Networks
The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) is at the center of a cleantech ecosystem.
From our unique position as a national lab-based entity with influential industry partners and motivated investors, we have built a network that can bring cleantech innovation to market, where it will make real impact.
We manage technology incubation programs for Shell and Wells Fargo; partner with industry and Department of Energy (DOE) labs and facilities; convene a robust network of more than 150 cleantech investors, including the NREL Investor Advisory Board; and manage a network of more than 60 leading incubators, accelerators, and universities that refer and assist our startup companies.
Entrepreneurs
Our Shell GameChanger AcceleratorTM Powered by NREL and Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator portfolios include more than 70 companies. Through the Canadian Technology Assistance Program, NREL has provided technical assistance to more than 20 Canadian startups. In addition, we convene entrepreneurs from around the world to participate in our annual Industry Growth Forum, which includes an Emerging Markets track. By encouraging cleantech innovation by and for developing economies, IEC amplifies its social and economic impact.
Incubators, Accelerators, and Universities
More than 60 universities, accelerators, and incubators make up the IEC network of Channel Partners.
Alaska
Launch Alaska
Anchorage, AK
Alabama
HudsonAlpha
Huntsville, AL
Arizona
University of Arizona—Center for Innovation (UACI)
Tucson, AZ
California
Activate
Berkeley, CA
AgStart
Woodland, CA
California Institute of Technology—Rocket Fund
Pasadena, CA
Cleantech Group
San Francisco, CA
Cleantech Open
Los Angeles, CA
Cleantech San Diego
San Diego, CA
Coachella Valley Economic Partnership
Palm Springs, CA
Imagine H2O
San Francisco, CA
Larta Institute
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Los Angeles, CA
New Energy Nexus
San Francisco, CA
Powerhouse
Oakland, CA
Prospect Silicon Valley
San Jose, CA
Stanford University—TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy
Stanford, CA
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
University of California Davis—Energy and Efficiency Institute
Davis, CA
Cananda
MaRS Discovery District
Toronto, Canada
Colorado
Colorado Cleantech Industries Association
Golden, CO
Colorado State University—Energy Institute
Fort Collins, CO
Innosphere Ventures
Fort Collins, CO
Innovation Corridor
Denver, CO
University of Colorado Boulder—Venture Partners
Boulder, CO
Florida
HBCU Clean Energy Initiative
Miami, FL
Georgia
Georgia Institute of Technology—ScaleUp Lab
Atlanta, GA
Hawaii
Elemental Excelerator
Honolulu, HI
Iowa
Iowa State University
Ames, IA
Illinois
Evergreen Climate Innovations
Chicago, IL
Maryland
F3 Tech Accelerator
Easton, MD
Massachusetts
Browning the Green Space (BGS)
Boston, MA
FORGE
Somerville, MA
Greentown Labs
Somerville, MA
MassChallenge
Boston, MA
Northeast Clean Energy Council Institute
Boston, MA
Michigan
Lawrence Technological University—Centrepolis Accelerator
Southfield, MI
NextEnergy
Detroit, MI
Minnesota
Grid Catalyst
Minneapolis, MN
Missouri
BioGenerator
St. Louis, MO
The Yield Lab
St. Louis, MO
Nebraska
University of Nebraska—Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute
Lincoln, NE
New Mexico
New Mexico State University—Arrowhead Center
Las Cruces, NM
New York
New York University—Urban Future Lab
New York, NY
Syracuse University—Syracuse Center of Excellence
Syracuse, NY
North Carolina
North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Research Triangle Park, NC
University of North Carolina—Institute for the Environment
Chapel Hill, NC
North Dakota
Grand Farm (Emerging Prairie)
Fargo, ND
Ohio
BRITE Energy Innovators
Warren, OH
Oregon
VertueLab
Portland, OR
Pennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University—Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
Pittsburgh, PA
Penn State University
University Park, PA
Tennessee
AgLaunch
Memphis, TN
Texas
Rice University—Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
Houston, TX
Texas A&M University—Engineering Experiment Station, Clean Energy Incubator
College Station, TX
University of Texas Austin—Austin Technology Incubator
Austin, TX
University of Texas Austin—Texas Venture Labs
Austin, TX
Virginia
Dominion Energy Innovation Center
Ashland, VA
Washington
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
Wisconsin
The Water Council
Milwaukee, WI
University of Wisconsin Madison—Wisconsin Energy Institute
Madison, WI
Wyoming
University of Wyoming—Impact 307
Laramie, WY
Alaska
Launch Alaska
Anchorage, AK
Alabama
HudsonAlpha
Huntsville, AL
Arizona
University of Arizona—Center for Innovation (UACI)
Tucson, AZ
California
Activate
Berkeley, CA
AgStart
Woodland, CA
California Institute of Technology—Rocket Fund
Pasadena, CA
Cleantech Group
San Francisco, CA
Cleantech Open
Los Angeles, CA
Cleantech San Diego
San Diego, CA
Coachella Valley Economic Partnership
Palm Springs, CA
Imagine H2O
San Francisco, CA
Larta Institute
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Los Angeles, CA
New Energy Nexus
San Francisco, CA
Powerhouse
Oakland, CA
Prospect Silicon Valley
San Jose, CA
Stanford University—TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy
Stanford, CA
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
University of California Davis—Energy and Efficiency Institute
Davis, CA
Cananda
MaRS Discovery District
Toronto, Canada
Colorado
Colorado Cleantech Industries Association
Golden, CO
Colorado State University—Energy Institute
Fort Collins, CO
Innosphere Ventures
Fort Collins, CO
Innovation Corridor
Denver, CO
University of Colorado Boulder—Venture Partners
Boulder, CO
Florida
HBCU Clean Energy Initiative
Miami, FL
Georgia
Georgia Institute of Technology—ScaleUp Lab
Atlanta, GA
Hawaii
Elemental Excelerator
Honolulu, HI
Iowa
Iowa State University
Ames, IA
Illinois
Evergreen Climate Innovations
Chicago, IL
Maryland
F3 Tech Accelerator
Easton, MD
Massachusetts
Browning the Green Space (BGS)
Boston, MA
FORGE
Somerville, MA
Greentown Labs
Somerville, MA
MassChallenge
Boston, MA
Northeast Clean Energy Council Institute
Boston, MA
Michigan
Lawrence Technological University—Centrepolis Accelerator
Southfield, MI
NextEnergy
Detroit, MI
Minnesota
Grid Catalyst
Minneapolis, MN
Missouri
BioGenerator
St. Louis, MO
The Yield Lab
St. Louis, MO
Nebraska
University of Nebraska—Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute
Lincoln, NE
New Mexico
New Mexico State University—Arrowhead Center
Las Cruces, NM
New York
New York University—Urban Future Lab
New York, NY
Syracuse University—Syracuse Center of Excellence
Syracuse, NY
North Carolina
North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Research Triangle Park, NC
University of North Carolina—Institute for the Environment
Chapel Hill, NC
North Dakota
Grand Farm (Emerging Prairie)
Fargo, ND
Ohio
BRITE Energy Innovators
Warren, OH
Oregon
VertueLab
Portland, OR
Pennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University—Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
Pittsburgh, PA
Penn State University
University Park, PA
Tennessee
AgLaunch
Memphis, TN
Texas
Rice University—Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
Houston, TX
Texas A&M University—Engineering Experiment Station, Clean Energy Incubator
College Station, TX
University of Texas Austin—Austin Technology Incubator
Austin, TX
University of Texas Austin—Texas Venture Labs
Austin, TX
Virginia
Dominion Energy Innovation Center
Ashland, VA
Washington
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
Wisconsin
The Water Council
Milwaukee, WI
University of Wisconsin Madison—Wisconsin Energy Institute
Madison, WI
Wyoming
University of Wyoming—Impact 307
Laramie, WY
Investors
More than 150 investment firms and individuals participate in IEC programs and events. Among them, NREL's Investor Advisory Board includes more than 40 influential investment firms that work with NREL and one another to support technology solutions that generate global impact.
Industry
IEC works with industry to create customized solutions to global problems. We have developed programs, demonstration projects, and events that help our industry partners meet their business and societal objectives. Among our partners:
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Shell GameChanger™ powered by NREL offers funding and expertise to start-ups that have an early-stage technology solution that tackles a challenge relevant to the energy industry.
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The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator minimizes the energy impact of commercial buildings, affordable residential housing, and agriculture sectors.
Other Network Partners
Communities
The IEC provides opportunities for diverse communities to engage with the national lab system, DOE, and our network of entrepreneurs and investors.
National Labs
The IEC works with the entire network of DOE national laboratories, many as part of our channel partner network and others through our management of the DOE Office of Technology Transition’s Energy I-Corps program. Energy I-Corps introduces teams of lab researchers that have breakthrough technologies to business processes, strategies, and principles.
NREL
It's where we live. As the only national laboratory dedicated to renewable energy and energy efficiency, NREL is an expert in clean technology. The lab has the world-class research staff and facilities that can inform innovation. The IEC ensures connections are made between lab resources, markets, and innovators that are working to deliver on NREL's objective: transforming energy.
U.S. Department of Energy
The IEC works with DOE to grow the economy by encouraging energy transformation. Our IEC programs and events are all run through NREL, a DOE national laboratory that supports our endeavors. In addition, we manage Energy I-Corps, a DOE Office of Technology Transitions program that trains national lab researchers in business practices and strategies, and we are an award-winning participant in the DOE Small Business Program, which facilitates opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses to work with NREL and other national laboratories.
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