) video, and a one-page overview of a
concept demonstration project.
Will you sign an NDA?
For the application
phase, we don’t enter into NDAs, and don’t expect you to share information that
would require an NDA. If you are selected to join us for Pitch Day, we’ll
execute a Startup Participation Agreement that articulates our privacy policy
and sets the terms of how we’ll share confidential information between your
company, the participating utilities, and EPRI.
Who will see my application?
Applications are
reviewed by technology scouts and subject matter experts from EPRI and the
participating utilities. At least three experts will review each complete
application. Your application materials will not be distributed outside of that
audience unless we ask you first.
On what criteria are applications judged?
Applications are rated
on their fit with the challenge areas, technical innovation, integration
readiness, proposed demonstration scope and fit with the utilities current
market needs. The top applicants may be asked to participate in a follow up
interview.
How many companies will be selected?
While there’s no set number of finalist companies, we expect to select 20 to 30 companies to present to the group of utilities and R&D experts at Pitch Day. From the companies invited to Pitch Day, we expect to select 12 to 18 companies to engage in demonstration projects.
PARTICIPATING
What types of solutions are you looking for?
Please take a look at our current innovation challenge
topics. While they are generally focused on the modernization of our grid,
decarbonization, the electrification of sectors of our economy, improving
utility customer experience, and reducing O&M costs, the specific challenge
topics change each cycle. Those listed for the current cycle represent areas in
which the participating utilities are actively seeking solutions.
Is there a particular stage of market readiness you are looking for?
In general, we’re looking for demonstration-ready solutions
which would normally be around TRL 6-8. If we see something earlier that really
excites us, we can change up the approach a bit and test your solution in the
lab.
Do I need to be a US company?
Definitely Not! Great innovations come from all over the world.
Previous years’ cohorts included
Canadian, Australian, European, and U.S. companies. The Discovery
portion of our program happens virtually. If you’re selected for a
demonstration, you’ll be working closely with EPRI and one or more utilities to
demonstrate your solution. You should be prepared to visit the hosting utility
if required or consider how the demonstration can be executed remotely. Since
2022, the demonstrations also can be hosted in Europe.
What about Covid-19 travel precautions and restrictions?
We take health and safety very seriously. In 2020 we pivoted the
entire program to run virtually and still executed 10 demonstrations. We’re
resilient, we’re creative, and we’ll make sure that any engagement is run with
a “safety first” mindset.
Is there a specific location for the Lab?
No. Since COVID-19, Pitch Day has been taking place virtually. We’re
hoping we’ll hold our Demo Day as a face-to-face event but we’re playing that
one a bit by ear. Hopefully we’ll be in a position where the project teams can
meet in person for the demonstrations. That didn’t happen last year but the
teams were still very productive.
What is the timeline for the Lab?
Key dates for the Lab in 2023 include:
- Jan 14: Application deadline
- Feb: Finalists selected
- March 9-10: Pitch Day Window
- Apr / May: Demonstration Scoping and Contracting
- Jun – Sept: Demonstration Projects Execution
- Fall: Demo Day and (hopefully) Demonstration Site Visits to build awareness