LACI recently welcomed its fifth cohort of LACI Innovators—16 startup businesses seeking to change the world for the better. This year’s cohort includes companies that are innovating to make the power grid cleaner and work better; to move LA toward an electric transportation future; and to reduce waste in our environment.
Through Cohort 5 and those that came before, LACI empowers a new generation of entrepreneurs to lead the 21st century cleantech economy. Through the LACI Innovators program, startup founders receive a free 12-month network access program for early-stage cleantech companies. Designed for companies based in Southern California, this program helps startups become more competitive, resilient, and environmentally sustainable.
The work of our startups is more important than ever in the face of a pandemic and climate crisis. These companies are on the front lines, implementing solutions that will improve public health and environmental outcomes while also creating new wealth in California communities.
The cleantech innovation ecosystem in California is growing thanks in large part to the dedication of the California Energy Commission (CEC) which has funded programs to nurture cleantech like the LACI Innovators Program over the past several years. This year we received 36 applications in total for the Innovators Program.
Please join us in welcoming LACI’s Innovators Program Cohort 5!
The full cohort is listed below:
Advanced Energy Analytics have developed a software platform for utility companies, Interconnection Qualifier (IQ), that streamlines and automates the approval process that new technologies need to undergo to be used by utilities. The software reduces the processing time, provides cohesion among all utilities, and removes uncertainty associated with the process.
BioZen Batteries develops advanced organic electrolytes for organic redox flow batteries (O-RBFs). Our technology is a key component in stationary battery storage that helps meet immediate needs in (1) modernizing the electric grid, (2) providing emergency back-up systems in the form of community micro-grids, and (3) various applications in off-grid storage.
ChargeNet’s cloud-based Energy-as-a-Service platform integrates EV Fast Chargers, Solar, Energy Storage and Restaurant/Retail Point-of-Sale systems to stack value streams into one consolidated solution, built to scale for the EV and clean energy revolution. We use point-of-sale and other valuable data that provides highly accurate forecasting to optimize charging arrays, solar, and energy storage resulting in maximized returns for customers, partners and investors.
EV Life is a web platform that makes it easier for people to drive an electric car than gas. It offers car shopping tools, charging & range calculators, and an EV Climate Loan that can save drivers $200 per month on financing.
Fil₂R sells plastic reducing and sustainable water filtration devices for at home use. Their first product is a Fil2R case reusable water filters compatible with existing water filter pitchers (BRITA and PUR).
Hemptensils(tm) is Greentek’s line of first-in-kind compostable plasticwares made from industrial hemp and corn byproducts. Designed to offset the 40 billion plastic utensils used annually in the US that is increasing due to the pandemic, it offers a solution for the millions of pounds of stalks being wasted in the recently federally legalized industrial hemp industry.
The Hurd Co produces Agrilose™, a cost-competitive, sustainable, fiber feedstock pulp made entirely from agricultural waste. This material can be used to make sustainable fabric.
hybriData addresses potential power losses and electrical faults caused by manual evaluation of power transformers by intelligently and actively monitoring the transformer.
LAMAR is a cold chain logistics innovator that provides a hardware-software platform that leverages flexible electronic sensors and predictive analytics to identify and mitigate temperature condition excursion damages, increase supply chain efficiency, and decreasing costs due to supply chain waste processes in real-time.
MeterLeader helps curb carbon emissions from electricity use and heating by leveraging real-time data and proven social science principles to motivate people to adopt energy efficient equipment and behaviors in their homes and buildings. Users can easily create and participate in customizable energy saving challenges that are integrated with real-time energy data.
Newbury Power Solutions LLC (note: website is not yet live)
Newbury Power Solutions’ FESS (Flywheel Energy Storage System/Solution) product aims to compete against residential and small commercial Li-ion battery storage products. Flywheels do not pose a risk of fire and are not adversely affected by temperature changes. They can operate at much wider temperature ranges and are not subject to limited cycling or power degradation over time.
ONYX POWER builds rugged, portable, clean, and quiet power systems that act as substitutes and replacements for gas and diesel generators.
Rewilder is a consumer goods company that specializes in products made out of post-industrial high-tech materials. Rewilder is building a platform for distribution called Rewilder ReSupply. The platform will give corporations, institutions, and independent businesses and designers access to upcycled high tech materials, creating a circular solution that decreases landfilled waste by introducing viable resources back into the supply chain.
Rhoman Aerospace builds drone control systems that allow current electric vertical take-off and landing drones to fly farther with a single charge, and allow for new use cases to enable the commercial UAV of the future.
Rivieh is a smart living platform specifically designed for rental businesses. Their solution enables these businesses to offer tenants all the appeal of smart home tech minus the complexity and confusion.
Veloce Energy is developing technology to create intelligent, flexible, scalable grid edge energy networks. This IP creates solutions that address key barriers in EV charging infrastructure, distribution grid upgrades, and distributed generation connection. The first focused application is cost reduction in EV charging stations, by combining energy storage, intelligence, and streamlined installation systems with existing charger products. The second application focus is deferral or elimination of distribution grid upgrades.
