SAN ANTONIO, September 19, 2018 –– EPIcenter is proud to introduce the companies selected to participate in the second cohort of its New Energy Incubator and Accelerator program. The program launched in December of 2017 to provide resources to emerging businesses focused on the advancement of new energy innovation and technology. The clients included in the second cohort are Vesta Systems, which will enter Pre-Incubation, and Drones of Prey,which will enter Incubation.
“Over the last two years, EPIcenter has established its place as a thought leader in the new energy space and put its mission into motion by engaging a broad range of stakeholders in two annual summits and the launch of the Global Lecture Series this summer,” said EPIcenter CEO Kimberly Britton. “The New Energy Incubator and Accelerator is a crucial element of the mission because this is where we will support and grow emerging businesses bringing new technology to market and supporting our local economy.”
Based in San Antonio, Vesta Systems is co-owned by Blair Labatt III and Sean Berg. The company will be a full suite provider of scalable energy storage solutions for a variety of applications in the energy sector, improving safety and capacity and supporting the growing trend toward renewable energy production.
Drones of Prey is an Austin-based counter-drones security firm led by CEO Michael Cohen, COO Kevin Lenau and CTO Wm. Barrett Simms. The firm is creating a security software platform to identify, track and capture incoming drones. The service can be integrated into an existing system and it provides both reporting and law enforcement coordination services.
Earlier this year, the EPIcenter New Energy Incubator and Accelerator launched its first cohort which included Go Smart Solar led by Robert Miggins and Jason Pittman, a company working to help commercial and community clients overcome the obstacles to adopting solar by providing end-to-end support, from engineering to permitting, procurement, installation and long-term operation and monitoring. The first cohort also included the project Talking Walls, led by Anna Morton of the San Antonio-based engineering firm Morton Gestalt. Talking Walls graduated this month from Pre-Incubation and will continue in Incubation. The project involves building a smart platform to measure the amount of energy buildings actually consume compared to the models typically used in building design.
“We would have given up on the idea a year ago if not for the support of EPIcenter,” Anna Morton said. “It’s still a big goal, but they helped me break it down into steps and helped me have the confidence that I can make a difference with this idea.”
The New Energy Incubator and Accelerator is housed at strategic partner Geekdom. EPIcenter is now accepting applications for the Incubator’s third cohort, which are due September 30. The application is available online.