Australia and New Zealand’s largest climate change tech startup accelerator EnergyLab has partnered with US-based clean energy accelerator New Energy Nexus (NEX).
The partnership will connect Australian startups to customers, capital, and resources in overseas markets that are critical for climate action, such as the US, Southeast Asia, and India.
It will also provide a pathway for overseas innovators to enter Australia, increasing the synergy of ideas and bringing more talent as Australia’s clean energy transition accelerates.
“We are so excited to announce our partnership with New Energy Nexus,” said EnergyLab’s CEO Megan Fisher.
This collaboration will help us to create a systematic approach to supporting Australian entrepreneurs who want to explore and ultimately expand their startups internationally.
We are also beyond proud to share with the global community the amazing startups that have played a role in building one of the most highly penetrated residential solar markets in the world.
New Energy Nexus’ CEO Danny Kennedy acknowledged the creativity and experience of Australian entrepreneurs who can help other regions accelerate the mass adoption of clean distributed energy.
“We can’t wait to watch the magic happen as all these entrepreneurs are set loose on the US, Southeast Asian and Indian markets.”
Pilot with Infravision
Australia is the third biggest exporter of fossil fuels, but is also a clean energy innovation hub and a critical node in the global energy transition. It has the highest penetration of rooftop solar in “developed world” cities, has pioneering big batteries and renewable energy zones; a digitised electricity network, and a competitive electricity market.
The products and services coming up in the Australian market will also have a wide range of applications overseas, from the refurbishment of America’s energy infrastructure, to energy end-use in emerging economies.
Over the last 12 months, EnergyLab and NEX have piloted the concept with Infravision, a startup that helps electric utilities accelerate power grid modernisation with drone enabled power line upgrades.
Infravision had their eyes on the US market and were introduced to NEX while completing an EnergyLab startup program in 2021. NEX has since facilitated connections for Infravision to major investors and partners to support their entry into the North American transmission and distribution upgrade market.
“We have benefited greatly from New Energy Nexus’ support, landing on an approved vendor list for a major North American utility and securing financial backing to help us enter the international market all based on our track record of success in Australia,” said Co-Founder and Director of Infravision Chris Cox.
