We support diverse entrepreneurs to drive innovation and build equity into the California’s growing clean technology economy.
Our CalSEED and CalTestBed initiatives are a part of a robust energy innovation pipeline created by the California Energy Commission through the EPIC program. These programs provide essential funds, support, network, and guidance to take early-stage entrepreneurs concepts to market.
The CalSEED Initiative started in 2016, growing out of a partnership with the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the establishment of the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program. Through EPIC funds, the CEC has developed an innovation pipeline of innovation clusters and funding to bring breakthrough technologies from lab to the market. CalSEED is the first energy innovation ecosystem in the pipeline, providing small grant funds of US$150,000 and US$450,000 to early-stage entrepreneurs and researchers looking to advance their concept or prototype.
The California Testbed Initiative (CalTestBed) is a program that provides $8.8 million in testing vouchers for California clean energy entrepreneurs for third-party testing of their technologies at one of more than 60 testbeds across nine University of California campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. CalTestBed will be accepting applications for their 3rd cohort soon.
