Written by Brenda Valerio, Country Manager at New Energy Nexus Philippines

Workers under the solar installation company Sunstruck Solar Solutions, Inc., based in the southern Philippines.

I live in Metro Manila, home to about 15 million people. The war in Western Asia thousands of miles away has rippled through this city’s residents and beyond, impacting everyone in deeply felt ways, from higher gas prices to higher grocery prices. In just the last few weeks, the Luzon grid has been placed under multiple red alerts on power supply, leading to rotational blackouts throughout Metro Manila and beyond, even as people see massive increases in their electricity bills.

The Philippines imports nearly all its oil, and Filipinos’ electricity bills were the third-highest in Southeast Asia last year. Every spike in global fuel prices quickly flows through to households and businesses.

This time, people are seeing with their own eyes just how volatile oil and gas are.

It was just weeks after the start of the war that my team and I began hearing about rising inquiries from installers we support through our program, New Energy Skills, about rooftop solar. Unlike the 2022 energy crisis, the economics are on our side: solar panels are cheaper, and people are more aware than ever before. Has something clicked? Just how big is this demand?

That’s why we conducted a rapid survey to find out what was happening on the ground.

The findings shocked us.

According to our sample, rooftop solar installers across the country surged by an average of 582% since the fuel crisis began.

“People are in panic mode”

Across the 20 solar companies surveyed in April 2026, total weekly inquiries jumped from 114 before the crisis to 456.

Some installers saw extraordinary spikes. Metrogreen in Bulacan and Pampanga reported inquiries rising from two per week to 80. 10K GDC in Bohol jumped from two inquiries per week to 30. EcoSolutions, operating across Metro Manila and nearby provinces, said calls increased from roughly one per hour to four per hour.

The surge spans all three major island groups, showing that interest in solar is no longer concentrated in a few urban centers or early adopters.

As one installer, TOP1 Solar, put it:

“People are in panic mode. Making them come to us installers instead of us coming to them.”

This moment reveals something important about the Philippine energy transition: affordability and energy security are now becoming direct drivers of clean energy adoption.

As someone who’s worked in the clean energy space for almost seven years, this is the first time I’m seeing clean energy moving out of the climate issue ‘box’. For years, rooftop solar was often framed as an environmental choice, often by a few eager early adopters. Today, it is increasingly being treated as a practical response to financial pressure.

The market cannot keep up with the demand shock

While inquiries pile up, actual installations increased by only 170%. Installers say they are struggling to secure the equipment, workforce, and logistics needed to fulfill confirmed orders. Several companies reported having projects lined up that they simply cannot deliver.

SPARC Solar in Albay reported zero completed installations, despite inquiries rising by 150%, due to supply shortages. 10K GDC said it has 22 confirmed installation projects currently waiting in the queue.

We surfaced five major bottlenecks from these surveys:

• Supply shortages and long lead times
• Rapid price volatility for components
• Shortages of skilled installation workers
• Rising logistics and transportation costs
• An influx of inexperienced market entrants is undermining consumer trust

The constraint isn’t demand; it’s everything on the supply and execution side. The fuel crisis created a demand shock that the supply chain wasn’t positioned to absorb.

Small installers are becoming frontline energy actors

Many of the companies responding to the survey are small and medium-sized installers operating independently across provinces and secondary cities. These ventures are increasingly becoming the bridge between households seeking energy relief and the technologies capable of delivering it.

However, demand is growing faster than the workforce pipeline. Solar installation requires hands-on technical experience and supervised field work. Training a lead electrician or experienced installer cannot happen overnight.

That is where our New Energy Skills program is playing a critical role in the Philippines.

Through training partnerships, installer upskilling programs, and support for local solar entrepreneurs, the initiative is helping grow the skilled workforce needed to expand rooftop solar adoption nationwide. In fact, many of the installers surveyed are alumni or partners within the New Energy Nexus training network.

The goal of the training is to strengthen the quality, reliability, and long-term sustainability of the sector as demand accelerates. This matters because installation quality is quickly becoming a consumer protection issue: Without stronger standards, the current boom risks eroding public trust in solar at precisely the moment adoption is accelerating.

The energy crisis is accelerating a deeper market shift

The survey suggests the Philippines may be approaching a turning point in how energy consumers think about power generation.

Historically, the country’s energy system has been highly centralized and heavily exposed to imported fossil fuels. But the current crisis is pushing more households and businesses toward distributed energy solutions they can directly control.

This shift has broader implications for the country’s energy future. In a report developed with People of Asia for Climate Solutions (PACS), we highlighted how stronger regional collaboration could help the Philippines accelerate renewable energy deployment, lower technology costs, and strengthen supply chains.

But scaling solar sustainably will require more than access to imported technology alone.

What needs to happen

The current surge in demand shows that Filipinos are ready to adopt clean energy. The question now is whether policy, financing, and market systems can keep pace.

Installers across the country consistently identified the same priorities: expanding access to financing for households and small businesses, streamlining net metering and permitting processes, stabilizing supply chains, strengthening installation standards, and rapidly growing the skilled workforce needed to meet demand.

Addressing those gaps will require coordinated action across government, industry, and the clean energy ecosystem.

This is where we, at NEX Philippines, are focusing our work. Through programs that support solar entrepreneurs, installer networks, local associations, and clean energy workforce development, our Philippine team is helping strengthen the systems needed to rapidly and sustainably scale rooftop solar adoption nationwide.

Learn more about NEX Philippines here.

For countries already struggling with high electricity costs, unreliable grids, and dependence on imported fossil fuels, the oil and gas crisis is deepening existing vulnerabilities. The United Nations recently downgraded global growth forecasts amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, warning that rising fuel and food prices could push an additional 45 million people into acute food insecurity.

But alongside the crisis, another trend is accelerating just as quickly.

Across markets in the Global South, households and businesses are increasingly turning to more reliable, local energy: rooftop solar, battery storage, and decentralized energy systems. And it’s not because of ideology but because, economically, it makes the most sense.

At New Energy Nexus (NEX), we’re seeing entrepreneurs respond in real time: building businesses that help communities lower costs, stabilizing energy access, and gaining greater control over their energy future.

Our recent webinar, Clean Energy SMEs (small and medium enterprises) vs. the Energy Crisis, focuses on the successes, challenges, and impacts of this shift, drawing on insights from ecosystem leaders in our network.

Photo from a New Energy Skills in-person solar installation training in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Pakistan: A citizen-led solar revolution

Pakistan may be one of the clearest examples of how an economic crisis can rapidly accelerate clean energy adoption.

Fossil fuels accounted for 79% of Pakistan’s primary energy supply in FY 2024, with over 40% of that fossil fuel demand met through imports. When global fuel prices surged after 2022, electricity tariffs rose by 155% between 2021 and 2024, while fossil fuel imports consumed 10.6% of the GDP in FY24.

That’s when citizens took matters into their own hands.

“Pakistan is often described as ground zero for the citizen solar revolution… it was a genuine market response to an ongoing crisis,” said Aamna Khaqan, NEX’s Accelerator Manager in Pakistan. “[The country] was essentially cornered into the solar revolution. It then actively chose it.”

According to a Renewables First report, distributed solar generation grew from nearly zero in FY17 to the equivalent of 46% of grid sales by FY25. By 2026, Pakistan had cumulatively imported more than 50 GW of solar PV, helping avoid an estimated US$12 billion in oil and gas imports and contributing to a 40% drop in fossil fuel imports between 2022 and 2024.

The transition, however, has also exposed major financing and equity gaps. With limited access to loans and formal financing products, many lower-income households remain locked out of the transition despite rising demand.

As a result, more than 7.3 million households have adopted solar since 2023, yet that still represents less than one-fifth of Pakistani households.

“[The consumers] absorb the technology risk, and they also have to navigate policy shifts,” Khaqan said. “So the risk does need to be redistributed… [through] blended finance structures, first loss guarantees, or different ways that the capital can be accessed.”

To help close these gaps, New Energy Nexus is working with Renewables First to strengthen Pakistan’s clean energy ecosystem through CLIP (Climate Innovation Pakistan) and New Energy Skills. CLIP supports climate startups in validating their products, testing solutions with real customers, and refining their go-to-market strategies, while also connecting them with mentors, pilots, and investors. Meanwhile, New Energy Skills complements this by expanding access to practical, job-ready training for installers and technicians, building the workforce needed to deliver solar deployment at scale.

Photo from a New Energy Skills solar training session in the Philippines.

The Philippines: Energy resilience across islands

In the Philippines, the energy crisis is amplified by geography. As an archipelago with fragmented island grids, disruptions in fuel prices and electricity supply ripple quickly across communities.

Rising electricity costs and concerns over energy security are now accelerating demand for distributed solar systems nationwide.

“People are not shifting to solar because it’s trendy,” said Brenda Valerio, NEX Philippines Country Director. “They’re shifting because they want lower electricity costs, more predictable expenses, and greater control over their energy supply.”

In a recent NEX Philippines survey, 28 solar installers reported an average 582% increase in customer inquiries compared to pre-crisis levels. But they are also facing significant bottlenecks as they struggle to meet this surge in demand. Installers noted widespread supply chain disruptions, delayed deliveries, workforce shortages, and increased market pressure from inexperienced new entrants.

The country’s decentralized geography compounds those challenges. Smaller solar companies operating outside major urban centers often struggle to access inventory, skilled labor, and financing as larger suppliers absorb the limited supply.

But as Valerio notes, the opportunity window exists. The question now is whether the country can build the workforce, the financing systems, and the local ecosystems before that window closes.

“If we actually do this right, the Philippines will not only be responding to the energy crisis that we are experiencing right now. We can actually use it as a catalyst to build a more resilient, inclusive, and decentralized energy future,” Valerio said.

With that in mind, NEX Philippines has supported the formation of regional and subregional solar trade associations, helping smaller installers coordinate workforce development, procurement, and policy engagement at the local level. It also has its own New Energy Skills program, training these installers to build quality, scalable solar careers and businesses.

Solar installation at Maw Poe Kay High School. Photo from SunSawang

Thailand: A solar workforce stepping up to rising demand

Thailand’s clean energy transition is being shaped by rising LNG price volatility, government incentives, and growing demand for rooftop solar from both households and businesses.

In response to energy price pressures, the Thai government introduced tax exemptions for rooftop solar, expanded feed-in tariff quotas, and launched soft-loan programs to support solar adoption. The result has been a rapid nationwide increase in demand.

“They created a boom in demand for rooftop solar nationwide,” said Kotchakorn (Build) Khwamchareon, Head of Programs at NEX Thailand.

But as installations rise, so do concerns around quality and workforce capacity. A NEX Thailand survey in April for an upcoming solar installation training program in Phuket drew three to four times the inquiries it would have received before the energy crisis.

“The market really sees the demand,” Khwamchareon said. “We really need more people joining the entrepreneur setting for the solar workforce.”

To help address that gap, NEX Thailand has already trained 250 solar entrepreneurs through its SolarStep program, combining technical and business training. The organization is now partnering with Thailand’s Ministry of Labor to launch a train-the-trainer initiative to rapidly expand the country’s qualified solar workforce.

Solar installation in Nigeria.

Nigeria: SMEs taking control of energy generation

In Nigeria, clean energy is increasingly becoming a business survival strategy. The country faces one of the world’s largest energy access gaps, with 90 million people lacking access to electricity and many businesses relying on expensive self-generation to operate.

Meanwhile, Nigerian SMEs spend a significant share of their operating costs on diesel for generators, while commercial areas regularly experience daily outages of 12–18 hours.

“We’re not competing with the grid,” said Ifeoma Malo, CEO and Co-founder of Clean Technology Hub, NEX’s partner in Nigeria. “We’re actually competing with diesel generators.”

As electricity costs rise, businesses are increasingly turning to solar and decentralized clean energy systems to stabilize operations and reduce fuel expenses.

“SMEs are not waiting for the grid. They are building around it,” Malo said. “People now realize… they have absolute control over how they generate [energy].”

Through PREPARED (Programme for Renewable Energy Preparedness, Acceleration & Readiness for Entrepreneurs and Distributors), NEX and Clean Technology Hub are supporting Nigerian clean energy entrepreneurs with financing readiness, market access, technical assistance, and investor connections.

The program has already engaged with 47 clean energy startups and helped power over 9,400 households. By 2028, the initiative aims to reach an estimated 50,000 households with clean power.

Building the ecosystems behind the transition

In these four countries, entrepreneurs are approaching the transition in different ways. But the requisites for scaling their solutions are similar: financing systems, workforce development, policy coordination, supply chains, and local ecosystem support that enable clean energy businesses to grow sustainably.

That is the work New Energy Nexus is focused on globally. NEX is helping build ecosystems in 13 countries worldwide, enabling entrepreneurs to scale solutions at a national and even global scale.

“We have wonderful SMEs and entrepreneurs on the ground that are moving faster than the incumbents.” NEX CEO Andrew Chang said during the webinar. “They’re more agile, they can get to work faster. They can really have an immediate impact in the communities that they’re operating in.”

Whether you’re an entrepreneur ready to scale your solutions or a funder wanting to get more involved in the transition, learn more about our programs here.

You can also listen to the full webinar recording below.

A young IT engineer inspects data center servers. Stock photo

Written by Wenxuan (Shane) Sun, Business Development & Program Director at New Energy Nexus China

As artificial intelligence (AI) tech progresses, data centers and intelligent computing facilities are becoming a new class of energy-intensive infrastructure. Globally, data centers consumed around 415 TWh of electricity in 2024, about 1.5% of global electricity demand, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that this could roughly double by 2030. The United States and China are expected to account for the majority of this growth.

This creates a critical question for the clean energy transition: will AI-driven computing become another source of grid stress, or can it become part of the solution?

For NEX China, this is the starting point of our work on computing-power coordination, or suan-dian xietong (算电协同) in Chinese, the coordination between computing demand and power system operation.

As we begin a new project to explore the challenges and opportunities in this space, we wanted to cover the basics and what it means for entrepreneurs.

What is computing-power coordination?

Computing-power coordination refers to the practice of aligning computing workloads with the availability, location, timing, and constraints of electricity supply.

In simple terms, not all computing tasks need to happen in the same place or at the same moment. Some workloads are highly time-sensitive, such as real-time financial transactions, autonomous driving, or emergency response systems. But others, including AI model training, batch data processing, rendering, simulation, and certain industrial AI tasks, may have more flexibility. They can potentially be shifted in time, shifted across locations, or adjusted according to grid conditions.

This matters because electricity systems are increasingly shaped by two simultaneous trends. On the supply side, more solar and wind power are entering the grid, but their output is variable. On the demand side, data centers and AI computing loads are growing rapidly, often becoming large, concentrated electricity consumers. This raises a question: when can computing loads function as flexible resources for the grid, rather than only as fixed demand?

The answer is not automatic. Computing loads are not inherently flexible. They only become useful to the power system when the right technical, commercial, and institutional conditions are in place. These include dispatch authority, service-level agreements, measurement methods, settlement rules, and clear responsibility among grid operators, data center operators, computing platforms, and energy users.

Why does this matter for the energy industry?

The energy sector is entering a new phase in which flexibility is as important as capacity.

Historically, power systems were designed around predictable demand and controllable generation. Today, the system must integrate variable renewable energy, electrified transport, distributed solar, batteries, industrial electrification, and now fast-growing digital infrastructure. AI data centers add a new layer of complexity: according to the IEA, AI-focused data center electricity consumption grew by 50% in 2025, while total data center electricity demand grew by 17%.

The challenge is not only the total amount of electricity consumed. It is also where, when, and how that demand appears. Data centers are large, concentrated, and often developed faster than energy infrastructure can be planned and built. The IEA notes that this mismatch between fast-moving data center development and slower-moving energy investment can create risks for grid planning, electricity prices, and system reliability.

Computing-power coordination offers a different lens. Instead of asking only how to supply more electricity to data centers, it asks whether some computing demand can be shaped to support the grid. A few examples:

• A data center could increase computing activity when local solar output is high and reduce or shift non-urgent workloads when the distribution grid is constrained.
• AI training tasks could be scheduled in regions and time windows with abundant renewable energy.
• Computing platforms could offer differentiated service levels, where users pay less for flexible computing tasks that can be delayed or relocated.
• Data centers with batteries, advanced energy management systems, and workload orchestration could participate in demand response or other flexibility markets.

This does not mean turning data centers into power plants; it means recognizing that digital infrastructure and energy infrastructure are becoming interdependent. The next generation of clean energy innovation will not only be about producing greener electrons, but also about designing smarter demand.

Why China?

China is one of the most important places to explore this question because it sits at the intersection of three global trends: rapid growth in AI infrastructure, massive deployment of renewable energy, and real-world grid integration challenges.

China’s total computing power scale already ranks second globally, and by the end of 2023, the country had more than 8.1 million data center racks in use. China’s government has also set clear green data center targets, including lowering the average data center PUE to below 1.5 by 2025 and increasing data center renewable energy utilization by 10% annually.

But China is not only building large data center clusters. It is also facing a very practical distributed energy challenge. County-scale rooftop solar programs and distributed renewables have expanded rapidly in many regions, creating new stress on local distribution grids. In these contexts, renewable generation is often location-bound, while computing loads remain largely inflexible.

This makes China a valuable “stress test” environment. Lessons from China can not be copied directly to Europe, Southeast Asia, or other markets, but they can help answer questions that many systems will soon face: How should grids coordinate with new digital loads? What kinds of computing demand are truly flexible? How should flexibility be measured and rewarded? Where do technical possibilities break down because institutions, contracts, or market rules are not ready?

What can entrepreneurs do?

Entrepreneurs play an important role because computing power coordination is not a single technology. It is an emerging system innovation field that requires new tools, platforms, services, and business models.

Entrepreneurs can develop workload orchestration tools that classify computing tasks by urgency, location sensitivity, carbon intensity, and grid impact. They can build energy-aware AI infrastructure. This may include software that links AI training schedules with renewable energy availability, electricity prices, grid congestion signals, or carbon intensity data. They can also develop measurement and verification systems. Without credible measurement, it is impossible to prove that computing loads have provided real grid value. In addition, there is space for new commercial models: flexible computing contracts, green computing products, demand response aggregation for data centers, carbon-aware cloud services, and location-aware computing marketplaces.

NEX China’s approach is therefore deliberately hypothesis-driven and simulation-based, focusing on decision-useful learning before large-scale deployment. Follow us to stay updated on our findings here.

Wenxuan (Shane) Sun has extensive experience in China’s wind and renewable energy markets, both within the industry and through market consulting.

Mama Eveline Lakot, member of the Binen Farmers Group in Amuru District, Northern Uganda.

Farmers feed Uganda, but the balance is shifting fast. Crop production has grown only about 2% annually, while population growth has outpaced it at 3.3%, widening the gap in food security. At the same time, nearly 90% of farmers still depend on manual labor to work their land.

For farming communities in Northern Uganda, these national pressures are felt daily through failed harvests and unstable incomes. Prolonged dry spells repeatedly destroyed vegetable crops, disrupting household earnings and making it difficult for families to consistently pay school fees or meet basic needs.

For Chairperson Apio Josephine and her 80-member Atek Ki Lwak Farmers Group, the constraint was not effort or land, but the sun and water, the very elements meant to sustain their crops.

“When we plant in February or March, by April, when our vegetables have grown properly, the sun comes and destroys them,” Josephine said. “In the time of harvest, we get only half of what we were supposed to get.”

Their fortunes began to shift when the group joined New Energy Nexus Uganda’s Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) program.

Apio Josephine, Atek Ki Lwak Farmers Group chairperson, waters her cabbage farm using solar-powered pumps.

Working with farmers to find solutions

The PURE program helps agricultural cooperatives access solar-powered irrigation equipment through affordable financing. Alongside the equipment, farmers receive training in agronomy, business management, and cooperative savings models.

“A farmer does not earn income monthly, and that is why a different repayment model must be created for them to facilitate fair repayments,” said Joy Musiimenta, Project Officer at New Energy Nexus Uganda, in an interview with The Independent Uganda.

“With our model, a farmer can have time to produce, sell, and then repay the loan in quarterly installments.”

Joy Musiimenta, Project Officer at New Energy Nexus Uganda, greets members of the Atek Ki Lwak Farmers Group.

Together, this integrated approach helps farmers shift from reacting to the weather to planning production cycles, managing cash flow, and building resilience against climate variability.

Most participating groups also operate under the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) model, in which members pool savings, access internal credit, and reduce dependence on external lenders. This strengthens financial resilience at the community level.

Since joining the program last year, Josephine and the Atek Ki Lwak Farmers Group now cultivate three acres of vegetables and expect to earn over UGX 3 million (US$807). With stronger relationships among members and improved yields, they are preparing to expand to seven acres next season.

“Unlike those days when the sun used to disturb us, now when the sun comes, we have our solar water pump… and we irrigate sufficiently for our crops,” Josephine said of their new equipment.

The impact is not limited to one group. In Lakang Village in Amuru District, about 100 kilometers from Nwoya, the Binen Farmers Group is experiencing similar shifts in how they farm and what they can produce.

Mama Eveline Lakot, member of the Binen Farmers Group, holds tomatoes she grew in her farm with the help of solar-powered irrigation.

The results

The Binen Farmers Group faced the same challenge on a larger scale. With 102 members, farming was once limited to small plots because water had to be carried manually, and dry seasons routinely destroyed crops.

“We used to fetch water from wells and carry it on our heads… we could only plant in a very small place,” said Mama Eveline Lakot, Member, Binen Farmers Group

The PURE program’s combination of energy access and financial coordination has shifted how farmers operate. Members now save together, borrow from group funds, and reinvest in tools and inputs that expand production.

Some, like Nyeko Micheal, have expanded their planting capacity.

“I used to plant a quarter- or a half-acre. But when I received this solar water pump… I now plant one or 2 acres,” Micheal said.

Others, like Achaa Magarete Oum, have used group savings to acquire individual pumps and scale their own farms independently.

“Now my capacity to grow has increased… I have planted 3 acres of eggplant, cabbage, and tomatoes,” said Oum

What was once largely subsistence farming is increasingly becoming coordinated, income-generating production for Oum, Micheal, and the wider group.

Nyeko Micheal, member of the Binen Farmer Groups, inspects a solar panel used to power their water pumps.

From survival to resilience

With year-round irrigation, farmers are no longer limited by seasons.

And when their production increases, their families experience immediate, positive changes. School fees are more consistently paid. Food security is improving. Families are investing in better housing and planning for the future, not merely worrying about the next harvest.

The PURE program shows what becomes possible when clean energy is designed for real economic use. By equipping farmer groups with solar irrigation systems, training, and financing pathways, New Energy Nexus Uganda is helping turn climate vulnerability into agricultural resilience.

Whether you’re in a farmers’ group looking for support in Uganda or an investor interested in backing this program, learn more about it here.

Australia imports roughly 90 percent of its liquid fuels. Every global shock—a war, an OPEC decision, a freight disruption—lands directly on businesses, families, and supply chains with almost no buffer. When diesel prices surge, freight operators park their trucks. When supply chains buckle, the cost flows through to everything.

The clean energy transition is the long-term answer to that vulnerability. But it only works if we get the full picture right—and right now, we’re missing a critical piece: batteries. Who makes them, what goes into them, and whether any of that happens domestically.

That question is at the heart of the Supercharge Australia Incubator, a joint initiative of New Energy Nexus and EnergyLab, and the nine startups joining its second cohort.

These companies are tackling the full lithium battery value chain—the materials that go in, the chemistry that makes them safer and longer-lasting, the systems that track health across an entire lifecycle, the infrastructure that lets EVs feed power back into the grid, and the manufacturing capability that keeps more of this value onshore. They come from New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia. They span deep materials science and accessible consumer hardware. What they share is a conviction that Australia has the talent, the resources, and the urgency to lead.

The second Supercharge Australia Incubator cohort during the program’s kickoff call.

Over 12 weeks, each startup in the incubator receives hands-on mentorship, strategic guidance, and introductions to the partners and investors who can help them scale. The program is designed to move early-stage founders past the prototype phase and toward commercial traction.

That support matters more than ever right now. Ben Hutt, Managing Director and CEO of Janus Electric—an EnergyLab alumnus and a supporter of the second Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge—offers a clear view of how the landscape has shifted.

“The early frenzy of activity in climate tech has ended. This has led to a scarcity of venture capital— the spray and pray is over—and made it harder for early-stage companies to raise money and scale to a point where they have a relevant place in the market.”

The startups that will break through are those that can demonstrate real-world traction, not just promising technology. That’s precisely the gap programs like this one are designed to close.

Cosmos Infinity (NSW) is working at one of the hardest frontiers in battery chemistry. Founded by Paul Chien, the company is developing next-generation solid-state LFP batteries engineered for significantly enhanced safety, longer cycle life, and cost-effective energy storage applications.

DELECTRO (NSW) is making the case that decarbonization doesn’t have to mean compromise. Founder Kartikeya Acharya designs low-carbon products with genuine aesthetic appeal—including the DELOCA micro-kitchenette—proving that the shift to clean energy is something people can actually want to live with.

DYNOVY (NSW) is tackling a problem that grows more urgent with every battery: how do you know its condition, and whether it’s safe to reuse? Mark Behi’s platform technology delivers fast, reliable battery health assessments across an entire lifecycle—from production through to second life and recycling.

HASAKI Research & Technology Centre (VIC) is addressing one of the less visible but most consequential challenges in electric vehicles. Founders Andrew Royale and Keiko Araki are developing a new thermal management secondary system for EVs—targeting the heat management failures that quietly erode battery performance and longevity.

IonMatrix Energy (NSW) is advancing the materials that go into next-generation batteries. Founder Hao Tian is developing battery materials and technologies engineered for safe, high-performance energy storage—with a clear path from laboratory discovery to commercial deployment.

Photo from RENOZ Energy

Ixium Technologies (NSW) is going upstream. Co-founders Jonathan Goodman and Richard Ellison have built modular lithium purification systems that produce battery-grade lithium carbonate at half the cost and a third of the emissions of conventional refining. Given that lithium carbonate sits at the heart of battery supply chains, breakthroughs in its production can unlock lower costs and faster scale across the entire energy transition.

Mercier Designs (NSW) is solving a practical problem for everyday EV users. Founder Tony Mercier has developed a deployable, exchangeable battery swap system—giving flexible energy access to people and fleets who cannot afford downtime and cannot wait for charging.

RENOZ Energy (WA) is closing the gap between the residential and utility energy storage space. Founded by Simon Chan in Perth, RENOZ is developing bespoke batteries en masse across the commercial, agricultural, regional, and resources sectors.

V3G (SA) wants vehicle-to-grid technology to be affordable for everyone, not just early adopters. Founders Mark Purcell and Ewan Parsons have developed V3G Bi-directional Pedestals designed to make V2G accessible at scale—turning every parked EV into a potential grid asset.

Australia is at an inflection point: demand for batteries is rising, global supply chains remain uncertain, and the policy environment is beginning to catch up.

The gap between here and where we need to be is also, increasingly, a policy choice.

“[California, the UK, Canada, and New Zealand]…have all clearly signposted that freight electrification and decarbonisation is the biggest priority between now and 2030—and they’re backing that with subsidies. California subsidises 80 percent of the cost of electrifying a truck.” Hutt said. “Janus is a beneficiary of that. Australia needs to take note of what’s happening overseas.”

The startups in this cohort aren’t waiting for that signal. They are building the technology and the value chain that makes it possible—so that when it comes, Australia is ready. Get in touch if you want to partner with us or find out more: kirk.macdonald@newenergynexus.com

Supercharge Australia is a joint initiative of New Energy Nexus and EnergyLab, accelerating Australia’s lithium battery value chain and catalysing sovereign capability—from critical minerals to manufacturing, deployment, second life, and recycling. To learn more about the Supercharge Australia Incubator, visit the EnergyLab website.