Lightning Lab Electric

Spark it up

Sparking innovation for the future of the NZ electric industry.

New Zealand’s first energy-focused programme, Lightning Lab Electric, ran in Wellington from June to September 2017. Lightning Lab Electric and Creative HQ worked with participating ventures focusing on the future of the NZ electric industry.

The cohort was made up of 4 teams, 10 individuals, and a multi-national programme team. The programme received support from over 50 advisory and expert mentors, including industry stakeholders like Genesis, GE and Unison.

All four companies are continuing on their journey working with, and within, the industry to develop partnerships, close sales and continuing to grow and scale.

Very effective – especially towards the end of the programme when each of the mentors provided very skilled and targeted feedback with each of us, one on one.

Jamie Silk, emhTrade

Lightning Lab Electric is the vehicle for innovation within the relatively staid energy sector. We have been working with the companies in NZ who are passionate about seeing innovation take hold in the sector – Westpac, Genesis Energy, GE and Unison – to put together a great programme to catalyse innovation.

James Swope, Programme Manager

Ventures

AMPLI

Smart-grid enabler

Ampli is a smart-meter analytics company – enabling smart-grid technology.

Ampli enables Lines Companies to design and implement cost reflective tariffs by providing modelling and pricing capabilities alongside actionable insights for their customers.

EMHTRADE

Empowering people: Enabling the transactive grid

The emh app enables consumers to set personal power preferences to make a positive impact on their bill, community and planet.

This transactive grid platform and app rewards people for changing their electricity usage to better meet personal goals, cutting demand peaks that drive inefficient system investments and supporting the integration of renewables.

MLABS

Making safe electricity accessible to the world

MLabs is applying machine learning and cloud-based computing to revolutionise high-speed HV electrical protection systems.

The convergence of these emerging technologies is already disrupting other industries. MLabs are bridging the electricity and tech worlds with their electricity industry expertise and knowledge of machine learning.

POLANYIO

Smarter energy together

Energy procurement is a slow process with insufficient transparency for commercial energy consumers, who may not be getting the best pricing deals.

The shared platform from Polanyio engages with brokers, retailers and consumers for a streamlined tender process, providing the best fit between customer demand profile and retailer pricing offers.