CalWave Inc
CalWave Inc is a privately held Berkeley-based wave energy technology developer that designs submerged pressure differential wave energy converters (xWave™ platform) for utilities, grid operators, and coastal communities, currently transitioning from DOE-funded R&D to its first commercial grid-connected deployment at PacWave South in 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CalWave Inc does
CalWave Inc (legal entity: CalWave Power Technologies, Inc.) is a privately held Berkeley, California-based wave energy technology developer founded in 2014 from UC Berkeley research. The company designs and builds the xWave™ platform, a patented submerged pressure differential wave energy converter that captures ocean wave energy while remaining fully beneath the surface, paired with proprietary wave load management mechanisms and an autonomous onboard controller that achieves approximately 80% autonomous operation and 99%+ system uptime. CalWave's product line spans the x1™ pilot-scale device (successfully demonstrated offshore San Diego from September 2021 to July 2022 with 10 months of continuous operation and zero interventions) through planned utility-scale x100™ and x800™ classes, with a 100 kW commercial system scheduled for grid-connected deployment at PacWave South in Oregon in 2026.
The company's business model is multi-stream but pre-commercial. Primary funding comes from non-dilutive U.S. Department of Energy grants, NSF awards, DOE TEAMER technical assistance, accelerator support (Cyclotron Road, Activate, Breakout Labs), and crowdfunding, with cumulative government-backed funding exceeding $30 million. Revenue model mechanics consist of (1) government R&D contracts for technology development and validation, (2) long-term power purchase agreements with utilities such as the Bonneville Power Administration (signed November 2025 for the PacWave project covering 2026-2030 at up to 20 MWh/hour), and (3) future hardware sales of utility-scale wave energy converter systems to project developers and independent power producers. Customer segments span utilities and grid operators, coastal and remote communities, ocean/marine operations, and independent power producers, with distribution conducted exclusively through direct enterprise sales, federal contracting channels, and research institution partnerships — no consumer or channel reseller exposure.
CalWave has been recognized by the World Economic Forum's 1000 Ocean Startups Coalition (2026), the National Hydropower Association (2022), the Solar Impulse Foundation (2020), and placed second in the U.S. DOE Wave Energy Prize (2016, $500,000). The company operates with a 1-10 person team and is currently transitioning from R&D-driven grant funding toward commercial utility-scale deployments, with first commercial power delivery to the U.S. main grid scheduled to commence in 2026.
CalWave Inc firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CalWave Inc
- Legal name
- CalWave Power Technologies, Inc.
- Website
- https://calwave.energy
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CalWave Inc is a privately held Berkeley-based wave energy technology developer that designs submerged pressure differential wave energy converters (xWave™ platform) for utilities, grid operators, and coastal communities, currently transitioning from DOE-funded R&D to its first commercial grid-connected deployment at PacWave South in 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CalWave Inc industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wave Energy Technology
- NAICS
- Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (3353), Switchgear and Switchboard Apparatus Manufacturing (335313)
- SIC
- Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wave Energy Converter (WEC) Power Generation (EUACAJAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Renewable Power Electronics & Advanced Inverters R&D (SiC/GaN, Grid-Forming, HVDC Converter Tech) (EUAMAOAF), Power Electronics for Renewable & Grid-Tied Applications (Solar inverters, wind converters, grid-tie interfaces) (IMAGADAJ)
Keywords
Where CalWave Inc is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
CalWave Inc business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wave Energy Hardware Sales: Sale of wave energy converter systems (xWave technology) to utilities, grid operators, and project developers. Transitioning from R&D to commercial operations with planned PacWave deployment.
- Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): Long-term agreements to supply grid-connected wave-generated power. PacWave PPA with BPA extends from 2026 through 2030 for up to 20 megawatt-hours per hour.
- Government R&D Contracts: U.S. Department of Energy awards and funding for technology development, testing, and validation of wave energy systems.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
CalWave Inc product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CalWave develops and manufactures the xWave submerged wave energy converter (WEC) platform, a family of fully-submersible devices that use pressure differential methodology to convert ocean wave energy into electricity. The product line spans from the demonstrated x1 pilot device to utility-scale x100 and x800 classes, with hardware sales and long-term power purchase agreements targeting utilities, grid operators, and coastal communities.
Product overview
CalWave offers the xWave™ Series, a family of submerged pressure differential wave energy converter technologies designed to convert ocean wave energy into reliable, cost-effective electricity for coastal communities. The product line spans from the x1™ pilot-scale device (demonstrated 2021-2022) through utility-scale x100™ and x800™ systems. The xWave technology features a fully-submerged architecture that captures wave energy while surviving extreme ocean conditions, with onboard autonomous controllers enabling high performance and storm survival. CalWave's PacWave deployment will represent the company's first grid-connected commercial power delivery to the U.S. main grid.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- xWave Technology Patented submerged pressure differential wave energy converter platform that converts ocean wave energy into electricity using fully-submerged architecture for marine ecosystem protection and storm survivability.
- x1 Pilot Device Pilot-scale submerged wave energy converter that completed a 10-month open-water deployment off San Diego (2021-2022) with 99% uptime and zero interventions, demonstrating xWave performance and survivability.
- x100 Utility-Scale Wave Energy Converter Utility-scale class of the xWave technology designed for local energy grids and microgrids, developed from learnings of the x1 pilot deployment.
- x800 Utility-Scale Wave Energy Converter Utility-scale class of the xWave technology targeting multi-megawatt commercial wave energy projects.
- xWave System (PacWave Deployment) 100 kW xWave architecture scheduled for a two-year deployment at PacWave South test facility in Oregon, representing CalWave's first connection to the U.S. main grid under a power purchase agreement with Bonneville Power Administration.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99% system uptime achieved during 10-month pilot deployment
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use CalWave Inc
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CalWave Inc technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
CalWave Inc partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CalWave Inc competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Wave Swell Energy: New Zealand-based company developing oscillating water column wave energy technology. Comparable as an emerging player pursuing grid-connected wave energy commercialization with utility pilots.
- Mocean Energy: Scotland-based wave energy developer building the Blue Star WEC. Comparable as a smaller-scale emerging player in the wave energy R&D space, focused on subsea oil & gas and offshore renewable applications.
- SINN Power: Germany-based wave energy developer with modular wave energy converter technology. Comparable as a smaller European competitor in the marine renewable energy space pursuing commercial pilots.
- Oscilla Power: US-based wave energy technology developer focused on wave energy conversion for remote and grid applications. Comparable as a smaller American peer developing utility-scale wave energy technology.
Direct peers
- Eco Wave Power: Israel-based wave energy company developing floating and shoreline-mounted wave energy converters. Directly comparable as a publicly-listed wave energy technology developer pursuing commercial deployments and PPAs with utilities globally.
- Carnegie Clean Energy: Australia-based ocean energy technology developer (formerly Carnegie Wave Energy) that has deployed the CETO wave energy converter. Comparable as a publicly-traded wave energy company transitioning from R&D to commercial projects with utility customers.
- AW-Energy: Finland-based wave energy developer with the WaveRoller submerged WEC technology. Direct peer operating in the same niche of submerged wave energy converters targeting grid-connected commercial deployments.
- Ocean Power Technologies: US-based publicly-traded wave energy technology company developing the PowerBuoy wave energy converter. Direct peer with established commercial deployments for ocean observation, subsea power, and grid applications, and similar government and utility customer base.
- CorPower Ocean: Sweden-based wave energy converter developer with proprietary WEC technology targeting utility-scale ocean energy deployment. Competes directly with CalWave in the marine energy R&D-to-commercialization transition with similar government-supported pilot programs and utility customer focus.
Broad incumbents
- Schottel Hydro: Germany-based marine technology company with tidal and wave current energy products as part of a broader marine propulsion and renewable portfolio. Comparable as a more established marine energy player with overlapping wave/tidal technology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CalWave Inc social profiles
Digital presenceCalWave Inc financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CalWave Inc leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
CalWave Inc funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds9 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CalWave Inc M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CalWave Inc
What does CalWave Inc do?
CalWave develops and manufactures the xWave submerged wave energy converter (WEC) platform, a family of fully-submersible devices that use pressure differential methodology to convert ocean wave energy into electricity. The product line spans from the demonstrated x1 pilot device to utility-scale x100 and x800 classes, with hardware sales and long-term power purchase agreements targeting utilities, grid operators, and coastal communities.
Is CalWave Inc a public or private company?
CalWave Inc is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CalWave Inc founded?
CalWave Inc was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CalWave Inc based?
CalWave Inc is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does CalWave Inc make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Wave Energy Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and government R&D Contracts.
Who are CalWave Inc's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Wave Swell Energy, Mocean Energy, SINN Power and Oscilla Power. Direct peers are Eco Wave Power, Carnegie Clean Energy, AW-Energy, Ocean Power Technologies and CorPower Ocean. Schottel Hydro is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does CalWave Inc have an API?
No public API is recorded for CalWave Inc.
What industry is CalWave Inc in?
CalWave Inc's product category is Wave Energy Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUACAJAC, Wave Energy Converter (WEC) Power Generation, with a secondary code of EUAMAOAF, Renewable Power Electronics & Advanced Inverters R&D (SiC/GaN, Grid-Forming, HVDC Converter Tech). Its NAICS code is 2211 and its SIC code is 4991.