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Energy I-Corps Celebrates Cohort 21

This November marked the completion of the 21st Energy I-Corps cohort, bringing the total number of graduated teams to 270! To celebrate, Cohort 21 teams gathered in Washington, D.C. for a graduation ceremony to share their work with key stakeholders.

Office of Technology Commercialization

December 15, 2025

In November, 12 teams of DOE National Lab researchers from across the country graduated from the 21st cohort of Energy-I Corps (EIC). A key initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC), this immersive two-month entrepreneurial training program aims to accelerate the commercialization of innovative DOE technologies.  

A group of 33 people pose outside with trees in the background.
Energy I-Corps Cohort 21 launched in Broomfield, CO in September 2025 with 12 research teams from six National Labs.
Photo courtesy of Kira Vos. 

Kicking Off Connections in September

Cohort 21 included  a wide range of research fields, such as cutting-edge advancements in thermal energy storage, artificial intelligence, X-rays, electrical grid safety, and more. During the opening week session in September, the research teams began their program curriculum with a series of workshops designed to challenge their research assumptions.  

“I'm excited to learn more about the whole [industry] ecosystem...meeting other players, learning more about the broader market, and if our invention is something that could be used,” shared Cohort 21 participant and Sandia National Laboratories researcher, Noelle Collins.  

At the opening week events, each team participated in workshops hosted by EIC coaches and instructors made up of entrepreneurs, C-level executives, and commercialization experts. These EIC coaches helped deepen the teams’ understanding of business acumen, commercialization pathways, and the importance of customer discovery. 

“[As a coach], I'm expanding their thought processes beyond just the technology and features, but thinking more about the customers and the customers' problems,” shared Energy I-Corps coach and former Principal Manager of Innovation Programs at the National GEM Consortium, Latane Brackett.  

A woman and a man engage in lively dialogue in a conference room setting.
Energy I-Corps coach, Latane Brackett, and participant, Rebecca Barney from NRL, sparked conversation during a week of kickoff events, coaching, and workshops in Broomfield, CO in September 2025.
Photo courtesy of Kira Vos.

Discovering New Paths During Customer Interviews 

Over the course of two months, each team conducted at least 75 interviews with potential customers and other stakeholders to assess the market need for their DOE technology. Several teams attended industry conferences and events to help achieve their interview goal while generating lasting connections with industry contacts. Vital to each team’s success, these discovery interviews help researchers put the core tenants of EIC into practice, leveraging newly acquired entrepreneurial skills to spur industry conversations and drive economic growth.  

“I found the interviews to be rewarding and inspiring,” said Laura Biedermann of Team NanoSurge from Sandia National Laboratories.  

In total, Cohort 21 conducted 889 discovery interviews, with Team OpDefender from Idaho National Laboratory far exceeding the interview goal with 97 completed interviews. Briam Johnson of Team OpDefender added “Through the discovery process, our team was able to learn a great deal about the viability of our solution and its potential ecosystem.  We were able to make some really great contacts and the momentum we were able to create puts us in a much better position to move forward.” 

Other teams graduated from the program with a whole new direction. Team RapidID, formerly known as Team PanelID, came into EIC focused on the solar industry. About one month into the program, the team discovered that their new field-deployable technology stretched beyond just solar panels and could be used for material identification and photovoltaic in the mining industry or other settings.  

“EIC gave us an opportunity to think of a space where our tech could be applicable, which we wouldn't have explored otherwise,” said Ashley Gaulding of Team RapidID from the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NRL).  

Four people pose in a conference room setting with three holding graduation certificates. 
Ashley Gaulding (left) and her RapidID teammates received their Energy I-Corps (EIC) graduation certificates from DOE Chief Commercialization Officer Anthony Pugliese at the EIC graduation ceremony in November 2025.
Photo courtesy of Charles Watkins, DOE.

Celebrating America’s Next Generation of Energy Leaders 

To mark the successful completion of the program, Cohort 21 teams gathered at DOE’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. The researchers began with a poster session and ended with capstone presentations to their peers, instructors, and DOE stakeholders, including DOE Chief Commercialization Officer and OTC Director Anthony Pugliese OTC Chief of Staff Justin Bis and the teams’ respective funding offices.  

“I am consistently impressed by the depth of customer discovery and the precision with which each team approaches their market challenge, and I wish Cohort 21 much success,” said DOE Chief Commercialization Officer and OTC Director Anthony Pugliese.  

A man at a podium claps as he addresses a group of people.
DOE Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of DOE’s Office of Technology Commercialization Anthony Pugliese congratulates Energy I-Corps’ Cohort 21 graduates at a special event in Washington D.C. in November 2025.
Photo courtesy of Charles Watkins, DOE. 

These presentations showcased the impact of the discovery interview process and market insight on their technology’s path to commercialization. This also spotlighted the cohort’s ability to communicate complex scientific and market topics through approachable and compelling presentations.   

Two men use a large notepad to document ideas and information with other teams collaborating in the background. 
Teams from six National Labs are represented in Cohort 21. Pictured above is Daniel Riddick (right) and Nathan Henry (left) of PA&QI Tools (Team 265) from Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12).
Photo courtesy of Kira Vos. 

Cohort 21 is comprised of 12 teams from the six National Labs listed below. These teams represent technologies ranging from cutting-edge advancements in thermal energy storage, artificial intelligence, X-rays, electrical grid safety, and more. 

  • Idaho National Laboratory  

  • National Laboratory of the Rockies  

  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory  

  • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory  

  • Sandia National Laboratories  

  • Y-12 National Security Complex 

Cohort 21 was supported by nine DOE program offices:  

A group of 37 people pose in a conference room with a screen stating “Cohort 21 Graduation Ceremony” displayed behind them.
DOE Chief Commercialization Officer Anthony Pugliese is joined by more than 30 Energy I-Corps (EIC) team members and National Lab researchers as they celebrate their EIC program graduation in November 2025.
Photo courtesy of Charles Watkins, DOE.

Cohort 21 joins an elite group of EIC graduates. Since 2015, EIC teams have attracted more than $234 million in post-program funding and executed 99 licenses. These achievements stand as a testament to the program’s effectiveness in driving innovation, fostering entrepreneurship, and enhancing technology transfer from DOE’s National Labs.  

Learn more about Cohort 21 and their innovative technologies.  

Congratulations Cohort 21! We look forward to seeing you thrive as the next generation of America’s energy leaders.  

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