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Fraunhofer TechBridge and Greentown Labs Team Up to Advance Innovative Energy Technologies

PROPEL prototype development program will help startup companies shorten their time to market

Boston, MA – March 26, 2015 – Connecting industry leaders with groundbreaking startup companies can have a great impact on technology commercialization that addresses current energy challenges. To help facilitate the connection among stakeholders, Fraunhofer TechBridge and Greentown Labs have joined forces to create PROPEL, a 6-month prototype development and partnership-readiness program to refine high-quality technologies for potential adoption by corporate strategic partners. The program, sponsored by Shell GameChanger, will focus on technologies that enable distributed, self-powered sensing and control for large-scale industrial applications.

The PROPEL program will offer startup companies technology support through Fraunhofer TechBridge, and incubation space and business guidance through Greentown Labs. This unique blend of offerings addresses one of the key challenges startup companies face in the development and commercialization of their technologies. The PROPEL program will launch with a request for proposals in early April 2015. Startup companies from around the world are encouraged to submit; up to five teams with complementary technologies will be selected and hosted at Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA for the incubation period.propelheader

“One of Fraunhofer TechBridge’s main goals is to help early-stage companies de-risk their technologies, thereby increasing their chances for private investment and strategic partnerships,” said Dr. Johanna Wolfson, TechBridge Program Lead at Fraunhofer CSE. “The PROPEL program offers a unique opportunity for startup companies by combining access to Boston’s innovation community, incubation services at Greentown Labs, and the industry expertise of Fraunhofer.”

Fraunhofer TechBridge is a commercialization program that leverages Fraunhofer’s technology and industry expertise in the clean energy space. As part of the PROPEL program, TechBridge will guide the evaluation and selection of participants, who will then have access to Fraunhofer’s technical expertise to advise on prototype development, system integration, and product validation during the incubation period.

Greentown Labs, the nation’s largest cleantech incubator, will provide the startups with lab space and access to equipment, software, and business resources offered to its community. This collaborative workspace is home to more than 40 member companies and provides entrepreneurs with the education, mentorship, and guidance they need to rapidly grow their networks and companies.

“Strategic partnerships, along with funding, play a critical role in a startup’s acceleration from prototype to pilot,” said Emily Reichert, Ph.D., CEO of Greentown Labs. “We’re excited to partner with a fellow Massachusetts-based clean energy leader to help these startup companies develop their technologies not only to see the great impact they’ll make, but to also continue expanding our state’s innovation ecosystem.”

Learn more about the PROPEL Program at www.propelprogram.com and Follow us on Twitter #PROPELprogram

About Fraunhofer TechBridge & Fraunhofer CSE

Launched at the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE in 2010, the Fraunhofer TechBridge program identifies and de-risks promising technologies out of the startup community to solve industry challenges. By performing targeted technology solicitations and conducting validation and demonstration work, TechBridge helps to prepare innovative early-stage companies to demonstrate their value for investors and industry.

Fraunhofer CSE is a non-profit applied R&D organization developing clean energy technologies for the benefit of society. Fraunhofer CSE engages in collaborative research with private companies, government entities, and academic institutions, bridging the gap from laboratory to production. Fraunhofer CSE is a subsidiary of Fraunhofer USA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit contract R&D organization, affiliated with Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Europe’s largest contract R&D organization.

 

About Greentown Labs

Greentown Labs is a community of bold, passionate entrepreneurs creating game-changing energy technologies that transform the way we live, work, and play. Located in Somerville, MA, Greentown Labs is the largest cleantech incubator in the United States, operating a 33,000 sq. ft. facility that enables entrepreneurs to solve today’s biggest energy and environmental problems. Greentown Labs hosts a constant stream of events and programs for the cleantech community and tours more than 5,000 visitors from around the world each year. Its mission is to enable a vibrant community of entrepreneurs to realize their visions by providing access to the space, resources, and funding needed to thrive. For more information, visit www.greentownlabs.com, or find us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.