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Existing startups can learn more about the upcoming accelerator and sign up to receive news and updates HERE.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
You work inside energy, utilities, manufacturing, or a related industry and you see the problems no one's solving fast enough. You understand the customer, the constraints, and what's broken. You're ready to build the fix rather than wait for someone else to.
You have real commercial experience and want to work on something that matters — not another software product, but a hard problem. You don't need to bring the technology. We have it.
You're an engineer or researcher who's built or seen something that should exist in the world. The technology is real. What you need is a path from lab to market, and this is that path.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
