Incubating Market-Propelled Entrepreneurial-Mindset at the Labs and Beyond
IMPEL is a Department of Energy tech-to-market program focused on building technologies, funded by the Building Technologies Office and implemented by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Our program helps early-stage individuals from business, academia, and DOE’s national labs translate the premise and promise of their technology into the language of business, boosting their chances of bringing it to market. These individuals–or as we call them, IMPEL Innovators–have a passion for the building lifecycle (design, construction, operations, and circular technologies) and for energy technologies that integrate with buildings (onsite renewables or grid integration incorporating electrification, energy storage, and electric vehicle charging). The buildings sector has been notoriously challenging for bringing tech-to-market, where many new projects or businesses fall victim to the notorious ‘valleys of death’.
IMPEL has a strong theory of change: Support technology commercialization for net zero built infrastructure, that promotes equitable wellness and resilience for all.
Our Innovators have technologies that fall across three focus areas:
Decarbonization: Radically reduce embodied and operational carbon and drive circularity for a zero-carbon built environment;
Digitalization: Integrate data-driven intelligence and connectedness across buildings and buildings-edge, i.e. distributed energy resources, (micro-)grids, and communities;
Democratization: Provide equitable access to wellness in a resilient, living environment.
Learn more about our focus areas on our About page.
applications are open for impel's next cohort
Are you an early-stage innovator in climate-smart building technology? IMPEL, the Department of Energy's Tech-to-Market program, is here to supercharge your journey from idea to market success.
As an IMPEL Innovator, you'll receive the support you need to bridge the gap between technology and business and join a vibrant community of innovators who have raised over $90 million in funding and garnered more than 100 grants, prizes, and awards. Apply for our FY24 cohort here.
Want to learn more about the program before applying? Watch a recording of IMPEL's FY24 Kickoff Webinar! Hear from IMPEL expert coaches, mentors, and alumni, learn about the new program modules and additional support coming in FY24, and find out more about how the IMPEL program can help you bring your building tech to market.
Innovators reach new heights after IMPEL.
After going through our program cycle, Innovators find themselves achieving new successes and progressing in their tech-to-market journeys.
Source: Alumni Survey, November 2022; Alumni Survey and Success Story Submission Form, April 2023
Hear IMPEL Program Director Reshma Singh talk about the IMPEL engine that accelerates climate tech in buildings and energy by recruiting and fostering a dynamic Innovator community, mentoring them to develop strong entrepreneurial skill sets, and enabling access to powerful public and private tech-to-market pipelines.
IMPEL provides Foundational Training and Pipeline Opportunities
Through the program, Innovators receive access to IMPEL's Foundational Training, including:
Support from our network of experts and partners
Intensive pitch coaching workshops with IMPEL expert coaches
Networking opportunities with the IMPEL community
Carbon Tools and Mindset training with National Lab scientists
While acceptance into the program guarantees participation in our foundational training, a select number of Innovators will also be offered exclusive opportunities for further training through our Business Seminars and other pipeline opportunities with our partners at the U.S. Department of Energy and Greentown Labs.
Visit the IMPEL Timeline page for more information about each of these pillars of IMPEL programming.
IMPEL Connects Innovators to Experts
The IMPEL Executive Team at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab supports Innovators' journeys through every step of the program, while connecting them to Expert Coaches, Incubators, Mentors, and a wider network within the building technology space.
Read more below about the types of experts that IMPEL offers.
Expert Coaches
IMPEL Coaches provide dynamic guidance during the one-day workshops to help Innovators refine and practice verbal pitches to communicate their technology or idea clearly, succinctly, and compellingly to critical stakeholders. Our coaches are field experts: skilled entrepreneurs who have raised multi-million dollar funds, judged startup pitches, coached technologists towards successful commercialization.
Incubators
IMPEL has partnered with Greentown Labs to provide real pitching opportunities and connections to a broader pool of mentors, investors, and other innovators in climate-tech. They help Innovators engage with the private sector, gain fully-funded access to national pitch events, and accelerators.
Mentors
IMPEL Mentors represent investors from boutique and impact funds to financial giants, potential demonstration partners from major universities, state energy offices, and federal entities including the General Services Administration and the Department of Defense, major corporate ventures, and subject matter experts from national labs.
Diverse, equitable, and inclusive
We believe that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive ecosystem of innovators magnifies our impact on the future of climate technology and on the communities we serve.