The Accelerate
The Accelerate Group is a Chicago-based strategic consulting firm founded in 2012 that helps state and local governments, utilities, non-profits, and cleantech startups execute large-scale energy, climate, and innovation initiatives, anchored by Illinois' CEJA legislation and California's $1.5 billion EPIC program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Accelerate does
The Accelerate Group is a Chicago-based strategic consulting and innovation firm founded in 2012 by Andrew Barbeau, focused on accelerating large civic change initiatives in energy, climate, and innovation for companies, governments, and not-for-profits. The firm operates with a small team (1-10 employees) on project-based consulting engagements spanning state energy strategy, city energy master plans, integrated grid planning, legislative and regulatory strategy, program design, and pilot project leadership. Its signature work includes architecting Illinois' Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA, 2021) and serving as Project Coordinator for the California Public Utilities Commission's $1.5 billion EPIC Policy + Innovation Coordination Group, where it built a public-facing database tracking 500+ R&D projects.
Beyond pure advisory work, The Accelerate Group has incubated two branded initiatives: Site.Energy, a smart building energy management software platform developed with sister company Accelerate Energy Labs and piloted with utility ComEd across 10 million square feet of commercial buildings under a pay-for-performance model; and Better Heat, a Chicago-based coalition piloting community geothermal networks for equitable building decarbonization, with an initial deployment in the West Woodlawn neighborhood. Earlier work includes a multi-year microgrid deployment with Shedd Aquarium and Chicago's Museum Campus serving more than 5 million annual visitors. Revenue is generated primarily through negotiated professional services fees on consulting engagements, with a modest recurring component via Site.Energy; pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no outside funding rounds or institutional investors have been disclosed.
The Accelerate firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Accelerate
- Legal name
- The Accelerate Group, LLC
- Website
- https://theaccelerategroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Accelerate Group is a Chicago-based strategic consulting firm founded in 2012 that helps state and local governments, utilities, non-profits, and cleantech startups execute large-scale energy, climate, and innovation initiatives, anchored by Illinois' CEJA legislation and California's $1.5 billion EPIC program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where The Accelerate is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Accelerate business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Strategic Consulting Services: The Accelerate Group provides strategic consulting and project leadership services to companies, governments, and not-for-profits. Revenue is generated through consulting engagements focused on energy strategy, policy development, legislative and regulatory change efforts, and project implementation.
- Software/SaaS (via Accelerate Energy Labs): Sister company Accelerate Energy Labs developed and deployed smart building software through pay-for-performance energy savings programs with commercial building partners.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
The Accelerate product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Accelerate Group is a strategic consulting and innovation firm that helps companies, governments, and not-for-profits advance clean tech, smart cities, innovation, good government, and economic development projects. Its services span state energy strategy, city energy master plans, integrated grid planning, legislative and regulatory strategy, R&D management, pilot project leadership, startup advisory, and program design and implementation. The firm also delivers technology-adjacent products including the Site.Energy smart building platform (with sister company Accelerate Energy Labs), the Better Heat community geothermal initiative, and a public EPIC project tracking database for the California Public Utilities Commission.
Product overview
The Accelerate Group is a strategic consulting and innovation firm, not a traditional software product company. Its core offerings include Site.Energy (a smart building energy management software platform developed with sister company Accelerate Energy Labs), the Better Heat community geothermal initiative, and the EPIC Partnership public database for California. Beyond technology products, the firm provides strategic consulting services including state energy strategy, city energy master plans, legislative and regulatory strategy, R&D management, pilot project leadership, startup advisory, and program design and implementation for clean tech, smart cities, innovation, and economic development projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Site.Energy: A software tool and hardware installation developed by The Accelerate Group and its sister company Accelerate Energy Labs that provides real-time energy management insight and hourly baseline tracking for large building owners, enabling pay-for-performance energy savings.
- Better Heat
Products and services
- Strategic Consulting Services Project-based strategic consulting and innovation services for companies, governments, and not-for-profits working to advance clean tech, smart cities, innovation, good government, and economic development. Service areas include state energy strategy, city energy master plans, integrated grid planning, e-mobility deployment, community energy planning, funding strategy, R&D management, pilot project leadership, startup advisory, climate and community finance, program design, project implementation, and legislative and regulatory strategy.
- Site.Energy Smart Building Platform Smart building energy management software providing real-time insight into building energy use, with hourly baselines to beat, tracking of precise hourly energy efficiency and carbon reduction savings. Enables pay-for-performance energy savings programs for large building owners, piloted with ComEd across 10 million sq.ft. of commercial buildings.
- EPIC Partnership Public Database Public-facing database developed and deployed by The Accelerate Group for the California Public Utilities Commission, tracking 500+ EPIC-funded electricity research, development, and demonstration projects to increase transparency, information-sharing, and accountability for the state's $1.5 billion EPIC program.
- Better Heat Community Geothermal Initiative A coalition-led, carbon-free, modular, community-focused heat utility model for building decarbonization through shared community geothermal networks in dense urban environments. The Accelerate Group leads the Chicago-based coalition, with an initial pilot in the West Woodlawn community on Chicago's South Side.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% carbon-free power sector by 2045 with interim targets
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Accelerate
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Accelerate technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
The Accelerate partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)coreThe Accelerate Group serves as Project Coordinator for CPUC's Policy + Innovation Coordination Group, coordinating alignment between California's $1.5 billion EPIC electricity R&D program and state energy goals. The firm convenes public workstreams and developed a public-facing database for 500+ EPIC-funded projects.
- Better Heat CoalitioncoreLeading a Chicago-based coalition of community, city, labor, and energy leaders to evaluate and demonstrate equitable building decarbonization through community geothermal networks. Initial pilot with West Woodlawn community on Chicago's South Side.
- ComEdcoreIn partnership with utility ComEd, Accelerate Energy Labs (sister company) launched a smart building pilot and pay-for-performance energy savings program with 10 million sq.ft. of commercial buildings. The collaboration developed and deployed software tools for real-time energy management and hourly performance tracking.
- Shedd Aquarium / Museum CampusmajorWorked with Shedd Aquarium and Chicago's Museum Campus to advance microgrid deployment for the cultural destination serving 5 million+ people annually, focusing on demand response, energy efficiency, solar, and storage for critical reliability.
- Accelerate Energy LabscoreSister company that developed and deployed smart building energy management software (Site.Energy) and operates the pay-for-performance energy savings program with ComEd.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Accelerate competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Elevate: Chicago-based clean energy and climate-affordability non-profit that designs and implements building decarbonization, workforce, and equity programs - direct comparable given shared Chicago focus, equity framing, and building energy work (Anne McKibbin previously served as Principal Director of Policy at Elevate).
- Strategen Consulting: Clean energy strategy and policy consulting firm that supports utilities, governments, and startups on grid modernization, transportation electrification, and regulatory strategy - overlapping with The Accelerate Group's integrated planning and regulatory work.
- Energy Solutions: Clean energy program design, evaluation, and implementation consultancy that supports utilities and state agencies on energy efficiency, demand response, and equity programs, overlapping with The Accelerate Group's pay-for-performance and community energy work.
- VEIC (Vermont Energy Investment Corporation): Non-profit energy efficiency consultancy operating at the nexus of utility program administration and state policy advocacy - directly comparable mission and operating model to The Accelerate Group's community decarbonization work.
- Cadmus Group: Consulting firm with deep energy, environment, and climate practice serving state agencies, utilities, and non-profits on program design, evaluation, and policy - comparable consulting model and customer base.
- RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute): Independent climate and clean energy think tank/consultancy that combines deep policy analysis with implementation support for state, utility, and city clients - directly comparable to The Accelerate Group's civic-change initiative model.
- Meister Consultants Group: Energy and climate policy consulting firm advising state agencies, utilities, and municipalities on clean energy program design and regulatory engagement, with similar state-level policy work as The Accelerate Group.
Broad incumbents
- ICF International: Large global consulting firm with a substantial energy and environment practice serving utilities, state agencies, and federal clients on regulatory, R&D, and program implementation work - addresses the same buyers as The Accelerate Group but at much greater scale.
- Guidehouse: Large management and energy consulting firm advising utilities, regulators, and governments on energy transition, grid modernization, and program management - broader portfolio than The Accelerate Group but overlapping on energy strategy and regulatory clients.
- ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Global environmental and sustainability consultancy serving corporate and public-sector clients on climate strategy, policy, and program implementation - overlapping with The Accelerate Group on environmental policy and program design.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Accelerate social profiles
Digital presenceThe Accelerate financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Accelerate leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Accelerate funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Accelerate 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 The Accelerate
What does The Accelerate do?
The Accelerate Group is a strategic consulting and innovation firm that helps companies, governments, and not-for-profits advance clean tech, smart cities, innovation, good government, and economic development projects. Its services span state energy strategy, city energy master plans, integrated grid planning, legislative and regulatory strategy, R&D management, pilot project leadership, startup advisory, and program design and implementation. The firm also delivers technology-adjacent products including the Site.Energy smart building platform (with sister company Accelerate Energy Labs), the Better Heat community geothermal initiative, and a public EPIC project tracking database for the California Public Utilities Commission.
Is The Accelerate a public or private company?
The Accelerate is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Accelerate founded?
The Accelerate was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Accelerate based?
The Accelerate is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Accelerate make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Strategic Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are software/SaaS (via Accelerate Energy Labs).
Who are The Accelerate's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Elevate, Strategen Consulting, Energy Solutions, VEIC (Vermont Energy Investment Corporation), Cadmus Group, RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute) and Meister Consultants Group. Broad incumbents are ICF International, Guidehouse and ERM (Environmental Resources Management).
Does The Accelerate have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Accelerate.