[New Study] Bridging the Innovation Gap: What Utility-Startup Partnerships Need to Succeed View the Findings →
When it comes to innovation, it is easy to assume that the best technology sells itself. What most people do not see is the graveyard of game-changing energy startups that never made it past the prototype stage – not because their technology did not work, but because they ran out of resources before they found someone willing to try it first.
During my 13 years leading sustainability for a utility and engineering company, we had incredibly promising innovators show up at our doorstep with big ideas and one simple request: test our technology in your operations. Like most utilities, we did not have a formal process to evaluate and de-risk these technologies. So we asked the obvious question: “Do you have a demonstration with results we can review?”
The startup founders would sigh and reply, “That’s why we’re here.”
Without a prior installation for validation, it was nearly impossible to say yes regardless of how compelling the technology was. The reality is that for utilities that provide essential services, reliability and cost management are paramount priorities. To get to yes, we needed a process to derisk the opportunity – or to watch others implement it first. This is why so many utilities and companies prefer to be the third adopter, not the first.
This is the commercialization valley-of-death that kills game-changing technologies before they ever reach the market.
I experienced this challenge from the other side, too. As an engineering and system development company, we faced significant reservations from developers, building owners, and campus managers when it came to adopting cutting-edge solutions. Aquifer thermal energy storage systems were a prime example. Despite thousands of successful installations across Europe, this technology was unknown in the United States. Decisions-makers needed to see it operating for themselves before they would consider becoming early adopters.
The solution is clear: high-profile pilots that demonstrate real-world rigor and performance. Yet finding that first demonstration partner and site remains one of the biggest barriers pre-commercialization energy startups face.
That is exactly why Grid Catalyst exists.
We built a unique program specifically designed to help early adopters de-risk and test technologies that could transform their operations. At the same time, we guide innovators through the complex process of building trust with their first partners and executing projects in measured phases. We know the questions to ask, the pitfalls to avoid, and the rigor it takes to implement new technologies in mission-critical operations.
Grid Catalyst bridges the gap between startups and those first crucial technology adopters – a critical step in the innovation-to-market pipeline, and what we know best.
When paired with Minnesota’s powerful ecosystem of energy industry and public partners, these demonstration projects become the game-changing step to commercialization that startups need. In our program, you earn the opportunity to work with industry leaders like 3M, Trane, Cummins, Xcel Energy, CenterPoint Energy, and esteemed research institutions including the University of Minnesota and University of St. Thomas Center for Microgrid Research. These are not just Midwest market opportunities – they are gateways to global impact.
This summer, we are recruiting for our 4th Demonstration Cohort. It is a new opportunity to help energy startups prove their technology has the rigor to change the world. Will this be your year?
