ELEMENT 8 AND ARPA-E
Earlier this month, I had had the opportunity to attend the ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency) Energy Innovation Summit in Washington, DC to represent Element 8 members. An annual event organized by the U.S. Department of Energy, the ARPA-E Summit brings together the very best minds in business, academia, and government to advance cutting-edge technologies that could fundamentally change the way we generate, use and store energy.
Attending the event on behalf of Element 8 provided me the opportunity to meet with a broad range of entrepreneurs, network with different clean tech incubators and accelerators, and meet other investors whose strategy aligns with Element 8’s focus on early-stage cleantech companies. These meetings and conversations are important for increasing awareness of Element 8 and our mission with the hopes of increasing the quantity and size of impact we have through our investments.
One of the highlights of my time at the Summit was the technology showcase, which offered a glimpse of the most innovative future energy technologies. The stage of companies and technologies showcased during the event ranged from garage prototypes & early stage research to the final steps to commercialization. Companies that have received funding and support as part of the ARPA-E program have gone through a rigorous vetting process and receive support as they develop their team and business for technology commercialization. Axiom Exergy, who presented at the February Element 8 Member Meeting, is one such company.
I was also invited to join the Clean Energy Incubator Network meeting to learn more about their organization. The Network is a group of incubators, accelerators and investors working to advance the cleantech industry and support early stage companies. Speaking at the meeting allowed me to share a little about Element 8 and our mission – encouraging all in attendance to help spread the word about our organization and encourage their member companies to apply for Element 8 investment during their next round of funding.
As our group continues to grow, the friendships and relationships developed at the conference are valuable for our organization. If you will be traveling to a city where one of these members is located and you’d like a tour of their operation please let me know. Many of them offered to provide tours and more information to any Element 8 members that were interested in learning more.
Members of the Clean Energy Incubator Network include:
• New England Clean Energy Council • NextEnergy • Columbia University • Midwest Energy Research Consortium • Austin Technology Incubatory • Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) • Clean Energy Trust • High Tech Roschester/NEXUS-NY • CLT Joules • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) • Prospect Silicon Valley • Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy • Dow Chemical Co. • Massachusetts Clean Energy Center • Rutgers EcoComplex • Pecan Street, Inc. • Energy Foundry • Oregon BEST • Boston University • NYC ACRE • Pacific International Center for High Technology Research • New York State Energy R&D Authority • Prelude Ventures • Duke Energy Corp. • Greentown Labs, Inc. • Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
If you want to learn more about ARPA-E and the Clean Energy Incubator Network, please check out the links below.
• More information about Clean Energy Incubator Network: http://incubatenergy.org/
• More information about ARPA-E: http://arpa-e.energy.gov/