Institutional Network Access
SC NEXUS and SCRA bring years of established relationships with utilities, research institutions, and investors.
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eiX Venture Studio
Lab-sourced energy technology, matched with the resources to commercialize it.
Applications close June 30, 2026
SC NEXUS and SCRA are building South Carolina into a hub for advanced energy innovation, one that creates lasting economic value for the state and strengthens the resilience of the grid. New energy companies rooted in South Carolina are at the center of that effort, and eiX was built to create them.
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Exchange (eiX) pairs teams of entrepreneurs with advanced energy technology from universities and federal laboratories, and the support needed to determine whether and how it can become a business. The technologies entering the program are selected for their commercial potential, so participants are not starting from scratch. They are starting with a technology that has been chosen as a credible foundation to build from. Teams that validate a path to market have the opportunity to license the underlying IP and incorporate.
Participants work with the combined resources of SC NEXUS, SCRA, NextGen, and FedTech throughout the process.
Approximate 2026 Program Dates
- July 2026: Interviews and entrepreneur selection
- Week of July 27, Virtual: Cohort Onboarding & Networking
- Week of August 3, Single-Day In-Person (Greenville, SC) Bootcamp: At the Bootcamp, you will get to know the entire cohort and establish a foundation with your new team. You will also meet the inventors of your technology, mentors, and coaches. It will be a full day you don’t want to miss.
- August 10 - September 28, Phase I: Startup teams develop an understanding of their technology, its potential use cases, and do intensive customer discovery to evaluate commercial potential. The Phase culminates in an internal midpoint pitch event where teams showcase their findings and outline their initial business concept.
- October 5 - November 16, Phase II: Startup teams fully develop their business plans with modules on licensing, legal strategy, fundraising, manufacturing, and go-to-market.
- First Week of December 2026, In-Person (Greenville, SC) Showcase: The program will culminate with a final pitch contest where startups will showcase their businesses for the chance to win prize funding.
- Free to participate.
- No equity taken.
- Successful teams compete for a $50,000 prize pool at the end of the program.
- Hybrid program with 2-3 required in-person convenings in Greenville, South Carolina. Optional in-person office hours are available throughout.
Program Benefits
Testbed Access
Graduating teams can apply to validate their technology at SC NEXUS testbeds, where it can be operated under real grid conditions before commercial deployment.
Six Months of Post-Program Support
Monthly office hours, fundraising and regulatory workshops, and investor and customer introductions continue for six months after graduation, along with priority consideration for the follow-on accelerator program.
Technology Focus Areas
The 2026 cohort draws from five technology areas, each aligned with active procurement needs and market demand in South Carolina and nationally. The specific technologies for the 2026 cohort are being finalized and will be announced to applicants once available.
Grid Modernization and Resilience
US utilities are planning more than $1 trillion in grid infrastructure investment through 2029, driven by surging electricity demand from data centers, manufacturing, and electrification. Technologies that improve grid reliability, flexibility, and resilience are among the highest-priority procurement areas across the sector.
Energy Storage and Battery Technologies
The global market for battery and energy storage systems is expanding rapidly, and regulatory frameworks are catching up. South Carolina's Energy Security Act mandated competitive procurement programs for standalone energy storage, with the Public Service Commission required to open that docket by November 2025. For companies in this space, the procurement pathways are defined and the market is active.
Cybersecurity for Energy Infrastructure
As grids become more digitized and distributed, the potential attack surface grows. Utilities are under significant and increasing pressure from regulators and grid operators to deploy cybersecurity solutions that protect critical infrastructure without compromising operational performance.
Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Energy
South Carolina's manufacturing base positions companies in this space to move from development to production more efficiently than in most other states. The state has attracted billions in capital investment in energy-related manufacturing in recent years.
Grid Monitoring and Control Systems
As distributed energy resources multiply across the grid, real-time visibility and control become critical operational requirements. Demand for these solutions is growing in direct proportion to the complexity of the systems utilities are now managing.
Program Structure
Phase 0 - Interviews, Selection, and Team Formation
Once applications close, candidates enter an interview and selection process during which they rank their interest in the available technologies. Accepted candidates are assembled into teams around complementary expertise, covering the technical, market, and operational knowledge that commercialization requires. The phase ends with an in-person bootcamp in Greenville, South Carolina, where teams meet their technology, align on direction, and begin working alongside the inventor.
Phase 1 - Customer Discovery (Weeks 1-8)
Teams spend this phase determining whether and how their technology can be brought to market as a viable company. Each team conducts 45 or more customer interviews, including direct engagement with utility partners who provide feedback on what the technology would need to do and what a real procurement decision would actually require. That evidence base determines whether a path to market exists. Teams that reach a confirmed problem-solution fit move forward.
Phase 2 - Company Formation (Weeks 9-16)
Teams that have validated a path to market begin building toward incorporation. Business models are refined around confirmed customer needs, and teams begin establishing the legal and equity structures needed to incorporate in South Carolina. Prototype development advances toward test facility readiness. The phase ends with a public showcase presenting technologies to investors, utilities, and industry partners.
Phase 3 - Alumni Support (6 months post-program)
For six months after graduation, successful teams have access to monthly office hours, quarterly workshops on fundraising and regulatory navigation, and direct introductions to investors. Teams also receive support in applying for access toSC NEXUS test facilities, and priority consideration for the follow-on accelerator, which provides continued funding guidance, mentorship, and investor access beyond the studio.
Who Should Apply
The program is designed for aspiring or experienced entrepreneurs and technical professionals who are seriously considering a transition into a founder role. We recruit individuals with a variety of backgrounds to form well-rounded teams; no specific credentials are required. Candidates typically come from engineering, research, business, or operational roles in energy, technology, or related fields.
This program is designed to be flexible for full-time working professionals and students, so primarily virtual with some in-person. However it is intensive with the goal of creating real companies, so participants must be willing to:
- Commit to participating part-time (~20 hrs/wk) for 16 weeks (phases 1-3) from August to December
- Travel to Greenville, South Carolina 2-3 times during the program for in-person convenings (dates and details to be provided)
- Be paired with a team of peers based on complementary skill sets and areas of expertise.
Virtual Information Sessions
Not ready to apply? Attend a virtual info session first.
Both sessions are an opportunity to hear directly from the team, ask questions about the technologies and the application process, and make a more informed decision before committing to an application.