Initiate is your gateway to discovering the up-and-coming innovations in the energy sector at DTECH. Witness firsthand how startups are transforming the industry! Stop by to hear the newest solutions on the market, breakthrough technologies, and connect with innovators from across the globe. It’s the perfect opportunity to explore fresh ideas and connect with the future of transmission and distribution!

initiate

Congratulations 2026 Initiate winners

1st place -  Ecophi

ecophi

2nd place - Noble Carbon

noblecarbon

3rd place - Syncrowin

3rd place

Curious about exhibiting with Initiate?

Eligibility

Your application and pitch deck will be reviewed by the team to determine whether you qualify for Initiate. 

The company should have:

  • Less than 25 employees
  • No more than $15M in funding
  • A pitch deck to provide in the application
  • A technology that is applicable to the energy industry

The company should be:

  • Founded less than 6 years ago
  • New to Initiate (has not participated in previous years)

*Only true startups are eligible to participate in the Initiate Startup Program. Larger companies, including those with new technologies or spin-off projects, do not qualify.

2026 Participating companies

 

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Adaptive
Aion
Assetrac
EcoPhi
Elastic Energy
Eli Technologies
Expand Power
Firescape
Flyfreely
Grid Seer
Gridient
Homeboost
Joulea
Kasco
Kootanla
Lee Thermal Storage
Magment
Magnefy
MPS
Noble C
NuCoreAI
Piq Energy
Resilient Link
Sky
Solitude
Syncrownin
Teragen
Windbourne

    How Initiate can impact you!

    "Participating in the Initiate program at DISTRIBUTECH was an incredible experience that exceeded all of our expectations. The opportunity to engage with industry leaders, share insights, and explore groundbreaking innovations was both inspiring and rewarding. The success of this event has reinforced our commitment to advancing innovation and fostering collaboration within the energy industry.”
    James F. Andrus
    VP of North America – Enline Energy

    Initiate FAQs

    We encourage the start-ups to choose one or the other. Participating in the Initiate program will give you the chance to pitch and exhibit alongside other innovators and founders.

    Once the portal is ready, you will login to the exhibitor portal online and register your staff (2 full conference pass and 2 exhibition passes). 

    Once the exhibitor portal is open, you can rent these items through the portal. You can also bring/ship items directly to the convention center and instructions are located in the exhibitor manual (coming soon to the event website).

    Each start-up will have 5 minutes to pitch and 5 minutes of Q&A from our judges for a total of 10 minutes.

    56 companies will participate, showcasing a variety of technologies.

    The audience at DTECH is mostly utility representatives. There might be some VCs in the audience, but the main purpose of pitching at DTECH is to get in front of a utility audience to showcase your technology and how it might be useful to them as customers.

    While there is not a cash prize, the top three start-ups will receive a physical award to display, interview with one of Clarion’s Content Directors, a press release, and a free 10x10 booth for DTECH 2027.

    2026 Initiate sponsor

    Meet our 2026 partners

    Meet past winners

    All Initiate participants were judged on their financial and technical viability, innovation, quality of the pitch and if their technology brings a benefit to the community. These four start-up companies came out on top and will receive a free booth at DTECH the following year. Congratulations!