What EnergyLab does

EnergyLab (legally The Energy Laboratory Limited) is a Sydney-based, registered charity and nonprofit accelerator founded in 2017 that operates Australia's largest climate tech startup ecosystem. The organization runs 10 programs spanning the full startup lifecycle — from ideation (Climate Tech Ignite, Women in Climate and Energy Fellowship), through researcher commercialization (Climate Tech Lab to Market) and seed traction (Climate Tech Charge), to growth-stage acceleration (Climate Solutions Accelerator, Energy Scaleup Program) and international expansion (Going International Bootcamp). Specialized tracks include the Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge and Incubator focused on the lithium battery value chain, developed in partnership with New Energy Nexus. Supporting infrastructure comprises an angel investor network (EnergyLab Angels) with an AI-augmented deal platform, and coworking memberships in Sydney and Melbourne.

The organization is headquartered on the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) campus under a long-running strategic partnership providing research access, student talent pipelines, and commercialization support, supplemented by 450+ mentors from the clean energy sector. Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model: coworking subscriptions (AU$330–550/month), program fees where applicable (many programs are free), tax-deductible donations, government grants (notably AU$1.39M cumulative from ARENA across 2020 and 2023), and 20% carried interest on angel investments administered via Impact Ventures. EnergyLab's customer base is a long-tail of 300+ climate tech startups across ANZ, with alumni outcomes including notable acquisitions (Everty by AGL, Evergen by Intellihub, Powerpal by Amber Electric) and the inaugural Supercharge Australia cohort raising AU$48M+ in follow-on capital.

Name

EnergyLab

Legal name

The Energy Laboratory Limited

Website

https://energylab.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EnergyLab is a Sydney-based nonprofit accelerator operating Australia's largest climate tech startup ecosystem, running 10 programs across the startup lifecycle and supporting 300+ founders with a 450+ mentor network, coworking spaces, and a dedicated angel investor group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Tech Startup Accelerator

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Energy & Clean Tech Access (Off-grid, Energy Poverty Solutions) (BPAGALAE)

Keywords

• Climate tech accelerator
• Clean energy startups
• Startup mentorship programs
• Angel investor network
• Innovation ecosystem

Headquarters

HQ city

Chippendale

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: EnergyLab runs multiple accelerator programs including Climate Solutions Accelerator, Scaleup Program, Climate Tech Charge, and others. Some programs are free while others may have associated costs.
2. Coworking Membership: Monthly coworking memberships providing office space access in Sydney, ranging from $330/month for hot desk to $550/month for dedicated desk, including GST. Flexible month-to-month or 3-6 month terms available.
3. Donations: EnergyLab is a registered charity accepting tax-deductible donations in Australia. All donations over $2 are tax-deductible.
4. Angel Group Investment Facilitation: Free for startups to apply and pitch; free for investors to join. Impact Ventures charges 20% carried interest on investment profits and transaction fees of A$100 for investments between A$1,000-$5,000 and A$200 for investments under A$1,000. No management fees charged.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EnergyLab operates a multi-program climate tech startup accelerator ecosystem that supports founders across the full startup lifecycle through 10 distinct programs spanning ideation, commercialization, acceleration, and international scaleup. The offering is anchored by structured mentorship, a 450+ mentor network, investor introductions via the EnergyLab Angels network, physical coworking space in Sydney, and targeted initiatives such as Supercharge Australia focused on the lithium battery value chain.

Product overview

EnergyLab operates as a multi-program accelerator ecosystem rather than a single unified product. The core platform consists of 10 accelerator and support programs spanning the startup lifecycle—from early-stage ideation (Climate Tech Ignite, Women in Climate and Energy Fellowship) through commercialization support (Climate Tech Lab to Market), growth acceleration (Climate Solutions Accelerator, Climate Tech Charge), and scaleup (Energy Scaleup Program, Going International Bootcamp). Specialized tracks include the Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge and Incubator focused on the lithium battery value chain. Supporting infrastructure includes an Angel Group investment network with a deal platform offering AI-generated insights, and Coworking Membership providing physical workspace and community access. All programs connect climate tech founders to mentors, advisors, partners, peers, and investors to support deployment of low-carbon solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Supercharge Australia: A joint initiative between EnergyLab and New Energy Nexus focused on developing Australia's lithium battery value chain innovation ecosystem
• EnergyLab Angels

Products and services

• Climate Solutions Accelerator Flagship accelerator program connecting talented climate tech founders with investors, advisors, and supporters to roll out and scale low-carbon solutions. Designed for founders seeking funding, networking, and industry support to commercialize and deploy climate technologies.
• Energy Scaleup Program Virtual accelerator that brings late-stage startups and innovative energy companies together to jointly deploy new energy solutions and scale internationally. Targets founders preparing for international expansion and large-scale deployment.
• Climate Tech Charge Program Always-on 12-month program supporting high-potential startups with market-validated ideas to build traction and prepare for seed fundraising. Provides mentorship and growth strategy support to founders preparing to acquire seed capital.
• Climate Tech Ignite Program supporting aspiring and early-stage founders to generate, test, and launch their startup ideas in the climate tech space. Targets founders at the ideation and validation stage before product-market fit.
• Climate Tech Lab to Market Program supporting university and institutional researchers at the cutting edge of decarbonization technologies to commercialize their innovations. Designed for research teams translating IP into investable startups.
• Women in Climate and Energy Fellowship Fellowship providing skills, knowledge, and networks to help women take their first steps towards starting a climate or energy company. Targeted program addressing underrepresentation of women in climate tech entrepreneurship.
• Going International Bootcamp Bootcamp for climate tech startups ready to focus on expanding into markets outside of Australia. Supports founders with international go-to-market planning, cross-border partnerships, and overseas investor introductions.
• Climate Tech Investment Ready Program (QLD) Program supporting Queensland-based climate tech startups on their path to raising capital, helping them become investment ready through investor preparation and pitch development.
• Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge Innovation challenge targeting startups, entrepreneurs, and visionary teams to build the future of the Australian lithium battery value chain. Focuses on EV retrofitting, battery technology, and adjacent innovation opportunities. The inaugural 2023 cohort's startups raised over AU$48 million in follow-on funding.
• Supercharge Australia Incubator Incubator supporting early-stage startups along the lithium battery value chain with tools to accelerate product development from proof-of-concept to prototype. Jointly run with New Energy Nexus as part of the Supercharge Australia initiative.
• Coworking Membership Centrally-located office space in Sydney with a community of cleantech founders, offering dedicated desks ($550/month), hot desks ($330/month), meeting rooms, event space, and online community access via Slack. Targets climate tech founders and small teams seeking physical workspace and ecosystem proximity.
• Premium Membership Community membership providing access to connections and support for clean energy and climate tech founders worldwide. Targets founders outside the coworking geography seeking to participate in the EnergyLab community.
• EnergyLab Angels Australia and New Zealand's only angel investor network dedicated to high-growth clean energy and climate tech startups. Provides curated deal flow, investor matching, and a deal platform with AI-generated insights on climate impact, market overview, competitors, risks, and comparable startups. Targets startups raising $100,000 to $1,000,000 at $1-10 million valuations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ startups supported through programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• University of Technology Sydney (UTS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 December 2023UTS is supporting the 'Entrepreneurial Support for the Cleantech Startup Ecosystem' project through a grant along with Impact Ventures Partners. The project aims to boost Australia's renewable energy startup ecosystem over four years by funding programs that help early-stage clean energy startups address barriers and scale technologies.
• University of Technology Sydney (UTS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017EnergyLab's partnership with UTS has been a key enabler of success since 2017. Headquartered on the UTS campus, EnergyLab has access to leading experts and research agendas across science, technology, engineering and entrepreneurship. The partnership includes technology research and commercialisation collaboration, integration of students into the cleantech sector, and support for clean energy entrepreneurship education outcomes.
• New Energy NexusflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Energy Nexus is the founding partner of Supercharge Australia, a joint initiative with EnergyLab to develop Australia's lithium battery innovation ecosystem. New Energy Nexus brings global expertise and connections including its role in the US Department of Energy's Lithium Bridge project.
• ARENA (Australian Renewable Energy Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARENA (Australian Renewable Energy Agency) is listed as a key partner supporting EnergyLab's programs and ecosystem development.
• KPMGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKPMG is listed as a supporting partner of EnergyLab's programs.
• Climate KICminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate KIC is listed as a partner organization supporting EnergyLab's climate tech ecosystem.
• Origin EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrigin Energy is listed as a supporting partner of EnergyLab's programs and ecosystem.
• Endeavour EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndeavour Energy is listed as a partner organization supporting EnergyLab.
• PowerlinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPowerlink is listed as a partner organization supporting EnergyLab.
• Free ElectronsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree Electrons is listed as a partner organization of EnergyLab.
• RMIT ActivatorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRMIT Activator is listed as a partner organization supporting EnergyLab.
• GridcogminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGridcog is listed as a partner organization supporting EnergyLab.
• OpenSolarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpenSolar is listed as a partner organization supporting EnergyLab.
• Marque LawyersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarque Lawyers is listed as a partner organization supporting EnergyLab.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator network with multiple programs including sustainability-focused verticals. Comparable cohort structure, mentor network, and investor demo days but operates across diverse industries.
• Antler: Global early-stage venture firm and accelerator with strong ANZ presence. Comparable cohort-based accelerator model and investor matching, but operates across all sectors rather than specializing in climate tech.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Large global startup accelerator and venture fund operating multiple verticals including Sustainability/Energy. Comparable accelerator model with corporate partnerships and investor networks but at much larger scale across multiple sectors.

Direct peers

• New Energy Nexus: Global clean energy accelerator and ecosystem builder. Direct partner with EnergyLab on Supercharge Australia, operating similar incubator and accelerator programs for climate startups globally with comparable focus on diverse founders and emerging markets.
• Startmate: Australia and New Zealand's largest startup accelerator. While not exclusively focused on climate tech, it operates in the same geography with similar cohort-based accelerator programs and an investor network, making it the most directly comparable ANZ-based peer.
• Elemental Excelerator: US-based climate tech accelerator funding and supporting startups deploying climate solutions. Comparable mission of building climate tech ecosystems with cohort programs, non-dilutive capital, and corporate partnerships.
• Cicada Innovations: Australia's deep tech incubator supporting science and engineering-based startups. Comparable mission of commercializing research innovations with incubator programs, though broader in scope than EnergyLab's climate focus.
• RMIT Activator: University-linked startup accelerator in Melbourne. Listed as an EnergyLab partner and operates similar cohort programs with university research commercialization, though not exclusively focused on climate tech.
• UTS Startups: University of Technology Sydney's startup program sharing the same institutional home as EnergyLab. Operates comparable entrepreneurship programs and supports student founders, creating direct overlap in the ANZ startup ecosystem.
• Free Electrons: Global energy startup accelerator program backed by major utilities. Listed as an EnergyLab partner and operates comparable utility-backed accelerator programs connecting energy startups with corporate partners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/energylabau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/energylab-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments39 records

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

Frequently asked questions about EnergyLab