Alabama Power hosts Demo Day for Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator 2025 cohort
For businesses, organizations and individuals, the future of energy — availability of reliable and affordable electricity; continuing the transition toward renewable energy sources; sustainability as a priority in planning, policies, and practices — presents both challenges and opportunities. For Alabama Power and others engaged in building that future, the commitment to encouraging and supporting innovation is essential to success.
The Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator is part of that commitment. Alabama Power has partnered with the accelerator since its launch in 2020, working to date with 60 startups spanning a broad range of business sectors and technology applications, touching virtually every segment of the growing energy tech field.
Most recently, a special Demo Day for the Fall 2025 EnergyTech Accelerator cohort was held in the auditorium of the Alabama Power headquarters in downtown Birmingham. A crowd of nearly 100 Alabama Power and Southern Company employees gathered to hear pitches from each of the six startups in the cohort, introducing their companies and highlighting its potential market impacts and investment worthiness.
The internal audience — and their reactions to the pitches — provided valuable feedback as the six companies prepare for Alabama Founder Fest, the Techstars event in December where they will present to prospective investors and partners. The Demo Day on November 13 was opened by Tyler Sullens, market specialist for Alabama Power and a member of its Innovation Development Team, a cooperative effort with SoTech, an organization of Alabama Power and Southern Company employees dedicated to delivering educational programs that keep employees up to date on emerging business technologies.
Alabama Power’s relationship with Techstars and the accelerator program is a benefit for all involved, Sullens told the group. That includes Alabama Power customers.
“The founders get the opportunity to learn and grow their companies,” said Sullens. “Alabama Power is adopting some of the technology being developed by these growing companies, and we’re using those innovations to better serve our customers.”
The crowd also heard from Matthew Jaeh, managing director of the Techstars Alabama, and Rae’Mah Henderson, its program manager. Their remarks highlighted the accelerator’s accumulating impacts through its investments in startups developing innovative solutions to today’s most pressing energy challenges and most promising opportunities: 60 companies, a collective capital raise of $210 million, and creation of 270 jobs — nearly 100 of those in Alabama.
During the summer of 2025, the Techstars Alabama program, now in its sixth year, celebrated when Resilient Power Systems was acquired by Eaton, making it the first alumnus of the program experience an exit. Jaeh said that such milestones, along with commitments from partners in the private, public, educational and nonprofit sectors, are indicative of what is being accomplished and a model for promoting long-term growth in the areas of energy and sustainability.
“This is the future of energy, the future of innovation,” said Jaeh.
Both Jaeh and Henderson thanked Alabama Power for its ongoing support. In addition to assistance in making connections with investors and corporate partners, as well as providing employees to serve as mentors, subject matter experts and corporate coaches for each accelerator cohort.
Presenters for each company were introduced by their mentors from Alabama Power. Mentors included the assistant treasurer of the company, as well as representatives of the Customer Solutions, Energy Services, Environmental Affairs and Power Delivery departments.
Members of the Fall 2025 cohort are:
Delivers reliable, clean and portable power with breakthrough hydrogen-on-demand technology.
An AI-powered tool that quickly generates bills of materials (BOM) from single-line electrical diagrams, helping to save time and reduce costs. Learn more here.
Commercializing next-generation solid oxide technology that generates clean, reliable electricity while reducing fuel costs and emissions by up to 90% from combustion-based systems. Learn more here.
A modular energy platform for the unique needs of industrial and critical facilities, helping stabilize their power supplies, integrate renewables and reduce energy costs. See more here.
Uses compact modular reactors to turn carbon dioxide and hydrogen into clean, storable synthetic natural gas. Learn more here.
Utilizes AI to enhance the reliability of EV chargers, enabling predictive maintenance, automated part ordering and reductions in labor costs. See more here.
Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator supports startups working in fields related to Climate Tech, Clean Tech and Energy Efficiency, including energy distribution, smart grids and wind energy. In addition to Alabama Power, the accelerator is supported by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA), the Alabama Department of Commerce, Altec, PowerSouth, the University of Alabama, and Southern Research.
Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator is a program of Techstars, the most active early-stage venture capital investor in the world. Techstars provides capital, mentorship and other support for early-stage entrepreneurs around the world.