The Midwest Energy Research Consortium has named the startup teams that will participate in its newest cohort of the Advanced Innovation Program.
AIP is targeted to companies that have recently graduated from MWERC’s 12-week early-stage startup program, WERCBench Labs, which ended in December. This is the third year AIP has been offered, with the aim of helping startups advance to the next stage of development.
The teams participating in the spring AIP are:
- East Lansing, Michigan-based Switched Source: Power electronics solutions for electric distribution companies (WERCBench Labs runner-up).
- Madison-based EW Panel: Nanogenerators that convert movements to electricity to charge low-power electronics (WERCBench Labs graduate).
- Madison-basd NovoMoto: Clean electricity for off-grid rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa (WERCBench Labs winner).
- Chicago-based Aris Technologies: Artificial intelligence platform for reducing human quality control errors in manufacturing (WERCBench Labs runner-up).
- Whitefish Bay-based Present Power Systems, a designer and supplier of advanced power electronics to original equipment manufacturers in the medical, solar and energy storage sectors.
- Whitewater-based Blue Line Battery, a manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for motive power, forklifts, stationary energy storage and backup power systems.
- Chicago-based Emergy Labs, which recycles food and beverage wastewater into advanced materials.
Each team will receive a $10,000 grant at the start of the program, and if they successfully complete the program, another $10,000 investment using a royalty-based financing mechanism. The funding is provided with assistance from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
Jeff Anthony, chief operating officer of MWERC and Jacquin Davidson, managing director of WERCBench Labs, will lead the AIP program. The eight-week program begins March 6.
“WERCBench Labs surrounds entrepreneurs with the resources and connections they need to test their ideas and grow their businesses,” said Aaron Hagar, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation at WEDC. “This valuable program plays an important role in bringing innovative technologies to the global marketplace.”
