Natel Energy

What Natel Energy does

Natel Energy is a private engineering company founded in 2009 and headquartered in Alameda, California that designs and licenses FishSafe™ hydroelectric turbines — patented blade geometries that achieve 98–100% fish passage survival while maintaining up to 94% hydraulic efficiency. Its core product, the Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT), is applicable across Kaplan, Francis, and propeller-style configurations up to 50 MW capacity and is validated through in-house hydraulic test lab facilities and peer-reviewed studies with PNNL and others. The company generates revenue through three streams: (1) hardware sales of turbines, (2) custom engineering services from feasibility study through commissioning, and (3) HydroForecast, an ML-based streamflow forecasting SaaS acquired via Upstream Tech in 2017. Distribution is primarily OEM-style through partnerships with eight turbine manufacturers (American Hydro, DIVE Turbinen, HPP, Gugler, Hydroalp, Hacker, Kleinschmidt, Normandeau), supplemented by direct enterprise sales to hydropower utilities, independent power producers, and dam owners. Natel is funded by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Chevron Technology Ventures, SE Ventures, Japan Energy Capital, and others, with cumulative disclosed funding above $95M across multiple rounds including a $20M Series B in 2021 and a $15M round in mid-2025. Operations span the U.S., Austria (Sauerbrunn project with Energie Steiermark), and a development partnership covering up to 33 sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo with Symbion Power.

Name

Natel Energy

Legal name

Natel Energy, Inc.

Website

https://natelenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Natel Energy is a private engineering company that designs and licenses patented FishSafe™ hydroelectric turbines enabling 98–100% fish passage survival with up to 94% efficiency, serving hydropower utilities, independent power producers, and dam owners in the U.S., Europe, and Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydropower Turbines

NAICS

Turbine and Turbine Generator Set Units Manufacturing (333611), Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (3336), Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111)

SIC

Engines & Turbines (3510), Motors & Generators (3621)

akta.pro primary industry

Turbines, Generators & Hydromechanical Equipment Manufacturing (OEMs) (EUACAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hydropower Turbines, Generators & Balance-of-Plant Equipment Manufacturing (EUAMAHAF), Hydropower Turbines & Electro-Mechanical Equipment (Turbines, Generators, Governors) (EUAMADAC), Hydrology, Environmental & Fish Passage Solutions (Flow Modeling, Mitigation, Fish Ladders) (EUAMADAK), Hydropower Environmental & Fish Passage Solutions (EUACAEAJ)

Keywords

• Fish-safe turbines
• Hydropower engineering
• Hydroelectric turbines
• Fish passage technology
• Restoration hydropower

Headquarters

HQ city

Alameda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales (Turbines): Sale of FishSafe turbine equipment for new installations and retrofit projects. Products include Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT) and other FishSafe turbine designs. Revenue from equipment supply contracts with utilities, developers, and project owners.
2. Engineering Services: Custom engineering services including project design, feasibility studies, turbine specification, and implementation support. Sold directly to utilities, developers, and Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
3. HydroForecast Software (via Upstream Tech): Machine learning-based streamflow forecasting software for hydropower optimization. Sold as software subscription or licensing.
4. Project Development: Direct project development partnerships for international markets. Participation in project development through partnerships (e.g., MyHydro project development in DRC with Symbion Power).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Natel Energy designs, patents, and supplies FishSafe™ hydropower turbine runners (centered on the Restoration Hydro Turbine / RHT) that achieve up to 94% hydraulic efficiency with 98–100% fish passage survival. The company sells engineered turbine designs, CFD-based engineering services from feasibility through commissioning, in-house and field fish passage testing, and HydroForecast, an ML-based streamflow forecasting SaaS. Customers are hydropower plant owners, utilities, independent power producers, and dam owners modernizing existing sites or building new fish-compliant projects.

Product overview

Natel Energy offers a unified FishSafe hydropower technology portfolio centered on its patented FishSafe turbine designs, which achieve 98-100% fish passage survival while delivering high hydraulic efficiency. The core product line includes the Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT) available in multiple sizes from compact 1.9m units to utility-scale configurations exceeding 4m diameter. Complementary service offerings include engineering services (CFD analysis, design optimization, scale testing) and fish passage testing capabilities. The company also offers HydroForecast, a software-as-a-service acquired in 2017 that provides AI-powered streamflow forecasting for hydropower operations. The product ecosystem enables customers to modernize aging hydropower infrastructure while meeting fish passage regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FishSafe™ Turbine Designs (Restoration Hydro Turbine) Patented hydropower turbine runner designs achieving 98–100% through-turbine fish passage survival with up to 94% peak hydraulic efficiency. Configurable for Kaplan, Francis, and propeller-style sites up to 40+ meters head with no upper limit on turbine diameter and designs scaling up to 50 MW capacity. Sold to hydropower plant owners, utilities, IPPs, and dam owners for retrofit and new-build projects.
• FishSafe™ Engineering Services Comprehensive engineering services from feasibility study through commissioned project, including CFD modeling, design optimization, scale model testing, and implementation support. Guides plant owners, developers, and utilities through FishSafe turbine integration to reduce relicensing risk and cut compliance costs.
• FishSafe™ Fish Passage Testing
• HydroForecast (Upstream Tech)

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 94% hydraulic efficiency with 98-100% fish survival rates
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American HydrocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTurbine manufacturer partner for FishSafe turbine distribution and integration. American Hydro distributes FishSafe technology as part of their turbine offerings to hydropower operators.
• DIVE TurbinencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTurbine manufacturer partner distributing FishSafe turbine technology in their markets.
• HPPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTurbine manufacturer partner for FishSafe turbine technology distribution.
• GuglercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTurbine manufacturer partner distributing FishSafe technology in European markets.
• HydroalpcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTurbine manufacturer partner for FishSafe distribution.
• HackercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTurbine manufacturer partner for FishSafe turbine technology distribution.
• KleinschmidtcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTurbine manufacturer partner distributing FishSafe technology.
• NormandeaucoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTurbine manufacturer partner for FishSafe technology distribution.
• Symbion PowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for MyHydro project development in Democratic Republic of Congo. Enables development of 33 potential FishSafe hydropower projects in DRC.
• Argonne National LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on fish passage technology and hydropower optimization research.
• Idaho National LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on hydropower technology and environmental compliance research.
• NRELminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with National Renewable Energy Laboratory on hydropower optimization and fish passage studies.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on hydropower technology and environmental compliance.
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on hydropower technology research.
• Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO/DOE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding and research support through Department of Energy water power programs.
• CalTroutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partnership for fish habitat restoration and fish passage advocacy in California.
• Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partnership for low-impact hydropower certification and advocacy.
• Hydropower Reform Coalition (HSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partnership for hydropower environmental improvement.
• International Hydropower Association (IHA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry affiliation for hydropower best practices and standards.
• National Hydropower Association (NHA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS industry affiliation for hydropower advocacy and standards.
• Waterpower CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian industry affiliation for hydropower.
• Ontario Waterpower Association (OWA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional industry affiliation for Ontario waterpower.
• Northwest Hydropower Association (NWHA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional industry affiliation for Pacific Northwest hydropower.
• France HydrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench industry affiliation for hydropower.
• UC BerkeleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research collaboration with university researchers on fish passage and turbine technology.
• UC DavisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research collaboration with university researchers on fish biology and passage studies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GE Renewable Energy (Hydro): Large hydro OEM whose former division leader Yves Rannou is now Natel's Executive Chairperson; offers competing turbine and digital hydropower solutions to the same global utility and IPP customer base.
• Andritz Hydro: One of the largest global hydropower equipment OEMs, offering turbines, generators, and digital services to utilities; a broad incumbent competing for the same large retrofit and new-build hydro projects Natel targets.
• Voith Hydro: Major hydropower equipment and services provider with full turbine, generator, and automation portfolios; competes for utility-scale hydro modernization and new-build contracts overlapping with FishSafe opportunities.

Direct peers

• Kleinschmidt Group: Hydropower engineering and environmental services firm and Natel partner; comparable as a consultancy-integrated supplier of fish-passage, licensing, and turbine engineering solutions to US hydro owners.
• Normandeau Associates: Environmental and biological services firm supporting hydropower licensing and fish-passage studies and a Natel partner; comparable in serving the same utility customers on fish-passage compliance and turbine evaluation work.
• HPP (Hydro Product Plant): Turbine manufacturer partner distributing FishSafe technology; comparable as a small-to-mid hydro equipment supplier focused on custom turbine solutions for retrofit and small hydro installations.
• DIVE Turbinen: European turbine manufacturer and Natel OEM partner distributing FishSafe technology; comparable as a hydro turbine specialist serving European hydropower operators with custom runner designs.
• Gugler Water Turbines: European turbine manufacturer and Natel OEM partner embedding FishSafe designs into its product line; comparable as a smaller-scale custom hydro turbine specialist serving niche retrofit and small-hydro projects.
• American Hydro: Turbine manufacturer and existing Natel OEM partner that integrates FishSafe designs into its hydropower offerings; directly comparable as a hydro turbine equipment supplier with overlapping customer base of US utilities and IPPs.

Emerging players

• Alden Research Laboratory: Independent fluid mechanics and fisheries engineering lab providing fish-passage testing and turbine design support; comparable as a technical services peer addressing fish-safe hydropower performance and compliance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBcdVPAlaAJCP3TZxVUAYCg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/natel-energy-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/natel_energy

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Natel Energy