Grid Catalyst

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, and the homestretch for the PowerNorth Incubator application period, we offer our tremendous thanks to our program partners and funders. Support from LaunchMN, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the Wells Fargo Foundation, and the McKnight Foundation will help us empower early-stage clean energy, climate, and sustainability entrepreneurs across Minnesota. Together, we're providing resources, mentorship, and opportunities to help innovators grow their businesses and create lasting impact. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/gGri69fn We also have incredible gratitude for our Cleantech Innovation Pathways collaborators - Ashley Mahoney (MIN-Corps), Mark Sanders, Erik Halaas, Robert Blake (Native Sun Community Power Development), Adam Choe, Ling Becker, MPA (Ramsey County), Mary Rick (Full Stack Saint Paul), Gregg Mast (Clean Energy Economy Minnesota), Tamara Lowney (Benson) (Itasca Economic Development Corporation), and Nick Tietz (ILT Academy). We are so fortunate to have such a robust and collaborative innovation ecosystem in our region! #AccelerateNorth #PowerNorthIncubator #energy #startups #innovation #cleantechinnovationpathways #Minnesota #entrepreneurship

Great to see this new innovation offering from our 2025 Demonstration Cohort finalist company - Enspi.io. Reach out to the team to learn more.

🌟 Ready to take the leap? Apply for the PowerNorth Virtual Incubator! We are here to support startups with hardtech and software innovations AND we welcome innovators with service and community-oriented businesses. These may include connecting communities to clean energy, enhancing access to sustainable solutions, or developing innovative financing models. 🗓️ Application deadline is August 6. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/gGri69fn #AccelerateNorth #PowerNorthIncubator #energy #startups #innovation #cleantechinnovationpathways #Minnesota #entrepreneurship

There's a saying in VC that you're only as good as your first investments (or maybe I made that up...). Either way, it's been almost 3 years since we invested in our very first Sustainability companies here at gener8tor through our inaugural Sustainability Accelerator. To stress test that maxim, let's see where they are at: 🚗 itselectric electric (urban EV charging w/ Tiya Gordon & Nathan L. King) started 2024 as a World Economic Forum Top Innovator at Davos, was awarded a $1.5M Federal grant from the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation for a national curbside charging toolkit, raised a $6.5M Seed round, secured contracts with major U.S. municipalities (led by the City of Boston) and most recently was awarded grant funding from The Earthshot Prize for their urban sustainability innovation. 🍄 Mycocycle, Inc. (mushrooms that eat trash w/ Joanne Rodriguez, LEED AP, FitWel Amb, CDT) has secured commercial agreements that moved its operations to a 7-day production schedule. After closing an oversubscribed seed extension earlier this year, the company is forecasting 4X growth in 2025 to supply its low-carbon, bio-based additives into expanded markets, including automotive and CPG opportunities. ⚡ Blip Energy (drop-in distributed energy resource w/ Sophia Wennstedt & Chance Cobb) recently ran its first utility pilot with Minnesota Power through Grid Catalyst (shout out to Nina Axelson) and is setting up its second pilot with Brooklyn Navy Yard. It's currently in Morgan Stanley's Inclusive Ventures Lab program and was awarded a $1.1M grant from @U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) earlier this year. 🌾 Carbon Yield (helping farmers transition to regen ag w/ Claire Pluard & Sam Schiller) has activated more than $7.5M to catalyze regenerative agriculture across the Midwest while helping food brands like Unilever, Danone, and Barry Callebaut Group decarbonize their value chain. 🌞 SolarSteam Inc. (renewable industrial heat w/ Apostol Radev) hit major milestones this month alone: commissioning their second paid pilot, signing a $5M FOAK, securing a newly issued patent, and locking in Levelized Capital as their $4M Seed 2 lead (raising now 👀 ). I couldn't be prouder of the work these companies have accomplished over the last 3 years. They're not just building successful businesses - they're accelerating the clean transition and blazing a trail for all to come. #climateTech #sustainability #startups #cleantech #innovation

Today is the LAST DAY for students to register for our student energy innovation workshop on November 20 and be eligible for our $50 visa gift card drawing. Students will learn about energy and entrepreneurship and can shape or sharpen their abstracts to compete in the upcoming EnergyTech University Prize, led by the DOE Office of Technology Transitions. Workshop Details: 🗓 Date: November 20 ⏰ Time: 5:30-7:00 PM CST 🎟 Register by November 18 for gift card drawing eligibility. Students are welcome to register up until the event start time. https://lnkd.in/geipkdb2 This is an opportunity for students of ALL backgrounds, not just energy or engineering students (although we welcome those students, too). You don't have to have a technology or business idea to participate, we will form teams around 3 National Renewable Energy Laboratory technologies. Or you can BYOT (bring your own technology). Visit our workshop page for more info about the workshop and the EnergyTech University Prize. https://lnkd.in/gs9NUwwg #AccelerateNorth #students #highereducation #energy #entrepreneurship #business #contest #prizes

Start your Monday "Inside Minnesota's Clean Energy Revolution," with a fantastic story by Dan Niepow of Twin Cities Business, which features the Minnesota Energy Alley initiative, our partnership with Minnesota Department of Commerce and Clean Energy Economy Minnesota to accelerate technology innovation, deployment, and economic growth. https://lnkd.in/gcrm8z4j In just a year, we have built incredible traction for this program, thanks to the investment from the State of Minnesota and an ecosystem of incredible partners and innovators, including those featured in the article - Gregg Mast (Clean Energy Economy Minnesota), Benjamin Gerber (M-RETS), Peter Frosch (GREATER MSP Partnership), Rep. Larry Kraft, Sen., Nick Frentz, Reed Richerson (US Solar), Jessica Hellmann (Institute on the Environment University of Minnesota). Also highlighting Grid Catalyst 2024 Demonstration Cohort members - Seamus Kane (Aza Power Systems) and Andrew Jones (Carba, Inc.) and 2025 finalist - Sean Jarvie (Flow Environmental Systems). All three are Minnesota startups! Love seeing this article highlight the public-private successes and how we are leading the way on energy innovation. And since our work through Minnesota Energy Alley is just getting started, our potential for impact is immense. #AccelerateNorth #MinnesotaEnergyAlley #WeNeedCleanMN #energy #innovation

Don't miss out on these November and December opportunities to build a better 2025 for your energy or cleantech startup. #AccelerateNorth #PowerNorthIncubator #energy #innovation #startups

Opportunity for higher education students! Help us spread the word to the students in your network. Grid Catalyst is hosting a design workshop on November 20 to help students learn more about energy and entrepreneurship, shape or sharpen their abstracts to compete in the upcoming EnergyTech University Prize, led by the DOE Office of Technology Transitions. Workshop Details: 🗓 Date: November 20 ⏰ Time: 5:30-7:00 PM CST 🎟 Register by November 18 https://lnkd.in/geipkdb2 💸 Bonus: Students who register by November 18 and stay for the first 45 minutes will enter a drawing for a $50 Visa gift card (two winners)! This is an opportunity for students of ALL backgrounds, not just energy or engineering students (although we welcome those students, too). You don't have to have a technology or business idea to participate, we will form teams around 3 National Renewable Energy Laboratory technologies. Or you can BYOT (bring your own technology). Visit our workshop page for more info about the workshop and the EnergyTech University Prize. https://lnkd.in/gs9NUwwg #AccelerateNorth #students #energy #entrepreneurship #business #contest #prizes

Startups and entrepreneurs in cleantech - opportunity awaits! ✅ Apply by November 11 to pitch at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Industry Growth Forum. This is one of the best events in the country for connecting with cleantech/climatetech investors and prospective partners. https://lnkd.in/gmyyGE9A ✅ Apply by November 17 for the opportunity for a paid demonstration project with a utility partner through the Incubatenergy Lab program.   https://lnkd.in/ehw9matc ✅ Minnesota startups and entrepreneurs - apply for the Grid Catalyst PowerNorth Incubator program by December 6. This is a 10-week virtual program led by some of the region's best and brightest in tech innovation. https://lnkd.in/gGri69fn 💰 Maybe this is the right time for your MN startup to apply for a LaunchMN innovation grant - applications due Nov 29. (details in the comments) https://lnkd.in/gJEyUeQ ✅ Or if you are in North Dakota, Wisconsin, or Minnesota and at the very first step of refining your big idea for energy, climate, and sustainability - check out the ILT Academy Virtual Lean Startup Innovation program. Applications due December 2. https://lnkd.in/g6_jdwVN #AccelerateNorth #PowerNorthIncubator #energy #cleantech #startups

⚡Attention Minnesota entrepreneurs in energy, climate, and sustainability! 💹 The PowerNorth Virtual Incubator is a unique opportunity to build and grow your business with the region's top experts in entrepreneurship and a team that deeply understand these sectors. 💡 We want innovators across our state to benefit from the monumental public and private investments in transforming our infrastructure and decarbonizing our systems. You don’t need to be a technical startup to benefit—there are countless ways for new businesses to address energy, climate, and sustainability challenges that impact our communities. Let’s build a better future together, right here in Minnesota. Visit our program page to register for our Nov 7 information session and start your application: https://lnkd.in/gGri69fn #PowerNorthIncubator #energy #climate #sustainability #startups #innovation #cleantechinnovationpathways #Minnesota #entrepreneurship