Startups will pitch to Minnesota corporations, utilities, and partners in higher education, nonprofit, and government for the opportunity to launch pilot projects in 2025
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Minnesota clean energy accelerator Grid Catalyst today announced the finalists for its 2025 Demonstration Cohort program: C-Motive Technologies, Inc., Cache Energy, EcoSnap, Enspi, Flow Environmental Systems, Latimer Controls, LiquidCool Solutions, Power to Hydrogen, and Sensatek.
The finalists vying for a spot in Grid Catalyst’s fourth demonstration cohort include startups mobilizing solutions for heat pumps (heating and cooling buildings), hydrogen electrolysis, wind energy monitoring and analytics, high-efficiency motors, AI-enabled virtual power plants, utility-scale solar energy management, long-duration energy storage (batteries), and cooling systems for high-performance IT equipment. These companies have put in years of research and development, and these Minnesota demonstration projects will help them secure new customers and funding to scale.
“These companies represent the cutting-edge innovation we need to transform our energy system and continue growing Minnesota’s global leadership in cleantech, ” said Nina Axelson, president of Grid Catalyst. “When we match these emerging businesses with our phenomenal regional partners to demonstrate their solutions, we can take ambitious steps toward commercializing and scaling game-changing technologies”
The nine startups will pitch to the Grid Catalyst Innovators Network – made up of local Fortune 500 businesses, nonprofits, utilities, and higher education institutions – on September 25 at the University of St. Thomas – for the opportunity to partner on a pilot program. Grid Catalyst is the only clean energy accelerator focused on project demonstration and deploying solutions for cold climates, with a unique approach of matching startups with Minnesota partners to develop pilot projects to showcase the potential and viability of these emerging technologies.
“This demonstration opportunity will prove our CO2 heat pump’s ability to decarbonize while producing heating and cooling in Minnesota’s cold climate, more reliably and efficiently than currently available technologies,” said Sean Jarvie, CTO, Flow Environmental Systems. “We know that seeing is believing for customers and facility managers, so we need opportunities like the ones provided by this program. We are excited to show the ANSWR ™ to the world by participating in this high-profile, home-grown Minnesota program.
All projects will be deployed in Minnesota with Grid Catalyst’s Innovators Network partners, which include 3M, CenterPoint Energy, Cummins, Minnesota Power, the University of St. Thomas Center for Microgrid Research, Trane Technologies, Xcel Energy, and the University of Minnesota. Through their partnership with startups, members of the Innovators Network gain access to novel technologies that can solve system and customer challenges and exemplify their commitment to accelerating clean energy deployment, strengthening regional economic development, and taking action on climate change.
This cohort programming is made possible through the support of Minnesota Energy Alley – led by Clean Energy Economy Minnesota, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Commerce and Grid Catalyst. Minnesota Energy Alley was launched in 2024 to drive innovation and secure our state’s energy and economic development future. Through this initiative, the State of Minnesota provides seed funding to enable the pilot projects and prove what’s possible with cutting-edge technologies and regional partnerships. In the first year of support from Minnesota Energy Alley, the amount of Minnesota startup applicants tripled and three Minnesota companies were selected for the finals with very promising innovations.
“Clean energy innovation is vital to advancing Minnesota’s transition to a zero-carbon energy future. That’s why the Minnesota Energy Alley initiative is crucial to ensuring the state is an attractive location for developing and deploying the next generation of cleantech solutions and jobs,” said Gregg Mast, Executive Director at Clean Energy Economy MN. “Grid Catalyst’s Demonstration Cohort program brings together startups and industry leaders, fostering breakthrough technologies and reinforcing Minnesota’s position as a global clean energy leader.”
The finalist pitch event is part of the Minnesota Cleantech Innovation Summit, a three-day event highlighting technology, economic development, workforce development, industry partnerships, higher education research and initiatives, and the startups from the 2024 Grid Catalyst Demonstration Cohort.
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About the Finalists
C-Motive Technologies – Electrostatic Motors (Wisconsin)
C-Motive Technologies creates sustainable and highly efficient motor technology. Their electrostatic motor technology is over 90% efficient, contains no rare-earth magnets or electrical steel, and uses 90% less copper than traditional electric machines. By using fundamentally different physics, C-Motive can change people’s expectations for their motors and deliver an all-in-one system free from add-ons like gearboxes and active cooling.
Cache Energy – Long-Duration Energy Storage (Illinois)
Cache Energy Storage Inc. developed a long-duration energy storage technology based on thermochemical energy storage. We created a proprietary material combined with reactor technology to store energy for a duration of over 6 months with minimal containment. The material is cheap, non-toxic, non-flammable, and easily transported. Their technology can store extra renewable energy generated in the form of solar or wind energies over extended periods without significant loss in capacity. This stored energy can address up to 75% of US industrial process heat demand.
EcoSnap – Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pump (Colorado)
EcoSnap provides ductless mini split heat pumps that are easy and affordable to install. EcoSnap’s initial product offering is a single zone ductless heat pump solution that provides space conditioning comfort and energy efficiency without burning fossil
fuels for homes and small commercial spaces. Our vision is affordable and efficient heating and cooling for everyone. We make efficient space conditioning affordable by addressing soft costs, reducing installation time and complexity.
Enspi – AI-enabled Virtual Power Plant (Minnesota)
Enspi is an AI-enabled Virtual Power Plant (VPP) platform that optimizes energy usage, reduces emissions, and enhances profitability for mid-sized manufacturers and commercial enterprises. By leveraging advanced AI algorithms and real-time data, Enspi enables seamless integration of energy assets, load management, and demand response, driving significant cost savings and supporting the transition to a sustainable energy grid.
Flow Environmental Systems – CO2 Heat Pump (Minnesota)
Flow Environmental Systems is a US-based engineering company bringing commercially viable and environmentally responsible heating and cooling technologies and solutions to the North American market. They specialize in CO2 based heat pump systems that are able to simultaneously produce chilled water, domestic hot water, and boiler temperature hot water for the commercial market. These units will effectively decarbonize and replace traditional HVAC systems with high-efficiency equipment designed for a 30-year+ life and eliminate the need for separate chiller, domestic hot water, and heating/boiler equipment.
Latimer Controls – Utility-Scale Solar Energy Management (Colorado)
Latimer Controls is revolutionizing utility-scale solar energy management with patented ML-powered software, transforming standalone solar generation into a flexible grid resource. Their Flexible Solar Management System (FSMS) addresses the critical issue of solar power intermittency, enabling precise real-time control and optimization of solar output. This allows grid operators to integrate high penetrations of solar without sacrificing reliability or economic performance.
LiquidCool Solutions – Liquid-Cooling for High-Performing IT Equipment (Minnesota)
LiquidCool Solutions, headquartered In Rochester, MN, develops liquid-immersion cooling systems for high-performance IT equipment. The company is focused on immersion-cooled server systems for data centers and other enterprises with IT deployments and the development of stand-alone computers for use in harsh environments.
Power to Hydrogen – Hydrogen Electrolysis (Ohio)
Power to Hydrogen (P2H2) is simplifying hydrogen with their hybrid liquid alkaline/AEM (anion exchange membrane) technology, reducing the electrolysis stack cost by approximately 65%, eliminating the expensive and supply chain-constrained metals needed like iridium, titanium, platinum, and gold while integrating directly with variable, renewable energy. This technology can reduce the total cost of hydrogen to enable clean transportation, store energy efficiently, and decarbonize industrial processes.
Sensatek – Wind Energy Monitoring and Analytics (Florida)
Sensatek improves the profitability of wind projects by monitoring the structural integrity of blades and towers. We provide predictive analytics that trend anomalous scenarios using video-based measurement and analysis (VIDEOMAGIC) that extracts pixel-level vibration frequency information from structures such as blades, towers, foundations, and rotating turbomachinery.
More information is available about the finalists and the program on our 2025 Finalists page.
