CalTestBed
CalTestBed is a CEC-funded voucher program, operated by New Energy Nexus with UCOP and LBNL, that awards testing subsidies to California hardware clean energy entrepreneurs (TRL 5-7), granting access to 70+ facilities across UC campuses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CalTestBed does
CalTestBed is a publicly funded voucher program that provides California-based clean energy entrepreneurs with subsidized access to testing facilities for validating hardware innovations at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 5 through 7. The program addresses the critical "valley of death" gap that hardware clean energy ventures face between laboratory prototyping and commercial demonstration, where independent testing is expensive and difficult to procure. CalTestBed specifically serves early-stage hardware-focused clean energy startups with operations in California; software-only ventures are explicitly excluded from eligibility.
The program is operated by New Energy Nexus in partnership with the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), giving entrepreneurs access to more than 70 testing facilities across 9 UC campuses and LBNL. The inaugural 2020 symposium awarded over $6 million in testing vouchers to 26 entrepreneurs, and cumulative voucher availability has reached $16.7 million across multiple funding cycles. All awarded innovations align with California's clean energy economy priorities.
CalTestBed's business model is a public-sector pass-through: it does not generate commercial revenue but rather disburses California Energy Commission (CEC) grant funding to participating entrepreneurs, who in turn use the vouchers to pay UC and LBNL testing facilities. The program's funding flows from the CEC's Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) initiative, making it wholly dependent on state appropriations. There is no disclosed pricing model, subscription revenue, or commercial customer base; the entrepreneurs receiving vouchers are grant recipients rather than paying customers.
CalTestBed firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CalTestBed
- Legal name
- CalTestBed
- Website
- https://www.caltestbed.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- CalTestBed is a CEC-funded voucher program, operated by New Energy Nexus with UCOP and LBNL, that awards testing subsidies to California hardware clean energy entrepreneurs (TRL 5-7), granting access to 70+ facilities across UC campuses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CalTestBed industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Clean Energy Testing Services
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Demonstration Pilots, Testbeds & Standards Development (Prototype Validation, Certification, Field Trials) (EUAMAOAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Calibration Services & Standards (Calibration labs, reference standards, traceability services) (IMAGAFAH)
Keywords
Where CalTestBed is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CalTestBed business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Voucher Program Funding: CalTestBed is a California Energy Commission-funded initiative that distributes testing vouchers to clean energy entrepreneurs. The program provides $16.7M in testing vouchers to eligible companies to use at world-class testing facilities throughout California. Revenue comes from public funding allocated by the California Energy Commission.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
CalTestBed product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CalTestBed is a California Energy Commission-funded voucher program that provides $16.7 million in testing vouchers to clean energy entrepreneurs to access more than 70 world-class testing facilities at 9 University of California campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The program targets California-based clean energy hardware innovators with prototypes at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5-7 and supports them through an annual solicitation, laboratory consultation, Statement of Work development, and an annual commercialization symposium.
Product overview
CalTestBed is a unified voucher program operated by New Energy Nexus in partnership with the University of California Office of the President and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The core offering is a testing voucher program that provides $16.7 million in vouchers to clean energy entrepreneurs with prototypes at Technology Readiness Level 5-7, enabling access to more than 70 testing facilities across 9 UC campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The program also includes an annual symposium for customer development and commercialization support, connecting voucher recipients with next-level partners, investors, and pilot/demonstration opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CalTestBed Testing Voucher Program A voucher program providing $16.7M in testing vouchers to California-based clean energy hardware entrepreneurs (TRL 5-7) to access world-class testing facilities throughout California, including 70+ facilities at 9 UC campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Quantifiable outcome
- 26 clean energy entrepreneurs awarded over $6 million in testing vouchers at 2020 inaugural symposium
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use CalTestBed
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
CalTestBed technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CalTestBed partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- New Energy NexuscoreLead partner coordinating the CalTestBed Initiative. New Energy Nexus works with partners at UCOP and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab to coordinate the network of testing facilities and manage the voucher program.
- University of California Office of the President (UCOP)corePartner in coordinating testing facilities across UC campuses. UCOP works with New Energy Nexus and LBNL to coordinate assets, facilities, and resources for the program.
- Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorycorePartner providing access to national laboratory testing facilities. LBNL is part of the coordinated network of assets and resources for CalTestBed.
- Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)minorPart of the California Innovation Ecosystem network. Companies can connect through LACI to access CalTestBed resources and the broader clean energy innovation community.
- Bluetech ValleyminorPart of the California Innovation Ecosystem network. Bluetech Valley connects clean energy innovators to CalTestBed resources.
- ActivateminorPart of the California Innovation Ecosystem network. Activate supports clean energy entrepreneurs who may benefit from CalTestBed testing vouchers.
- Southern California Energy Innovation Network (SCEIN)minorPart of the California Innovation Ecosystem network. SCEIN connects Southern California clean energy innovators to CalTestBed resources.
- Empower Innovation NetworkminorRepository for California's clean energy community events, funding opportunities, and partners. Companies can join to connect with CalTestBed and other innovation ecosystem resources.
- UC BerkeleycoreOne of 9 UC campuses providing testing facilities to CalTestBed voucher recipients. UC Berkeley has committed testbeds to the network.
- UC DaviscoreOne of 9 UC campuses providing testing facilities to CalTestBed voucher recipients.
- UC IrvinecoreOne of 9 UC campuses providing testing facilities to CalTestBed voucher recipients.
- UC Los AngelescoreOne of 9 UC campuses providing testing facilities to CalTestBed voucher recipients.
- UC MercedcoreOne of 9 UC campuses providing testing facilities to CalTestBed voucher recipients.
- UC RiversidecoreOne of 9 UC campuses providing testing facilities to CalTestBed voucher recipients.
- UC San DiegocoreOne of 9 UC campuses providing testing facilities to CalTestBed voucher recipients.
- UC Santa BarbaracoreOne of 9 UC campuses providing testing facilities to CalTestBed voucher recipients.
- UC Santa CruzcoreOne of 9 UC campuses providing testing facilities to CalTestBed voucher recipients.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
CalTestBed competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Powerhouse: Powerhouse is a solar startup accelerator and venture fund that supports entrepreneurs in the solar and clean energy space. It shares CalTestBed's mission of advancing clean energy commercialization through non-dilutive support and ecosystem connections.
- Activate: Activate is a fellowship program supporting entrepreneurial scientists working on transformative climate solutions. Like CalTestBed, Activate provides resources and infrastructure access to advance hard-tech climate ventures from prototype toward commercialization.
- Greentown Labs: Greentown Labs is North America's largest cleantech incubator, providing prototyping lab space, equipment, and community to hardware cleantech startups. Both CalTestBed and Greentown Labs focus on enabling hardware clean energy companies to test, validate, and advance their technologies.
- Elemental Excelerator: Elemental Excelerator is a clean energy accelerator that funds and supports startups deploying solutions across transportation, energy, water, and agriculture. Like CalTestBed, it accelerates cleantech commercialization through non-dilutive capital and ecosystem support.
- Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI): LACI is a clean technology startup accelerator supporting entrepreneurs developing sustainable urban solutions. LACI is both an ecosystem partner of CalTestBed and a directly comparable cleantech accelerator serving California-based hardware startups.
- Chain Reaction Innovations: Chain Reaction Innovations is a DOE-funded program at Argonne National Laboratory that embeds innovators in a national lab to mature their technologies. Like CalTestBed, it provides clean energy entrepreneurs with access to national lab infrastructure for prototype validation.
- Innovation Crossroads: Innovation Crossroads is Oak Ridge National Laboratory's program supporting entrepreneurs in energy and advanced manufacturing. Both CalTestBed and Innovation Crossroads connect cleantech startups with national lab testing capabilities and translational support.
- MaRS Discovery District: MaRS is a Toronto-based innovation hub supporting science and technology startups, including those in clean energy. Both CalTestBed and MaRS provide resources, networks, and infrastructure to help emerging technology companies advance toward commercialization.
- Energy Foundry: Energy Foundry is a Midwest-based cleantech investor and accelerator that supports early-stage clean energy startups. Like CalTestBed, it provides funding and ecosystem resources to advance hardware clean energy ventures toward commercialization.
Regional players
- NYSERDA: NYSERDA is New York State's energy research and development authority, funding and supporting clean energy innovation through various programs. NYSERDA serves a comparable function to CalTestBed but operates in New York rather than California.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CalTestBed social profiles
Digital presenceCalTestBed financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CalTestBed leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CalTestBed funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CalTestBed M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CalTestBed
What does CalTestBed do?
CalTestBed is a California Energy Commission-funded voucher program that provides $16.7 million in testing vouchers to clean energy entrepreneurs to access more than 70 world-class testing facilities at 9 University of California campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The program targets California-based clean energy hardware innovators with prototypes at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5-7 and supports them through an annual solicitation, laboratory consultation, Statement of Work development, and an annual commercialization symposium.
Is CalTestBed a public or private company?
CalTestBed is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CalTestBed founded?
CalTestBed was founded in 2019. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is CalTestBed based?
CalTestBed is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does CalTestBed make money?
One revenue line is on record: voucher Program Funding.
Who are CalTestBed's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Powerhouse, Activate, Greentown Labs, Elemental Excelerator, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), Chain Reaction Innovations, Innovation Crossroads, MaRS Discovery District and Energy Foundry. NYSERDA is listed as a regional player.
Does CalTestBed have an API?
No public API is recorded for CalTestBed.
What industry is CalTestBed in?
CalTestBed's product category is Clean Energy Testing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMAOAL, Demonstration Pilots, Testbeds & Standards Development (Prototype Validation, Certification, Field Trials), with a secondary code of IMAGAFAH, Calibration Services & Standards (Calibration labs, reference standards, traceability services). Its NAICS code is 54138 and its SIC code is 8734.