Powering Up This Winter: the Power North Incubator and Energy Tech University Prize
Our partners at Grid Catalyst have shared two exciting opportunities for innovators, students, researchers, and startups. If you're interested in the clean energy, climate, or energy innovation spaces, the PowerNorth Incubator and EnergyTech University Prize might be what you're looking for.
PowerNorth Incubator: Deadline December 6
Grid Catalyst will be leading a 10-week virtual program, the PowerNorth Incubator, to empower early-stage clean energy, climate, and sustainability entrepreneurs. The virtual incubator was created to help innovators refine their business models, validate market potential, and master pitching. The program runs between the week of January 20th – and the week of March 24th. We hope this can be a wonderful feeder program to the Minnesota Cup Cleantech Division and to our annual Demonstration Cohort program.
Who Should Apply? The program is ideal for early-stage entrepreneurs working on clean energy, climate, and sustainability concepts/businesses ready to take their ventures to the next level. We’re looking for startups beyond the ideation phase with a solid business concept but need support with market entry, customer attraction, and fundraising. The program is open to concepts in hardtech, software, and social or business innovation. To be eligible, at least one founder must reside in Minnesota or the business must be headquartered here.
More information and the application link are on the program web page.
EnergyTech University Prize - Faculty deadline January 13 - Student deadline February 3
The EnergyTech University Prize is an innovative business plan prize competition convened by the Department of Energy Office of Technology Transition to accelerate innovation and commercialization of energy technologies.
The Student Track is a wonderful opportunity for multidisciplinary students to compete and learn more about the business planning for and commercialization of technology. 200-word student abstracts are due February 3. The Grid Catalyst team is available to help students develop abstracts and their business plan pitches. We are also the regional pitch event convener for Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska on March 5 (virtual). The regional winner goes on to compete at the national competition in April. There are secondary prizes for technology categories and undergraduate teams.
The Faculty Track of the EnergyTech University Prize offers more than $100,000 in cash prizes to faculty members passionate about the development and integration of educational activities centered on energy technology commercialization and entrepreneurship topics at their home institution. The content provided by faculty through their submissions is expected to inform a toolkit to be developed by OTT following the conclusion of this competition.
The next informational webinar hosted by the Department of Energy is December 10. Register here. More information on the program is available on their HeroX webpage.