DeltaClimeVT Climate Economy Accelerator Selects Entrepreneurs for Energy 2024 Cohort

The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) announces the selection of the Energy 2024 cohort of the Vermont-based DeltaClime^VT climate economy business accelerator.

Eight early-stage energy companies from across the U.S. and Canada will work directly with Vermont utilities to contribute to Vermont’s 90% renewable by 2050 and Burlington’s Net Zero by 2030 goals over three months of intensive work sessions, including two online and two in-person intensive sessions (each 2-4 days in duration), weekly assignments and bi-weekly webinars as well as frequent 1:1 engagement. The first in-person sprint starts March 25 in Burlington, VT at Burlington Electric Department and will wrap up with an awards ceremony in Burlington June 13.

This will be the eighth cohort for the accelerator program managed by VSJF. While working through the world-class ecosVC™ curriculum, the goal for the Energy 2024 program will be to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help Vermont meet its climate goals. The selected cohort companies are focused on electrification, load management controls integrated with storage, heat pumps, electric vehicle charging equipment and building systems, efficiency and climate resilience.

In addition to connecting the accelerator participants to the larger ecosystem of business support and capital in Vermont, Energy 2024 participants will compete for a $25,000 non-equity prize to be awarded to the top company and the chance to work with Vermont utilities to help reduce emissions in the residential and commercial arenas. The program also features paid pilot opportunities; extensive peer feedback; connections with potential customers, partners, and mentors; and exposure to investors.

DeltaClime^VT Energy 2024 Cohort Companies:

• Bidirectional Energy turns EVs into distributed batteries for our electric grid. They provide a mobile app that lets EV owners sell energy from their EVs back into the grid when electricity prices are high. To increase adoption, Bidirectional Energy also partners with charger manufacturers and installers to install off-the-shelf bidirectional EV chargers in residential homes. California
• EarthEn develops thermo-mechanical energy storage solutions that use CO2 in a closed loop to store 4-100+ hours of energy in a uniquely flexible & future-proof manner. Their technology is highly configurable to address various electrification mechanisms in using sCO2 as a working fluid to convert heat to electricity–one of which is where they can convert CO2 pipelines into energy storage assets. EarthEn’s mission is to enable Earth’s electrification and their long duration thermo-mechanical energy storage solutions are the first step in that path. California
• ElecGrid is a Newport Vermont-based startup that is working to transform the way utilities manage day-to-day operations and respond to disasters that impact the electrical grid. The company’s cloud-based platform provides an economical solution that streamlines both daily and emergency operations while reducing the number of ancillary software and information sources that a utility is required to manage, offering solutions that enhance operational efficiency, support disaster recovery efforts, and aid in financial accounting for FEMA. Vermont
• EMPEQ uses proprietary computer vision technology to put unique power in the hands of users. One photograph from a handheld device instantly identifies equipment/parts, digitizes specifications, and gleans insights like remaining useful life, cost/energy saving alternatives, and many others. Their customers utilize the technology to reduce the time spent on the field work and back office data entry associated with energy efficient retrofit reports and proposals by 50-80%. New York
• Induction Food Systems (IFS) is a hardtech startup that helps manufacturers in the food & beverage and chemical sectors decarbonize profitably. With their flameless FluxCore heating technology, IFS improves heat exchange with flowing fluids by up 24x compared conventional equipment, allowing processors to improve total production and energy efficiency by +8%, all while lowering their on-site emissions by using electricity instead of fossil heating at their manufacturing sites. North Carolina
• Moduly is a smart energy system behind the meter integrating plug-and-play energy storage and IoT devices in a single ecosystem. The energy management strategy coordinates energy production, storage, and consumption to reduce the peak of consumption, save on consumers’ electricity bills, and gain energy resilience. Quebec & Florida
• Noteworthy AI helps utilities evaluate the condition of the electric distribution grid at-scale with vehicle-mounted cameras, edge computing and computer vision. By automating data collection and analysis, Noteworthy can significantly increase situational awareness on the distribution grid while reducing operations and maintenance costs. Connecticut
• Rock Rabbit delivers an AI-powered platform and app that makes it fast, easy and reliable to find and claim incentives for green home upgrades. The TurboTax-like product makes it easy for contractors and homeowners to navigate and claim rebates, tax credits, and financing. Rock Rabbit also partners directly with incentive providers, such as utilities and governments, to lower participation barriers and administrative costs of these programs. California

Partners and sponsors of DeltaClime^VT Energy 2024 include, Jane’s Trust Foundation, The Vermont Community Foundation, Burlington Electric Department, Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, Efficiency Vermont, Green Mountain Power, VSECU/NEFCU, Vermont Electric Coop, VGS, Vermont Electric Power Company, Vermont Economic Development Authority, and Dinse.

To learn more about DeltaClime^VT Energy 2024, visit deltaclimevt.com.

About DeltaClime^VT – A Climate Economy Business Accelerator

The DeltaClime^VT business accelerator is a Vermont-based program serving startup and seed-stage ventures focusing on energy and climate economy innovation in the energy sector. The program provides an intense accelerated learning and business development process designed to test assumptions, expose, and remediate business vulnerabilities, prepare for significant investment, and provide a platform for rapid scaling. As a proven leader in sustainability, Vermont offers participants access to many entrepreneurial climate economy and energy experts throughout the program. The program is managed by the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF). deltaclimevt.com

About Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

In addition to offering the DeltaClime^VT business accelerator to startup and seed-stage entrepreneurs, the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) provides business assistance, value chain facilitation, network development, and strategic planning to a wide range of stakeholders in the agriculture and food system, forest product, waste management, renewable energy, and environmental technology sectors. Located in Montpelier, Vermont, VSJF was created by the Vermont Legislature in 1995 to partner with state government, private sector businesses, and nonprofits to build a thriving economic, social, and ecological future for Vermont. www.vsjf.org