Networks
The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) is at the center of a cleantech ecosystem.
From IEC's unique position as a national lab-based entity with influential industry partners and motivated investors, the center has built a network that can bring cleantech innovation to market, where it will make real impact.
IEC manages technology incubation programs for Shell and Wells Fargo; partners with industry and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) labs and facilities; convenes a robust network of more than 150 cleantech investors, including the NREL Investor Advisory Board; and manages a network of more than 60 leading incubators, accelerators, and universities that refer and assist startup companies.
Entrepreneurs
The Shell GameChanger AcceleratorTM Powered by NREL and Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator portfolios include more than 70 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 to participate in its annual Industry Growth Forum, which includes an Emerging Markets track. By encouraging cleantech innovation by and for developing economies, IEC amplifies its social and economic impact.
Incubators, Accelerators, and Universities
More than 60 universities, accelerators, and incubators make up the IEC network of Channel Partners.
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, 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
Investors
More than 150 investment firms and individuals participate in IEC programs and events. Among them, NREL's Investor Advisory Board includes more than 40 influential investment firms that work with NREL and one another to support technology solutions that generate global impact.
Industry
IEC works with industry to create customized solutions to global problems. The center has developed programs, demonstration projects, and events that help industry partners meet their business and societal objectives. Among IEC's partners:
Shell GameChanger™ powered by NREL offers funding and expertise to startups that have an early-stage technology solution that tackles a challenge relevant to the energy industry.
The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator minimizes the energy impact of commercial buildings, affordable residential housing, and agriculture sectors.
Other Network Partners
Communities
IEC provides opportunities for communities to engage with the national lab system, DOE, and its network of entrepreneurs and investors.
The Colorado Center for Renewable Energy Economic Development (CREED®) is based in IEC and is a community of Colorado cleantech organizations committed to economic development and entrepreneurship. CREED stakeholders include government partners, universities, industry associations, incubators, venture capital organizations, and small businesses. Contact us for more information about applying for office space at CREED and to learn more about the business development services IEC provides to renewable energy and cleantech companies and organizations.
National Labs
IEC works with the entire DOE national laboratory network, many as part of IEC's channel partner network and others through center management of the DOE Office of Technology Transition's Energy I-Corps program. Energy I-Corps introduces teams of lab researchers that have breakthrough technologies to business processes, strategies, and principles.
NREL
As the only national laboratory dedicated to renewable energy and energy efficiency, NREL is an expert in clean technology. The lab has the world-class research staff and facilities that can inform innovation. IEC ensures connections are made among lab resources, markets, and innovators working to deliver on NREL's objective: transforming energy.
U.S. Department of Energy
IEC works with DOE to grow the economy by encouraging energy transformation. IEC programs and events are run through NREL, a DOE national laboratory that supports IEC's endeavors. In addition, IEC manages Energy I-Corps, a DOE Office of Technology Transitions program that trains national lab researchers in business practices and strategies, and the center is an award-winning participant in the DOE Small Business Program, which facilitates opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses to work with NREL and other national laboratories.
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Last Updated April 28, 2025