EnergyLab Cambodia

What EnergyLab Cambodia does

EnergyLab Asia, operating as EnergyLab Cambodia (legal entity The Energy Laboratory Limited), is a not-for-profit organization founded in Cambodia in 2018 to accelerate clean energy transition in Southeast Asia. The organization functions as an ecosystem orchestrator rather than a product or technology company, with no proprietary software or hardware. Its core activities span entrepreneur incubation and acceleration (SWITCH to Solar Startup Program — Hackathon, Pre-Incubation, Incubation, and Acceleration phases; 19 solar tech-startups launched with 70% still active as of 2025, 13 of which obtained $7.5k Seed Investment Grants via Khmer Enterprise), professional and youth capacity building (Clean Energy Fellowship, Women in Clean Energy Fellowship, Clean Energy Internship, Solar Lab Tour, hackathons), and policy advisory to the Royal Government of Cambodia on clean energy frameworks (Energy Attribute Certificates with EDC and MME, Power Development Plan 2022–2040 analysis, Just Energy Transition, Electric Mobility Inter-ministerial Panel).

EnergyLab serves five primary beneficiary segments: CleanTech entrepreneurs and startups in the agri-fishery solar space, early-to-mid-career clean energy professionals, university and TVET students, government and policy makers, and existing clean energy companies. The organization reaches scale through donor-funded cohort delivery — to date it has supported 42+ student interns, 21-person fellowship cohorts, 3,600 high school students via Solar Lab Tour, and engaged 1.4 million people through dedicated social media channels. Programs are free to beneficiaries, with small internship stipends ($100–$200) and seed grants routed through Khmer Enterprise.

The business model is grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. EnergyLab does not charge for core programs; operations are financed by a diversified portfolio of bilateral and multilateral donors (EU SWITCH-Asia, Australian Aid, British Embassy, Czech Development Agency, UNDP, Oxfam Novib, NZ MFAT), German political foundations (KAS, Heinrich Boll Stiftung), and impact-aligned partners (CalCEF, LED, Khmer Enterprise, CleanBreak). The organization operates from Phnom Penh (GIA Tower, Sopheak Mongkul Street) with a regional office opened in Vientiane, Laos in 2024 under the EnergyLab Asia brand, supported by ~22 staff across both countries and governed by a Board chaired by Bridget McIntosh. Strategic co-development partners include University of Groningen (Solar Lab Tour), Engineers Without Borders Australia (Women in Clean Energy Fellowship), Sevea Consulting and Mekong Inclusive Ventures (startup mentoring), and Khmer Enterprise (seed grants and co-working space).

Name

EnergyLab Cambodia

Legal name

The Energy Laboratory Limited

Website

https://energylab.asia

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EnergyLab Asia is a Phnom Penh-headquartered not-for-profit founded in 2018 that builds Cambodia's clean energy ecosystem through entrepreneur incubation, professional fellowships, student internships, policy advisory, and the annual Clean Energy Week, funded by international development donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clean Energy Non-Profit Services

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Clean energy programs
• Clean energy incubation
• Solar startup accelerator
• Clean energy policy advocacy
• Clean energy workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Phnom Penh

HQ country

Cambodia

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services: EnergyLab Cambodia is a not-for-profit organization established in 2018. The organization does not generate commercial revenue from product sales. Funding comes from government donors, development agencies, and international organizations. The organization works to support clean energy growth through policy events, strategic analysis, and capacity building programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EnergyLab Cambodia runs a portfolio of clean energy capacity-building and ecosystem programs targeting entrepreneurs, professionals, students, and government stakeholders. Core offerings include the Clean Energy Fellowship and Clean Energy Internship for skills development, the SWITCH to Solar Startup Program (Hackathon, Pre-Incubation, Incubation, Acceleration) for solar tech entrepreneurs in the agri-fishery sector, the annual Clean Energy Week and Clean Energy Awards convening platform, policy advisory work (Just Energy Transition, Energy Attribute Certificates), and published research reports on Cambodia's clean energy progress, skills gaps, and e-waste management.

Product overview

EnergyLab Asia is a not-for-profit organization established in Cambodia in 2018, expanded to Lao PDR in 2024, driving clean energy transition across Southeast Asia. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including the Clean Energy Fellowship (six-month professional development), Clean Energy Internship (six-month placement program), and SWITCH to Solar Startup Program (Clean Tech Incubator and Accelerator with Hackathon, Pre-Incubation, Incubation, and Acceleration phases). Annual flagship events include Clean Energy Week and Clean Energy Awards recognizing sector champions. Education and outreach programs feature Smart Energy Hackathon, Clean Energy Hackathon, Solar Lab Tour, and Women in Clean Energy Fellowship. The organization provides policy advisory through Just Energy Transition support, Energy Attribute Certificates programs, and government coordination via Inter-ministerial Panel. Knowledge products include published reports on Cambodia's clean energy progress, skills gaps, land use mapping, e-waste management, and garment sector electrification. Skills development initiatives include EV sector skills analysis and partner support programs connecting educational institutions with industry needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clean Energy Fellowship A six-month professional development program for early and mid-career professionals designed to build clean energy knowledge, leadership capabilities, and advocacy skills through training, field visits to clean energy companies, and publication of think pieces for the Generation Power publication. The 2025 cohort had 21 fellows.
• Clean Energy Internship A six-month internship program connecting TVET and university students with clean energy companies in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency sectors, providing practical work experience, job readiness training, and career pathway development. Over 42 students supported since launch.
• SWITCH to Solar Startup Program A Clean Tech Start-up Incubator and Accelerator Program supporting entrepreneurs in the agri-fishery market to develop businesses using solar technology. Includes Hackathon, 6-week Pre-Incubation, 1-year Incubation, and 6-month Acceleration phases. Launched 19 solar tech-startups, 13 of which received Seed Investment Grants; 70% remain active in the market as of 2025.
• Clean Energy Week An annual celebration platform bringing together government, industry leaders, and development partners to showcase clean energy opportunities and drive Cambodia's economic competitiveness and industrial growth. Clean Energy Week 2025 (2-7 October) featured 13 sessions with 50+ speakers and 1000+ participants. Six successful Clean Energy Weeks have been organized since 2018.
• Clean Energy Awards Annual awards recognizing individuals and organizations contributing significantly to Cambodia's clean energy transition, including Clean Energy Champion Award and Clean Energy Outstanding Company Award categories. Held annually since 2022 during Clean Energy Week.
• Solar Lab Tour An outreach project in partnership with University of Groningen conducting interactive solar sessions with high school students, teaching clean energy concepts and solar cell experiments. Reached 3,600 Cambodian high school students through 120 one-hour sharing sessions at 24 public high schools.
• Smart Energy Hackathon A hackathon event bringing together IT, business, engineering and energy talent to develop software and hardware solutions for smart energy challenges in Cambodia, held at Kirirom Institute of Technology.
• Women in Clean Energy Fellowship A fellowship supporting capacity development for women working in clean energy through tailored professional development, leadership training delivered with Engineers Without Borders Australia, and networking opportunities.
• Electric Mobility Programs Programs supporting Cambodia's transition to electric vehicles including Electric Mobility Showcase, Inter-ministerial Panel coordination, and pathway development for scaling urban electric mobility. Includes the Pathways to Scaling Urban Electric Mobility research and events series.
• Energy Attribute Certificates (EAC) Program Program developing stakeholder understanding of Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs/Green Energy Certificates/IRECs) for tracking renewable energy production, distribution, and consumption, in collaboration with Electricité du Cambodge (EDC) and the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME).
• Just Energy Transition (JET) Approach supporting Cambodia's transition from fossil fuel-based energy systems while promoting social equity, addressing vulnerable communities, and ensuring clean energy access and affordability. Funded by Oxfam Novib.
• Renewable Energy Day Laos Event held in Vientiane, Laos focused on building understanding of renewable energy opportunities, inclusive energy transition, and private sector investment, organized under the Laos-Australia partnership in collaboration with the Australian Embassy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 42+ students placed in internships at clean energy companies
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Khmer EnterprisecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership with Khmer Enterprise to provide Seed Investment Grants worth USD 7.5k per startup to incubator program participants. Khmer Enterprise also provides access to co-working space and network of mentors and ecosystem collaboration.
• University of GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with University of Groningen in the Netherlands for the Solar Lab Tour outreach project. Two Dutch volunteers and 24 Cambodian university students conducted interactive solar sessions with high school students.
• People In NeedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational NGO providing support for clean energy programs and participating in startup program judging.
• Sevea ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSevea provides mentoring, business development support, and technical expertise for startup programs. Multiple Sevea staff serve as mentors.
• Mekong Inclusive Ventures (MIV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIV provides CEO Ian Jones as mentor and judge for startup programs, supporting entrepreneurship in the clean energy space.
• Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEWB provides leadership training, mentoring, and soft skill development for Women in Clean Energy Fellowship program.
• Electricité du Cambodge (EDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with EDC for Energy Attribute Certificates (EAC) policy framework development.
• Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with MME for EAC policy framework, Cambodia Power Development Plan analysis, and clean energy transition support.
• Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerP4I provides technical advisory support for renewable energy transition discussions and EV sector skills gap analysis.
• Cambodia Climate Change Alliance (CCCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCCA partnered with EnergyLab for inter-ministerial workshop on electric mobility development.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Acumen: Impact-focused nonprofit investing in early-stage clean energy and social enterprises in South and Southeast Asia, with comparable fellowship and accelerator programming targeting energy access and clean tech entrepreneurs.
• New Energy Nexus: Global nonprofit that supports clean energy entrepreneurs and startups through incubation, fellowship, and accelerator programs across multiple emerging markets including Southeast Asia. Highly comparable ecosystem-building model targeting solar and clean tech founders.
• Power for All: Global advocacy and research organization promoting decentralized renewable energy access in emerging markets, with comparable stakeholder coordination, policy advocacy, and ecosystem development roles.
• Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP): International donor-funded partnership supporting clean energy policy, finance, and business model deployment in developing countries, with comparable focus on Southeast Asia and small island states.

Broad incumbents

• Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI): Intergovernmental organization supporting green growth policy advisory and capacity building in developing countries, including Cambodia. Comparable as a development-focused clean energy advisory and policy intermediary in the same geographies.
• Clean Energy Council (Australia): Australian peak industry body for clean energy with awards programs, skills development, and policy advocacy. Comparable in operating an annual Clean Energy Awards program and workforce development focus, though serving a larger market.
• Climate-KIC: EU-backed climate innovation community running accelerator and skills programs for clean energy and climate startups globally. Larger and broader in scope, but operates with a similar incubation-plus-policy-advocacy model in emerging markets.
• GET.invest (GIZ): European-funded platform supporting clean energy investment and business development in developing countries. Similar in mobilizing donor capital for early-stage clean energy enterprises and serving as a market facilitation intermediary.

Regional players

• Sun Exchange: Solar leasing platform operating across Africa, with adjacent mission of expanding solar energy access through innovative financing. Comparable focus on enabling distributed solar deployment in emerging markets, though commercially structured.

Others

• C40 Cities: Global network of cities addressing climate change, with relevant clean energy transition programming in Southeast Asian member cities. Not a direct competitor but an adjacent ecosystem organization that overlaps with EnergyLab's policy and capacity-building remit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbWcXZZcEyj-Ht5-X3nKj1A
• Facebookfacebook.com/EnergyLabAsia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/energylab-cambodia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 EnergyLab Cambodia