NEW ORLEANS – Shell and The Idea Village have teamed up to launch an energy focused incubator and accelerator program to support startups and innovators with the potential to impact the future of energy, noted a press release.
The program will kick-off in December with an Energy Innovator Bootcamp that puts entrepreneurs and innovators through an intensive customer development and business model validation process, to test the commercial potential in the marketplace. From there, The Idea Village will select teams for graduation to a 16-week accelerator program, designed to help them turn the technical innovation into a scalable business, based on their demonstrated traction and market potential.
The accelerator program launches in January 2019 and culminates in April 2019, and will provide structure, education, and connections that help founders take their companies to the next level by ensuring they are focused on honing their innovation, validating their business model, building a market-ready product, and continuing to develop customer traction. Participants in the program will benefit from the opportunity to co-develop the technology with the input of Shell experts.
In April, a specified number of companies will be invited to the Shell GameChangerTM program, and those ventures will be eligible to receive up to $400,000 over two years to move their technology from proof of concept, to a commercial product option.
“Shell has been innovating for more than a century to produce more and cleaner energy,” said Lene Hviid, global manager for Shell GameChangerTM. “Building upon our ongoing work in the startup community, we are excited to be partnering with The Idea Village to provide energy entrepreneurs with structure, accountability, and support through its robust entrepreneurial network.”
“Our region has a long history with energy, and we are proud to continue to build upon that trend by supporting and encouraging new energy innovations,” said Jon Atkinson, CEO of The Idea Village. “By leveraging Shell’s extensive network and industry expertise, companies going through the program will be able to take their business to the next level and compete on a more national scale.”
The program will focus on two key energy needs: Underground Piping Inspection and Robotics Automation. Innovators who are interested in applying can do so via the open calls for solutions from Oct. 2 through Nov. 2.
