Nina Axelson has been doing sustainability work in Minnesota for nearly two decades. She’s worked for and with businesses and organizations of all sizes—including the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Best Buy, and International District Energy Association—in the clean energy space. Most recently, she spent 13 years at Ever-Green Energy, a St. Paul-based engineering and utility company. But the problem has always been the same: a lack of demonstration partners—companies and organizations willing to invest in and try out new technologies—for clean energy startups looking to prove their concept. 

“It’s extremely hard to get investment in your clean energy business if you can’t get a demonstration project off the ground,” Axelson said. That’s why she founded Grid Catalyst, a new clean energy accelerator from Clean Energy Economy Minnesota (CEEM), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing and promoting the transition to a clean energy economy.

On Tuesday, Axelson announced Grid Catalyst’s formation of an Innovators Network that will support clean energy startups. Founding network partners include 3M, Great River Energy, the University of Minnesota, and the cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth. The Innovators Network will support Grid Catalyst’s first-ever cohort of clean energy startups, allowing them to test their technologies in real-life scenarios. 

“The Innovators Network is our way of bringing partners to the table early and having them ready to collaborate with a really talented group of startups,” Axelson said. “The impact these partners will have on the future of Minnesota’s clean energy economy cannot be overstated.” 

The dozen founding partners are united in their desire to make quick progress on the clean energy front. 

“3M is excited to be one of the founding partners in the Innovators Network,” said Ben Wright, senior vice president of 3M’s venture capital arm, 3M Ventures. “Sustainability is a core value of our company. We’re committed to supporting the innovators working to combat climate change and create new jobs through clean energy.”

In addition to the Innovator’s Network, Grid Catalyst has formed a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Launch Minnesota, a public-private initiative working to make Minnesota a top state for startups. The partnership will provide Grid Catalyst cohort members access to Launch Minnesota programming. 

“This partnership will make the state’s clean energy economy and startup ecosystem stronger and more prepared to deploy solutions needed by the communities and businesses that make Minnesota great,” said Neela Mollgaard, executive director of Launch Minnesota. “Together, we will make Minnesota a go-to market for clean energy business and deployment.”

Grid Catalyst will be accepting applications for Cohort 1 beginning October 4. Qualifying startups should be: 

• Focused on addressing climate change through decarbonization solutions
• Advancing Minnesota’s economic position in clean energy
• Later-stage startups with fewer than 100 employees that have products or services that can be deployed in 2022

Application priority will be given to startups led by people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Up to six startups will be chosen for Cohort 1 in November and matched with a partner from the Innovators Network. 

Axelson said she hopes Grid Catalyst can help make Minnesota a hub for clean energy innovation and open the pipeline for new climate change solutions. 

To learn more about Grid Catalyst or to apply, visit gridcatalyst.org/startups.