Investing in innovative energy ventures
Our Investment Strategy
Target countries
We focus our scouting efforts on EEA, North America, and Israel, though we are happy to expand our scope for the right project.
Investment Policies
Our preferred outcome is merging an equity investment with a joint venture or sales partnership to enter the Japanese market. We do not seek to be lead-investors.
Company Size
We look for commercialised scale-ups, ready for international expansion. Typically, annual revenue will be $1M+ and funding will have reached series B ($10M+)
Target Deal Size
Typically between $500K-$1.5M
Our Sources
Held annually, ENECHANGE Insight Ventures (previously Japan Energy Challenge) is an opportunity for innovative companies operating in the energy sector, to meet and connect with large Japanese corporates, our subscribers. The goal is to build relationships that result in collaborations, sales, investment, and other forms of support for helping grow the invited companies in Japan.
This competition is unique in that all invited companies will have at least one sponsor interested in meeting them specifically. The EIV team works with the invited companies in the months leading up to the event to fully understand their business and products.
The event itself will represent the culmination of months of research and back and forth communication, making the actual meetings very meaningful to exploring future relationships.
Find out more about the program and how to apply to ENECHANGE Insight Ventures here.
Stage I - Scouting
By looking at current investment trends within the Global energy market we identify the most promising sectors and perform detailed research on the best companies therein.
Stage II - EIV Participation
The companies we select are carefully vetted by an experienced team of energy professionals, until a suitable list of participants to EIV is agreed upon with the program’s subscribers.
Stage III - Investment
Of these finalists, only a select few will be considered for the fund, based on product fit with the Japanese market and success of EIV participation we throw our weight in behind top-tier projects.
2020 Japan Energy Challenge Sponsors
TOKYO GAS is Japan‘s largest provider of natural gas, having more than 11 million gas customers and 2 million electricity customers. TOKYO GAS promotes open innovation and digitalization by collaborating with startups and utilities in order to provide a wide range of service beyond gas. TOKYO GAS has announced its commitment to becoming a net-zero company by 2050 in its long-term group vision “Compass 2030” published last year.
ENECHANGE LTD. provides one of the most popular energy switching websites in Japan, with 3 million monthly unique visitors and working with over 100 energy suppliers. ENECHANGE is also recognised as one of the most innovative energy ventures in Japan, providing vertically integrated tech solutions – including data-driven CRM solutions, smart meter data management (SMAP), and AI-driven load curve simulation – for energy suppliers.
Chubu Electric Power is Japan’s third largest among the 10 regulated energy utilities for both businesses and households in the Chubu region, serving 2.3 million customers. With over 212 power stations, 33 GW of total generation capacity, 135,000 km in distribution lines and 30 USD billion revenue. In April 2020, a new business structure will be launched as the Company is split into the transmission and distribution business and the retail electricity business.
ENEOS is the largest oil company and 3rd largest new electric power supplier in Japan. They have crude refining capacity of around 2 million barrels per day – which is comparable to BP – and a nationwide supply chain enabling stable supply of products and services associated with energy. They have also been supplying low-carbon energy, such as solar, wind, biofuel, and hydrogen.
Looop operates a low-voltage power retail business ‘Looop Denki’ and is among the fastest growing new entrants in the energy sector. Since starting in April 2016, the business has gained over 200,000 users by the end of December 2019. Looop is also a successful EPC/IPP provider, selling rooftop solar panels for their residential and business customers.
Shimizu has 66 subsidiaries that operate businesses globally, including construction business and non-construction businesses: Real Estate Development, Engineering, Life Cycle Valuation and Emerging Frontier Businesses. They have a revenue of 15.3 USD billion and over 10,000 employees in 25 countries. To meet their 10-year plan, they plan to invest 7 USD billion over the next 5 years, this includes 1.2 USD billion invested in projects related to infrastructure, renewable energy and new businesses.
Panasonic Corporation is one of the largest electronics producers, with nearly 80 USD billion in revenue and 271,000 employees. For its 10-year vision, they plan to invest significant resources in developing Focused Technologies such as AI/IoT/Big Data, Sensing Technology, Robotics and Digitalization Network, as well as Supportive Technologies such as Key Device/Manufacturing. Energy in “Home”, “Mobility”, “Business” will also be a target.
Hokuriku Electric Power is an electricity utility that serves mainly businesses and households in the Hokuriku region, serving 2.1 million customers. Its generation mix is characterized by a higher ratio of hydroelectric power generation (hydroelectric power: 28%,thermal power: 61%, others: 11%, as of 2018). They have transformed by separating their organisation into two companies in April 2020, one generates and sells electric power, another operates TDS (transmission and distribution system).
Tohoku Electric Power is one of the 10 regulated energy utilities for both businesses and households in the Tohoku region, serving 7.6 million customers. With over 231 power stations, 16.8 GW of total generation capacity, 587,600 km in distribution lines and 20 billion revenue. They are transforming by separating their organisation into three divisions: Power Generation, TDSO and Sales.
MIRAIT Holdings Corporation is a telecom engineering company with 19 overseas subsidiaries and 3.5 USD billion in revenue. They own an installed generation capacity of 288 MW of renewable energy worldwide and more than 1000 EV chargers in Japan. They aim to contribute to the “smart society” through initiatives enhancing competitiveness amid the changing business environment with 5G and IoT technologies.
Chugoku Electric Power is one of the 10 regulated energy utilities for both Businesses and Households in the Chugoku region. With over 102 power stations, 11 GW of total generation capacity and 12.8 USD billion revenue. The power transmission and distribution business has been operated by our wholly owned subsidiary since April 2020.
Toyota Tsusho is the sole general trading company of the Toyota Group. They provide logistics, information services, financing, risk management, import/export and investments. They have 7 divisions. The Power Project SBU operates 8 GW of power plants, including more than 3 GW of renewable energy. They have established the NEXT Mobility Development Department focusing on materials replacement and recycling, next-generation vehicle services, EV components and smart factories. Their Energy Solutions Department offers integrated solutions of heat and electricity supply.
Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc. (”Yonden“) is one of the 10 Japanese regulated energy utilities aiming business to deliver high-quality energy services for residential, public sector and commercial & industrial (C&I) clients. Their mission is to be innovative and take advantage of new technology to deliver quality service for tomorrow. Yonden is looking for partners to work with on developing new valuable services throughout the T&D network using the latest energy IoT.
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, a part of the MS&AD Insurance Group, is one of the leading companies in the non-life insurance business . They have been promoting the MSIG brand worldwide operating now in 42 countries and regions. They are exercising the company‘s comprehensive capabilities to offer insurance and financial services business.
2020 Japan Energy Challenge Cohort
Ambri is a US company developing a liquid metal battery and spin out from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) materials research. The batteries were conceived by MIT’s Professor Donald Sadoway who has taught Materials Science for over 40 years.
Breeze Technologies provides hyperlocal air quality and climate data through smart, affordable indoor and outdoor sensors, as well as actionable environmental intelligence for corporates and cities.
Driivz provides a smart cloud-based platform that spans EV charging operations, energy management, bespoke billing and roaming capabilities, home, public and workplace charging, and driver self- service tools.
Enbala Power Networks develops and deploys software that aggregates customer electricity demand, along with energy storage and renewable energy sources, to create a network of continuously optimized distributed energy sources.
FreeWire Technologies provides smart battery systems for EV charging and mobile distributed power. It provides clean, quiet mobile power, and fast charging that’s available and easy to deploy.
GreenSync builds software that allows resources like solar, battery storage and electric vehicle chargers to help deliver ever more affordable, reliable, renewable electricity for us all.
METRON is a AI company that helps industrial clients leverage untapped industrial data and connect to decentralized energy resources, thus fostering the emergence of the Internet of Energy.
OhmConnect provides home energy management solutions via smart meter analytics and energy market integration. Their platform enables residential users to sell their energy reductions directly into energy markets via demand response.
ONO is a Berlin based e-mobility company offering a whole new light electric vehicle: The ONO Pedal Assisted Transporter. The vehicle allows for a more efficient delivery of goods in urban environments.
Origami Energy‘s platform together real-time data from physical assets and commercial markets to unlock new value, and accelerate our transition to a cleaner, more reliable and efficient global energy system.
Pexapark provides software for better renewable energy sales. Their tools enable portfolio management, lower transaction costs and better risk control.
Power to Hydrogen is commercializing an advanced reversible fuel cell technology to cost effectively and efficiently convert electricity and water into high purity hydrogen and oxygen, and when needed back to power.
Reactive Technologies is an energy tech company providing grid operators and renewable asset owners with market-leading and mission-critical technology solutions to accelerate the clean energy transition
Sense is a technology company that specializes in developing and distributing tracking devices and home automation solutions for its customers.
SkySpecs offers an automated drone inspection service and analytics platform that allows for repeatability, high-quality data, and safer inspections.
Sure Chill offers a refrigeration and energy storage technology that cools for weeks without power. By harnessing the unique properties of water, it allows continual cooling at a perfect 4ºC, anywhere in the world.
Telensa makes wireless smart city control applications, including the world’s most widely deployed smart streetlight solution. Telensa’s solutions also provide a low-cost platform to add multiple city-wide sensor applications.
TeraWatt Technology a spinoff of SF Motors Inc. (d.b.a SERES), develops ultra-high energy density next-gen lithium-ion batteries for diverse electrified applications.
Voltalis is a major provider of demand response services. The company has already rolled out and operated 1 million devices in a 100,000 homes and buildings to its demand control platform enabling energy savings.
2019 Japan Energy Challenge Sponsors
IDEMITSU KOSAN is the Shell brand licensee and one of the major oil companies in Japan. They also provide energy solutions for businesses with operating power plants and deliver renewable-sourced electricity. Solar Frontier, the world’s largest CIS solar energy solution provider, is their 100% subsidiary company and operates as independent solar power producer in Japan and worldwide.
LOOOP is one of the largest renewable energy EPC/IPP companies in Japan with more than 300MW track record of developing power plants worldwide. It also offers a broad array of energy services in its retail business “Looop Denki” since 2015. It now has gained over 200,000 low-voltage plan customers as of the end of March 2020, and that makes it the largest independent new power retailer in Japan. Looop plays a pivotal role in a smart city project in cooperation with the local government in Saitama, Japan.
2019 Japan Energy Challenge Cohort
First meetings at Imperial College
Kaluza's Pitch to the Sponsors
Startups mingling
EVBox's Pitch
Announcing Winners
2019 Group Photo
2018 Japan Energy Challenge Cohort
Visiting University of Cambridge
Sponsor Delegation
Announcing Winners
Howz's Pitch
Brill Power's Pitch
