Energy I-Corps Cohort 20 Welcomes Dozens of New Scientists

National Lab researchers from across the country recently gathered in Westminster, Colorado for the kickoff of Energy-I Corps' 20^th cohort. A key initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Technology Commercialization, the immersive 2-month entrepreneurial training program aims to accelerate the commercialization for innovative energy technologies currently in the lab.

During opening week, 17 research teams from eight National Labs dove straight into the curriculum with a series of workshops designed to challenge their research assumptions. Each team hit the ground running by attending back-to-back workshops from an instructor team of entrepreneurs, C-level executives, and National Science Foundation I-Corps/Small Business Innovation Research & Small Business Technology Transfer commercialization program experts.

A large group of people stand together outside in front of trees during kickoff week.

Energy I-Corps Cohort 20 launched in Broomfield, CO in mid-March 2025 with 17 research teams from eight National Labs. Photo courtesy of Kira Vos.

Teams completed at least five initial stakeholder discovery interviews and analyzed these industry findings with the help of one-on-one instructor support. In addition to individual coaching, teams delivered two presentations, receiving valuable feedback from both peers and coaches across the National Lab complex.

The week also featured an Industry Engagement Night where teams participated in ad hoc meetings to help refine their interview skills before continuing their stakeholder discovery interviews. These foundational activities set the stage for the teams to refine their research and engagement strategies moving forward.

A woman speaks and gestures with a thumbs up to a room of seated participants during kickoff week.

Energy I-Corps instructor Jean Redfield led a training session during Cohort 20 kickoff week. Photo courtesy of Kira Vos.

Over the next two months, working with industry mentors external to the DOE complex, the teams will define value propositions, conduct at least 75 discovery interviews, and explore viable pathways to bring their products to the market. Each bi-annual Energy I-Corps cohort includes a wide range of research fields. Cohort 20 includes cybersecurity, visualization and cataloging tools, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, and more.

Since 2015, Energy I-Corps has supported the advancement of DOE technologies by training more than 510 National Lab researchers. With the support of more than 245 industry mentors, alumni teams determined the commercial impact of their innovations through more than 17,500 discovery interviews. The technologies of the past 19 Energy I-Corps cohorts have attracted more than $197 million in post-program funding and executed 85 licenses.

A group of professionals is engaged in conversation at Cohort 20 kickoff week.

Hayden Towne and Gabe Weaver of TOP GEAR (Team 242) from Idaho National Laboratory engage during a week of kickoff events, coaching and workshops. Photo courtesy of Kira Vos.

Cohort 20’s opening week in Colorado began on March 17, 2025, and the full program will conclude in late May. The cohort of 17 teams is funded by 11 DOE program offices. The projects span a wide variety of promising technology areas from our National Laboratories, including AI-powered nanotechnology, software for grid optimization, and nuclear powerplant security and efficiency. Learn more about each the Cohort 20 teams here.

Two men are engaged in conversation, while one holds a notebook up for the other to see.

Teams from eight National Labs are represented in Cohort 20. Pictured above is Stefano Letizia of LiBERTi (Team 242) from NREL. Photo courtesy of Kira Vos.

Cohort 20 is supported by 11 DOE program offices:

Stay tuned to learn more about these team’s successes throughout the program! Subscribe to receive OTC email updates, and follow us on X and LinkedIn.