The Texas A&M Energy Institute, in conjunction with The Research Valley Partnership (RVP), has been awarded a Clean Energy Incubator grant by the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO).
As the state energy office, SECO partners with Texas public higher education institutions, public K-12 schools, local governments, county governments, and state agencies to reduce energy costs and maximize efficiency.
The Texas A&M Clean Energy Incubator (TAMCEI) will offer global entrepreneurs a best-in-class business incubation environment for the development and commercialization of clean energy technologies.
John Pappas, interim director of the Texas A&M Energy Institute and TAMCEI principal investigator, said, "The Texas A&M Clean Energy Incubator provides entrepreneurs with the potential for close access to Texas A&M resources, intellectual property and expertise and will be a portal for those wanting to partner with Texas A&M researchers and facilities. Our partnership with RVP gives TAMCEI the ability to combine world-class R&D capabilities with experienced and proven business leadership. The SECO grant gives the incubator the seed it needs to get started and become a sustainable organization for the Texas A&M and Brazos Valley communities."
TAMCEI will be located in College Station and function as a hub-and-spoke incubator touching all corners of the state of Texas. The effort will be led by the Energy Institute and aided by a suite of value-added business services managed in conjunction with stakeholders and a principal subcontractor, The Research Valley Partnership (a public-private non-profit economic development corporation). TAMCEI will bring together a substantial network of clean energy scholars, university research labs, test bed facilities, as well as strategic partnering energy corporations, investors, international clean energy mentors, and bottom-line focused consultants to support top-flight clean energy companies in their going to market.
Todd E. McDaniel, RVP president and CEO, said, "The Research Valley Partnership is honored to be working with Texas A&M Energy Institute on this important program. As the primary service provider to the Texas A&M Clean Energy Incubator, the RVP will offer business mentoring and investment capital strategies to early stage clean energy companies working with the incubator. The RVP’s objectives for this program are to attract global entrepreneurs and emerging clean energy companies to our community. We want them connected with Texas A&M researchers utilizing world-class Texas A&M Engineering test bed infrastructure in place here in the Research Valley and across the great State of Texas. We also desire to see positive social and environmental impact, locally and globally, as a result of the commercial application of these clean energy technologies."
Clean energy ventures matched with TAMCEI will be offered a comprehensive range of mentoring, commercialization and real-world testing services. The Incubator will follow proven methods of working with ventures to strengthen their business proposition and provide them with broad access and individualized introductions to key industry players, including strategic investors that could help build exposure, partnerships and in-kind resources needed to grow a company to the next level.
TAMCEI will also collaborate with other Texas clean energy incubators to help the State of Texas attract and retain clean energy companies that are commercially viable or in a new commercial stage of development. Anticipated membership with the Clean Energy Alliance, a national organization of non-profit cleantech incubators having a U.S. Department of Energy Small Business Partnership, would expand TAMCEI resources.
The Texas A&M Energy Institute is jointly operated by Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station.