California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneurial Development (CalSEED) Initiative

Investing in the Next Generation of Clean Energy Technologies

California Clean Energy Fund dba CalCEF Ventures

Recipient

Oakland, CA

Recipient Location

9th

Senate District

18th

Assembly District

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$26,353,379

Amount Spent

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Active

Project Status

Project Update

In 2020, grants totaling over $7 million have been awarded to 34 entrepreneurs throughout the State for a range of projects including a low-cost, high performance hydrogen electrolyzer and a transparent solar control coating that can be painted directly onto rough surfaces and achieve a 50% reflection in heat energy. Almost 100 entrepreneurs have been awarded $150,000 small grants under CalSEED - constituting $21,450,000 awarded in total - with $5.4 million of that amount awarded to underrepresented groups. Ten Prototype Awards for an additional $450,000 each have been awarded under CalSEED - given as follow-on funding to CalSEED entrepreneurs whose technologies have the strongest impact and commercial potential.

The Issue

Clean energy entrepreneurs have trouble securing very early stage funding for potential breakthrough technologies even if those technologies would merit significant follow-on funding after the proof-of-concept is completed. Additionally, entrepreneurs with technology concepts often do not have adequate access to the mentoring, technical consulting, and business services that they need to successfully bring their technology to market.

Project Innovation

The CalSEED Initiative helps develop California's next generation of clean energy entrepreneurs, providing seed funding as well as mentoring, technical consulting, and business development services to support energy entrepreneurs and research teams in their quest to develop breakthrough solutions that will benefit electric ratepayers in Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric service territories. Entrepreneurs receive funding in two stages. Concept Awards provide funding of up to $150,000 and are conducted through open solicitations; Prototype Awards provide funding of up to $450,000, but are only available to companies who have received a Concept Award.

Project Goals

Award 25 startups / year to advance promising technologies that will result in benefits to ratepayers California.
For all grant recipients track metrics for technology advancement and business development.
Work with startups to start building Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into their business plans as they scale.

Project Benefits

addresses a critical gap in the early technology development phase where small amounts of funding can have a significant impact in bringing new ratepayer-beneficial innovations to market by providing seed funding as well as mentoring, technical consulting, and business development services to support energy entrepreneurs and research teams in their quest to develop breakthrough clean energy solutions.,'46977

Economic Development

Economic Development

The CalSEED Initiative fills important niche in the energy innovation space by providing initial small grant funding to energy entrepreneurs to prove out their technology concept. The results can be used to attract private sector interest and funding for their energy technology venture. In total, CalSEED awardees have leveraged their grants to raise an additional $65.8M in follow on funding from public and private sources.

Key Project Members

Joy Larson

Joy Larson

Program Manager
Sarah Chester

Sarah Chester

Compliance Manager
New Energy Nexus

Subrecipients

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University of California - Davis

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The Regents of the University of California, San Diego

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Center for Sustainable Energy

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Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator

Rocket

Elemental Excelerator

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Umberg Zipser LLP

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Greenlining Institute

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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Rocket

Build Momentum (d.b.a. Momentum)

Rocket

Match Partners

Rocket

The Regents of the University of California, Davis

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California Clean Energy Fund dba CalCEF Ventures

Rocket

Umberg Zipser LLP

Rocket

Greenlining Institute

Rocket

Build Momentum (d.b.a. Momentum)

Rocket

Contact the Team

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