Breaking Energy featured the Top 10 New York Energy Entrepreneurs back in June as part of an extremely popular top 10 series that ran during New York Energy Week. The entrepreneurs were chosen by their energy industry peers via an open nomination process that returned a robust list of candidates. Whittling the impressive list of innovators down to only 10 was an arduous process that felt as if many deserving candidates were left out. So this series features the remaining people nominated for the New York Energy Week list and describes their companies.
P3 Global Management Inc. (P3GM)
Our cities are getting smarter as the ubiquity of wireless high-speed internet provides seemingly unlimited opportunities to streamline transportation and communication networks, collect and analyze vast data streams and generally make energy generation, delivery and consumption more efficient. But executing large-scale projects in US jurisdictions or overseas involves negotiating with municipal, state and national government agencies while crossing numerous regulatory “t’s” and dotting multiple regulatory “i’s,” all while seeking a profitable outcome that provides returns on investment. This next company specializes in walking your next project through that complex maze.
In their own words from the company’s website:
P3GM invests and manages projects and advises government agencies, municipalities and companies engaged in technology infrastructure and sustainable development, P3GM provides thought leadership, investment advising, integration, management, and market access to cities and companies across boundaries. We leverage competitively priced leading technology in Europe and U.S. providing access to Latin America looking for smart technology and infrastructure.
Sergio Fernandez De Cordova, Co-Founder, Chief Development Officer
Sergio is an internationally recognized entrepreneur, investor & philanthropist working at the intersection of media and leveraging public-private partnerships for social impact. He is co-founder of Innovators Fund, investing in disruptive civic focused ventures, and Chairman of PVBLIC Foundation, which donates millions of dollars’ worth media impressions to non-profits each year. Sergio is a serial entrepreneur and one of the youngest initiators of public-private partnerships to drive business and social change.
EnergyHub
Are people really interested in controlling their home energy use? Ask Google why it paid over $3 billion to acquire smart thermostat maker Nest to help clarify the answer. Our children will probably control all the lights, heating, cooling and appliances their homes from a smart phone or some cool new thing not yet invented (maybe we will too). Forward-thinking companies – including some utilities – that recognize this trend are developing services and technologies that allow people to monitor and control their energy use like never before. The writing is clearly on the wall and this next company is one of the authors.
In their own words from the company’s website:
We’re on a mission to find innovative solutions to today’s energy challenges. EnergyHub is a privately held startup developing systems that reduce home energy consumption and save consumers money. Our secure web and mobile apps let users control energy use from anywhere.
While people interact with user-friendly tools and software, behind the scenes is a powerful platform we’ve developed called Mercury. It’s the brains of our operation, and over 900,000 people use it to manage their energy use. Utilities rely on the Mercury platform to help the grid work smarter. Cable and security companies provide EnergyHub’s tools to give their customers more control over their energy use than ever before.
Whether it’s by providing detailed energy use information, supporting utility peak power reduction programs, or facilitating better communication between service providers and their customers, EnergyHub’s software tools are delivering the next generation of energy management solutions today.
Seth Frader-Thompson, President
Inspired by the mainstream boom of hybrid cars and a shared passion for consumer electronic products, Seth and his co-founders set out to create a technology solution for reducing home energy consumption. The tools they developed empower consumers and utilities to understand and control how energy is being used, and identify opportunities for savings.
As President of EnergyHub, he oversees the overall direction and operation of the company. He devotes extra focus to creating an exceptional user experience for EnergyHub customers.
Prior to founding EnergyHub, Seth served in several managerial and technical roles at Honeybee Robotics. During his tenure at Honeybee Robotics, he worked on the Mars Science Laboratory mission, the Lunar Precursor and Robotic Program, and payloads and tools for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robots. He was the principal investigator for a DARPA research effort to build a miniature laser vision system for search and rescue robots.
Seth has an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado, where his research focused on Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) for Ultracold Atom Optics.
