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More than 300 people in Melbourne including potential investors, partners and customers will today hear pitches for new energy technologies from ten energy startup companies participating in a global accelerator program.
The Demo Day at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground is the culmination of the Startupbootcamp EnergyAustralia Accelerator program, launched in 2017. An Australian first, the event will showcase energy-focussed startups from Lithuania, India, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Korea, the United States, Poland and Australia.
“Our startups have just had a year-and-a-half of business development condensed into three intense months,” said Andrew Perry, EnergyAustralia Executive - NextGen. “They’ve tested their ideas and done trials. They’ve refined their products, their business models and their pitches.
“Now, it’s exciting to think that the next great idea, the next great advance in energy, might be unveiled right here,” he said.
While this is the first global Accelerator Demo Day held in Melbourne, it will not be the last, Mr Perry said.
“The city has embraced the program, developing a smart energy community to support the startup businesses with mentoring, coaching and investment,” Mr Perry said. “It’s helped establish Melbourne as a hub for energy innovation.”
Mr Perry said the broad challenge faced by Australia was developing a modern energy system that delivers reliable, affordable and cleaner power. EnergyAustralia has committed to further trials with at least three startups aimed at finding solutions to the “trilemma”:
- 1Ansah uses natural language processing and machine learning to intelligently maintain complex equipment, helping engineers and maintenance staff in power plants better identify and fix faults to maximise output and minimise downtime. The technology will be put on trial at the Mt Piper power station in New South Wales.
- WePower is a blockchain-based green energy trading business. Its platform allows producers of renewable energy to raise capital by issuing their own smart energy contracts and then selling them to energy buyers and investors. It means individual energy buyers and investors can participate in the benefits of financing new renewable energy projects.
- Sirius is a platform which presents household energy data in a meaningful way and provides consumers with real-time information to change usage behaviour. The business will concentrate on improving digital engagement and demand response programs for residential energy customers.
EnergyAustralia has committed to be the major partner for the Accelerator program for three consecutive years. Other partners include Spotless Group, LaunchVic, DiUS, Amazon Web Services, Cisco and KHQ Lawyers.
For more information visit https://www.startupbootcamp.org/partners/energyaustralia/