EnergyLab launches inaugural Climate Tech Charge program

Whether it's an upcycler utilising industrial tailings and waste to make wooden materials, or an electric car sharing service for hotels, offices and residential developments, the inaugural EnergyLab Climate Tech Charge program is littered with startups befitting of the accelerator's focus on innovators.

Just over a month after announcing its Climate Solutions Accelerator, EnergyLab has announced a new program that will help an initial cohort of 13 startups to grow and scale through a combination of expert information sessions, mentoring and networking, as well as access to professional services and potential investors.

The Charge program provides critical support for early-stage founders contributing to decarbonisation amidst a challenging economic environment, where venture capital funding in Australia substantially slowed down in the first quarter of 2023.

"In 2022 across the globe we fell woefully short of the year on year decarbonisation target to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees," says EnergyLab CEO Megan Fisher.

"We must continue the adoption of existing low emissions technology, but we also need new ideas to help us really ramp up the roll out. Supporting more early-stage climate tech focused startups will build a pipeline of solutions to support in reaching our net zero targets.

The inaugural cohort represents promising founders offering solutions in clean energy, carbon removal, energy data, transportation and waste to support the circular economy and clean energy transition. 

To curb the pressures of the economic landscape and lack of commercialisation support, EnergyLab designed a 12-month program to help founders traverse the ‘valley of death’, bridging the gap between developing their minimum viable product and growing their customer base and building market traction.

Whilst the accelerator has just over a dozen startups to begin with, EnergyLab emphasises the program is open to applications year-round, with new founders joining monthly. 

"From our experience screening hundreds of startup applications for EnergyLab’s Accelerator we’ve developed a robust understanding of where common gaps exist in startups’ readiness," explains Fisher.

"The Charge Program has been designed with these lessons in mind to support startups to become accelerator-ready."

Meet the EnergyLab Climate Tech Charge cohort

Adaptive Hydrogen is helping to reduce the cost of green hydrogen through intelligent control.

“We're looking forward to networking and learning how to scale the business," says Adaptive Hydrogen founder and CEO Steven Percy.

Brownee is building an ecosystem that empowers SMEs to be more successful by becoming more sustainable. 

“We're joining to use the energy it provides when you are part of a network with an aligned purpose. We'll use this energy to try and change the way business is done - for good," says Brownee co-founder and CEO Guido Toepfer. 

C2Zero enables businesses and individuals to stop big polluters from polluting by locking away their (regulated and finite) Emissions Allowances.

RealCarbonIndex claims to be the world’s first family of indices and analytics tracking global compliance carbon prices.

"There is no better way to learn than learning from others who have done, are doing and helping those doing. EnergyLab is the perfect place for this to happen," says C2Zero and RealCarbonIndex founder Roger Cohen.

Cactii brings a unique integrated perspective to renewable energy by focusing on both generation and storage, and on making energy use more efficient through a high level of system integration.

“The Charge Program will provide us with the knowledge and skills to further develop our products and spread our message globally," says Cactii CEO Donald Yelland. 

Change Beetle specialises in creating optimisation software for offshore projects and is developing a world-leading solution for offshore wind. 

“We’re very excited to bring our optimisation experience to the offshore wind sector – our international network has already given us great feedback, with particular appreciation of our silo-busting approach to workflow," says Change Beetle co-founder and CEO Marcus van Jager.

Cyclion Energy has developed cutting-edge technology that solves complex plastic and biomass waste treatment issues thanks to our ‘green chemistry’ that turns your general rubbish into fuel and energy for everyday use.

"As an Australian business ready to tackle a global problem we joined the EnergyLab Charge program to expand our reach to those who share our passion for tackling the waste management issue," says Cyclion Energy co-founder Stephen Burns. 

Equoia is a B2B rental electrification solutions company on a mission to accelerate sustainability within the film and television industry and reduce CO2e generated by screen production with clean mobile power. 

“We look forward to accelerating our sustainability efforts with the products and services we are building with Equoia and learn from other climate tech entrepreneurs who share the same enthusiasm and vision to create a cleaner future," says Equoia co-founder Jessica Gower.

Negawatts.io is a high-impact platform that empowers companies to optimise energy and resources, exceeding NetZero goals to cool our biosphere.

"We are thrilled to have been accepted into the program, and we are eager to meet our cohort, mentors, and potential investors. We look forward to making a meaningful impact on the energy transition and beyond," says Negawatts.io co-founder Nigel Grier.

Outbound is revolutionising real estate and transportation with electric car club amenities, offering an all-digital carsharing experience to seamlessly integrate communal electric vehicles in residential, commercial and hotel properties. 

“We are excited to join the Climate Tech Charge Program to connect with other innovators and industry experts and accelerate the impact that we can have. This program aligns perfectly with our vision for tackling climate change and comes at a crucial growth stage for our business," says Outbound founder and CEO Luke Rust.

Retragreen is an innovative energy efficiency software provider committed to helping businesses lower electricity expenses and improve sustainability through cutting-edge solutions.

“Retragreen is thrilled to be part of the Climate Tech Charge Program to amplify its impact and accelerate its journey toward creating meaningful change in the energy sector," says Retragreen co-founder Patrick Lay.

Reynard Wood is building materials made from industrial tailings and waste for environmental benefit.

“We're looking forward to engaging with wider like-minded teams to improve better environmental outcomes for Australia," says Reynard Wood  head of business development George Reinke.

Smartizer is reinventing residential energy storage systems, distinguished by exceptional modularity and flexibility, low capital expenditure (capex), and fast return on investment (ROI).

"Our aspiration is to become acquainted with the cleantech community and establish valuable connections within the network," says Smartizer founder and CEO Davood Dehestani.

SolvingZero uses energy data to provide actionable insights on lowering energy costs and optimising homes. 

“The Charge Program will support me to develop my product with expert actionable advice," says SolvingZero founder and CEO Sam Bendat. 

This project is funded by the NSW Government in association with EnergyLab, under the Net Zero Plan Stage 1: 2020-2030.