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Funding Opportunity
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Southern California Energy Innovation Network (SCEIN)
Organization Name
Southern California Energy Innovation Network (SCEIN)
Funding Opportunity Brief *
The Southern California Energy Innovation Network (SCEIN) is a free program for startups based in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Imperial counties that are developing solutions to help California meet its energy goals.
Description

What is the Southern California Energy Innovation Network?

The Southern California Energy Innovation Network (SCEIN) is a free program for startups that are developing solutions to help California meet its energy goals. The program provides access to the resources and facilities of a number of regional partner organizations (listed below) and connections with industry in order to accelerate the commercialization of emerging energy technologies.

To date, 38 energy startup companies have been accepted into the SCEIN program. Together, these companies employ more than 217 people and have raised $43.1 million of private capital and $5.8 million of public funding.

The program is the result of a five-year, $5 million grant from the California Energy Commission awarded in 2016 to help advance California’s energy innovation industry.

What Business Services Are Available?

The Southern California Energy Innovation Network engages with partners, regional stakeholders, and other local service providers to offer free business services customized to the unique needs of each company, including:

  • Industry Connections
  • Research and Testing Facilities
  • Pilot Project Opportunities
  • Regulatory and Policy Guidance
  • Hardware Design and Simulation Support
  • Software/Data Analytics Support
  • Access to Student Intern Projects
  • Market Intelligence
  • Mentoring
  • Business Workshops
  • Pitch Deck Development
  • Presentation/PR Opportunities
  • Introductions to Capital Providers
  • Notification of Grant Solicitations and Prize Competitions
  • Business Service Referrals

 

Who is Eligible?

Southern California Energy Innovation Network applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

  1. The company must have a California business address
  2. The company must currently operate out of (or have near-term plans to do business in) one of the four counties in our territory: San Diego, Imperial, Riverside, or San Bernardino
  3. The company’s technology must be energy-related with the ability to benefit California’s electric ratepayers. It should fall under one of five general categories:
  • Energy Efficiency (envelope, lighting, HVAC, plug loads, pumps, energy management software)
  • Renewable Energy Generation (wind, solar, wave, geothermal, hydro)
  • Energy Storage (battery materials, electrochemical, mechanical, and thermal storage devices)
  • Smart Grid and Energy Services (demand response, energy IoT, smart metering, DERMS, data analytics, and microgrid technologies)
  • Clean Transportation (EV charging infrastructure and software platforms)


Important Technology Notes:

Intellectual Property: The IP for an applying company’s technology must be either owned or licensed by the applicant’s company.

Clean Transportation Technologies: Only electric vehicle infrastructure technologies and software platforms that manage the interaction of EVs with the grid are eligible for the program. SCEIN does not support companies with new vehicle or engine designs. For further details about this distinction, please contact alyssagd@cleantechsandiego.org.

Contact:

Marty Turock, Program Manager, martyt@cleantechsandiego.org

Alyssa Gutner-Davis, Project Manager, alyssagd@cleantechsandiego.org

Michael Ford, Inland Empire Program Manager, michaelf@cleantechsandiego.org

Tags
Renewable Energy
Distributed Energy Resources
Climate Adaptation/Mitigation
GHG Emission Reduction
Transportation
Energy Storage
Energy Efficiency & Demand Response