Networks
The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) is at the center of the innovation ecosystem.
From its unique position as a national lab-based entity with influential industry partners and motivated investors, the IEC has built expansive networks that help bring advanced innovation to market—where it can have real impact.
IEC manages technology incubation programs for Shell and Wells Fargo and partners with industry and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national labs. It also stewards a robust network of more than 150 investors, including the NREL Investor Advisory Board, and convenes a network of more than 60 leading incubators, accelerators, and universities that supports startups and refers them to apply for IEC programs.
Entrepreneurs
The Shell GameChanger AcceleratorTM Powered by NREL and the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator portfolios include more than 100 companies. Through the Canadian Technology Assistance Program, NREL has provided technical assistance to more than 20 Canadian startups. In addition, IEC convenes entrepreneurs from around the world at its annual Industry Growth Forum, which includes tracks related to various commercialization stages. By encouraging innovation relevant to multiple sectors, IEC broadens its societal and economic impact.
Incubators, Accelerators, and Universities
IEC relies on a nationwide network of Channel Partners to serve as a trusted pipeline into its programs. This select group of more than 60 accelerators, incubators, and university entrepreneurial programs plays a vital role in identifying and referring high-potential startups during program application windows. Channel Partners share IEC's mission to accelerate the market adoption of energy technologies and act as a bridge for innovation to and from NREL.
Alaska
Launch Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Arizona
University of Arizona Center for Innovation
Tucson, Arizona
California
Activate
Berkeley, California
California Institute of Technology Rocket Fund
Pasadena, California
Cleantech Group
San Francisco, California
Cleantech Open
Los Angeles, California
Cleantech San Diego
San Diego, California
Imagine H2O
San Francisco, California
Larta Institute
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Los Angeles, California
New Energy Nexus
San Francisco, California
Stanford University TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy
Stanford, California
Canada
MaRS Discovery District
Toronto, Canada
Colorado
Colorado Cleantech
Golden, Colorado
Colorado School of Mines Beck Venture Center
Golden, Colorado
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado
Innosphere Ventures
Fort Collins, Colorado
Venture Partners at University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Florida
HBCU Clean Energy Initiative
Miami, Florida
Georgia
Georgia Institute of Technology ScaleUp Lab
Atlanta, Georgia
Hawaii
Elemental Impact
Honolulu, Hawaii
Illinois
Evergreen Climate Innovations
Chicago, Illinois
mHUB
Chicago, Illinois
Louisiana
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Nexus Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Massachusetts
Alliance for Climate Transition
Boston, Massachusetts
Browning the Green Space
Boston, Massachusetts
FORGE
Somerville, Massachusetts
Greentown Labs
Somerville, Massachusetts
MassChallenge
Boston, Massachusetts
Michigan
Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University
Southfield, Michigan
Minnesota
Grid Catalyst
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Missouri
BioGenerator
St. Louis, Missouri
The Yield Lab Institute
St. Louis, Missouri
Nebraska
University of Nebraska Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute
Lincoln, Nebraska
New Mexico
New Mexico State University Arrowhead Center
Las Cruces, New Mexico
New York
Koffman Southern Tier Incubator
Binghamton, New York
New York University Urban Future Lab
New York, New York
NextCorps
Rochester, New York
SecondMuse
New York, New York
Syracuse University Syracuse Center of Excellence
Syracuse, New York
North Carolina
North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
University of North Carolina Institute for the Environment
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
North Dakota
Grand Farm (Emerging Prairie)
Fargo, North Dakota
Ohio
BRITE Energy Innovators
Warren, Ohio
Oklahoma
Rose Rock Bridge
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oregon
VertueLab
Portland, Oregon
Pennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Tennessee
AgLaunch
Memphis, Tennessee
Spark Innovation Center
Knoxville, TN
Texas
Energy Tech Nexus
Houston, Texas
Rice University Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
Houston, Texas
Texas A&M University Engineering Experiment Station, Clean Energy Incubator
College Station, Texas
Austin Technology Incubator, University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Virginia
Dominion Energy Innovation Center
Ashland, Virginia
Washington
University of Washington Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship
Seattle, Washington
Wisconsin
The Water Council
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Wyoming
Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine
Laramie, Wyoming
Alaska
Launch Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Arizona
University of Arizona Center for Innovation
Tucson, Arizona
California
Activate
Berkeley, California
California Institute of Technology Rocket Fund
Pasadena, California
Cleantech Group
San Francisco, California
Cleantech Open
Los Angeles, California
Cleantech San Diego
San Diego, California
Imagine H2O
San Francisco, California
Larta Institute
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Los Angeles, California
New Energy Nexus
San Francisco, California
Stanford University TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy
Stanford, California
Canada
MaRS Discovery District
Toronto, Canada
Colorado
Colorado Cleantech
Golden, Colorado
Colorado School of Mines Beck Venture Center
Golden, Colorado
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado
Innosphere Ventures
Fort Collins, Colorado
Venture Partners at University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Florida
HBCU Clean Energy Initiative
Miami, Florida
Georgia
Georgia Institute of Technology ScaleUp Lab
Atlanta, Georgia
Hawaii
Elemental Impact
Honolulu, Hawaii
Illinois
Evergreen Climate Innovations
Chicago, Illinois
mHUB
Chicago, Illinois
Louisiana
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Nexus Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Massachusetts
Alliance for Climate Transition
Boston, Massachusetts
Browning the Green Space
Boston, Massachusetts
FORGE
Somerville, Massachusetts
Greentown Labs
Somerville, Massachusetts
MassChallenge
Boston, Massachusetts
Michigan
Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University
Southfield, Michigan
Minnesota
Grid Catalyst
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Missouri
BioGenerator
St. Louis, Missouri
The Yield Lab Institute
St. Louis, Missouri
Nebraska
University of Nebraska Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute
Lincoln, Nebraska
New Mexico
New Mexico State University Arrowhead Center
Las Cruces, New Mexico
New York
Koffman Southern Tier Incubator
Binghamton, New York
New York University Urban Future Lab
New York, New York
NextCorps
Rochester, New York
SecondMuse
New York, New York
Syracuse University Syracuse Center of Excellence
Syracuse, New York
North Carolina
North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
University of North Carolina Institute for the Environment
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
North Dakota
Grand Farm (Emerging Prairie)
Fargo, North Dakota
Ohio
BRITE Energy Innovators
Warren, Ohio
Oklahoma
Rose Rock Bridge
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oregon
VertueLab
Portland, Oregon
Pennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Tennessee
AgLaunch
Memphis, Tennessee
Spark Innovation Center
Knoxville, Tennessee
Texas
Energy Tech Nexus
Houston, Texas
Rice University Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
Houston, Texas
Texas A&M University Engineering Experiment Station, Clean Energy Incubator
College Station, Texas
Austin Technology Incubator, University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Virginia
Dominion Energy Innovation Center
Ashland, Virginia
Washington
University of Washington Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship
Seattle, Washington
Wisconsin
The Water Council
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Wyoming
Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine
Laramie, Wyoming
Investors
More than 150 investment firms and investors participate in IEC programs and events. Among them is NREL's Investor Advisory Board, a group of more than 40 leading investment firms that collaborate with NREL and each other to support technology solutions with real-world impact.
Industry
IEC works with industry to develop customized, scalable solutions to global challenges. Through programs, demonstration projects, and events, IEC supports more than 100 industry partners in achieving business goals that align with market demand.
Among IEC's partners are:
Shell GameChanger™ Powered by NREL—Provides early-stage energy startups with funding, technical expertise, lab access, and industry insight to de-risk and validate emerging technologies with the potential to impact the future energy system
The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator—Supports startups with funding and technical assistance through national lab and research partnerships, helping technologies in the built environment and infrastructure sectors mature and scale for market entry.
Other Network Partners
Communities
IEC provides opportunities for communities to engage with its network of entrepreneurs and investors, the national lab system, and DOE.
Based at IEC, the Colorado Center for Renewable Energy Economic Development (CREED®) is a community of Colorado organizations committed to economic development and entrepreneurship. CREED stakeholders include government agencies, universities, industry associations, incubators, venture capital investors, and small businesses. Contact us to learn about applying for CREED office space or accessing IEC's business development services for technology-focused companies and organizations.
National Labs
IEC collaborates with the entire DOE national laboratory system through the Channel Partners Network and manages the DOE Office of Technology Commercialization's Energy I-Corps program, which trains research teams to evaluate the commercial potential of their breakthrough technologies.
NREL
NREL provides cutting-edge research capabilities and technical expertise to inform innovation. IEC connects lab resources, markets, and innovators to further NREL's mission of advancing research, innovation, and strategic partnerships that deliver integrated solutions for an affordable and secure energy future.
U.S. Department of Energy
IEC works with DOE to foster innovation and enhance economic competitiveness. Its programs and events are run through NREL, a DOE national laboratory that actively supports IEC's mission. IEC also manages Energy I-Corps, a DOE Office of Technology Commercialization program that trains national lab researchers in business practices and strategies. Additionally, IEC oversees West Gate, which provides innovators with funding, entrepreneurial training, and technical support to accelerate their technologies to market.
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Last Updated Aug. 4, 2025