Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the global economy, and nowhere is that transformation more visible than in the energy sector. AI is creating both unprecedented changes on energy systems while creating powerful new opportunities, including lowering costs for consumers.
As AI adoption accelerates, so does the demand for the infrastructure required to support it. From semiconductor manufacturing to hyperscale data centers, the growth of AI is driving questions around resource and infrastructure planning.
At the same time, AI can play a growing role across the energy value chain itself. From new materials discovery to optimizing industrial operations and predictive maintenance, to improving grid management and load flexibility, AI is increasingly being deployed as a foundational tool for competitive industry and grid reliability that can lead to saving customers time and money. This was the conversation at the center of our AI & Energy Sector Pitch Day in Houston, TX.
Greentown was proud to host this event with our Partner IMPEL (Incubating Market-Propelled Entrepreneurial-mindset at the Labs and Beyond), a program implemented by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Eighteen Greentown members and alumni have also been served by the IMPEL program.
When IMPEL launched six years ago, the goal was simple but ambitious: unlock innovation for a building sector too often overlooked. Today, almost 300 early-stage innovators have benefitted through the program, raising over $250 million in funding and earning more than 235 awards, grants, prizes, and pilots along the way. Together, they’ve launched seven manufacturing facilities and over 30 commercial products, catalytic solutions for the built environment.
Through our partnership this year, eight early-stage companies supported by IMPEL will gain access to Greentown’s startup programming and technical and business resources.
Throughout the AI & Energy Sector Pitch Day, speakers and panelists explored both the challenges and opportunities emerging at the intersection of AI and energy. Discussions covered the growing potential for flexible data center loads to support grid reliability, along with opportunities to capture and reuse waste heat from data centers, and reducing electricity costs for surrounding communities. Panelists also noted that while gigawatt-scale AI campuses keep expanding, a part of the industry is increasingly exploring smaller, modular facilities in the 20 MW range, signaling a more distributed approach to meeting the accelerating computing demand.
The AI & Energy Sector Pitch Day featured:
- A keynote from Dr. Brian Walker, Chief Scientist at the DOE Building Technologies Office
- Pitches from ten Greentown and IMPEL entrepreneurs;
- An AI Use Case presentation from Nominal;
- A panel discussion on AI and Energy: Hype or Reality, featuring Jorge Peña Alarcón (Microsoft), Ken Myers (Shoreless), and Robert Kester (Veriten), moderated by IMPEL’s Director, Reshma Singh;
- A startup showcase and industry networking
Meet the 10 startups that pitched below, and check out the event program here! Congratulations to FocisAI on winning the event’s People’s Choice Award.
ATS Energy [Greentown member]
- ATS Energy is the world’s first and only solution for industrial waste heat—without a single moving part. It is a cost-effective, 99% circular solution that produces energy directly from waste heat.
dataVediK [Greentown member]
dataVediK is an AI/ML company dedicated to strengthening energy infrastructure through data-driven innovation. Its integrated, end-user-centric, Hyper-Converged Data & Analytics Platform, DataMoKsha, addresses optimization challenges in the energy industry. It empowers operational efficiency by combining domain expertise with machine learning and automation.
Forma Systems [IMPEL innovator]
Forma Systems is reducing the cost and resource footprint of concrete construction by integrating shape optimization into everyday engineering workflows. The team of engineers, architects, and builders is dedicated to expanding access to high-quality, low-impact, affordable building systems through innovation.
FocisAI [Greentown member]
FocisAI transforms industrial laser scan data into structured, actionable asset intelligence. It uses AI to automatically identify, classify, and map components within facilities (such as refineries and plants) to enable faster inspections, improved maintenance workflows, and more accurate digital twins. Its platform bridges the gap between raw reality capture data and real-world operational decision-making.
HEXAspec [Greentown member]
HEXAspec develops advanced semiconductor molding compounds with 10× higher thermal conductivity than conventional epoxies, enabling improved heat dissipation at the package level while maintaining electrical insulation and manufacturing compatibility.
Hungry Machines [IMPEL innovator]
Hungry Machines is a home energy management platform built on Home Assistant. It connects to existing home smart devices and generates optimized operating schedules for HVACs, home batteries, water heaters etc., shifting their usage to cheaper time-of-use electricity hours.
Nebumi [Greentown member]
Nebumi is an intelligence platform that integrates global satellite observations and with an independent, agentic physics-based AI layer to transform raw methane data into trusted, decision-ready intelligence. The system detects methane plumes, and links inefficiencies to likely sources and infrastructure.
PACE AI [IMPEL innovator]
PaceControls provides PACE AI, a machine learning technology designed to optimize energy consumption in buildings, HVAC systems, and industrial processes. It offers automated, cloud-connected control to reduce energy costs and demand while enabling better energy systems integration and building optimization.
Teknobuilt [Greentown member]
Teknobuilt is transforming the way energy, infrastructure and construction projects are built and operated through its construction management software. Its platform, PACE OS, helps projects complete faster and more mature carbon tracking to enable project lifecycle sustainability.
Timbergrove (Moonshot Edge) [Greentown member]
Timbergrove is an industrial IoT and software development firm that helps manufacturing, oil & gas, and logistics companies modernize their operations. Combining custom hardware and software with AI, machine learning, and UX design, the team builds practical solutions for predictive maintenance, remote monitoring, asset management, and systems integration.
Applications for IMPEL’s Cohort 7 are expected to open in Summer 2026. Visit impel.lbl.gov to join the mailing list to be apprised of the official announcement and application details, and help drive technology breakthroughs in critical minerals processing, advanced manufacturing, and buildings industry.
