EDP launches global startup acceleration program | EDP Brasil

With the goal of recruiting new Brazilian startups and boosting the next generation of projects in the electricity sector, EDP, a company that works in the areas of generation, distribution, marketing and solutions in electric power, opens registrations for Free Electrons Global Accelerator.

This is a global initiative from EDP Group carried out in partnership with seven other world players in the energy sector, which aims to promote and generate new ideas related to clean energy, energy efficiency, electrical mobility, digitization and client support services.

"EDP is looking for startups that can develop ideas to make the electric sector more sustainable, that bring competitiveness to the company and raise the quality of service delivered to the customer. At the same time, the company offers these entrepreneurs all of their structure of acceleration and incubation, so that they have an complete and conducive environment to the development of new ideas", says Livia Brando, operational manager of Strategy and Innovation.

The chosen startups will participate in an acceleration program with a planned duration of six months and those selected will go through three modules of a "customer adoption" process focused on companies of the infrastructure sector. With a duration of one week each, the three phases will be held in San Francisco/Silicon Valley, Lisbon/Dublin and Singapore.

Registration for Free Electrons will be open until the 28th of February. The selection period will take place in March and the 12 selected will be revealed in early April. Interested parties can apply through the site www.freelectrons.co.

Free Electrons is a result of the partnership between eight international companies AusNet Services, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), ESB (Electricity Supply Board), EDP (Energias de Portugal), innogy, Origin Energy, Singapore Power (SP) and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). The initiative also has the support of business accelerators New Energy Nexus and swissnex San Francisco.

The program partners are leaders in the ongoing shift towards cleaner energy solutions in more than 40 countries, representing about US$148 billion in revenue and offering entrepreneurs access to more than 73 million end-customers worldwide.

An advantageous approach for both parties

The companies and accelerators involved in the Free Electrons program are committed to creating a future in which energy is smart, clean and accessible to all. The purpose of the initiative is to help startups in the energy sector improve their products and services, test them, and develop a global customer portfolio. To that end, the partners will offer access to their knowledge, resources and customer portfolios in exchange for investment and partnership opportunities.

EDP and Entrepreneurship

The EDP Group, through its Innovation Ecosystem and the EDP Open Innovation program, has been supporting entrepreneurship in the energy sector since 2007. To that end, the company has several corporate tools, such as EDP Ventures (corporate venture capital fund) and EDP Starter (business incubation program), and sponsorship of various pilot projects and of technological demonstration. With Free Electrons, the company raises its activities at a global level.