New York, June 6, 2024 – Today, the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub announced its selection of the 2024 companies that will receive support to further develop their ideas and advance offshore wind’s potential in New York.
Six companies were selected from a pool of 78 applicants based on the novelty of their solutions that will help propel the United States to the forefront of offshore wind technology.
Launched in January 2023, the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub is led by Equinor in collaboration with Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium (NOWRDC) supported by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC).
The 2024 Offshore Wind Innovation Hub Accelerator Cohort:
- Boxkite Software (Bristol, UK) – Bankable-level accuracy energy yield assessments in minutes to assess site feasibility and design
- Claviate (Aarhus, DK) – Visual data platform enabled by AI cameras for transparency and process optimization of construction management
- Indeximate (Hinckley, UK) – Fibre optic sensing for predictive maintenance of subsea power cables by remotely profiling integrity and condition
- Pliant Energy Systems (Brooklyn, US) – Autonomous underwater vehicle with robotic propulsion technology enabling new seafloor surveying capabilities
- Sensatek (Daytona Beach, US) – Structural health monitoring of turbine blades by using video images where every pixel is a vibration sensor
- Triton Anchor (Boston, US) – Low cost, silently installed, modular foundation installation system allowing for any mooring configuration
The evaluation process to select the six companies was based on rigorous technical interviews and public presentations held on May 15th in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
The winners will take on a six-month mentoring and business development program residency, designed to prepare them for strategic partnerships with major offshore wind developers, suppliers, and the wider offshore wind value chain. The program aims to enable innovators to overcome barriers to adoption and continue to successfully commercialize their solutions in New York and beyond.
“Pliant believes that the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub accelerator will be a key partner as we move towards commercializing our technology first in New York City, then across the region and the world. Experts from the program’s sponsors will give us invaluable insight into the market as we look to define the best product-market fit for our propulsion technology. In addition, gaining access to the water and relevant test environments in New York City is structurally difficult and typically requires relationships with key stakeholders that this accelerator can help facilitate,” says Russell Bingham, Head of Product & Lead Robotics Engineer at Pliant Energy Systems.
“Boxkite is enthusiastic about expanding our US footprint and we see the mentorship and support provided by the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub accelerator program as pivotal to our growth. In particular, we hope to benefit both from being able to have a local presence in the Brooklyn office space, and from the mentorship to help improve our understanding of individual customers’ needs within the US offshore wind sector and understand the difference in both business culture and regulations between the UK and the US, ” says Joanne Colls, Co-founder at Boxkite.
“I’m thrilled to see the continued success of the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub helping to foster an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit in the next generation of problem solvers,” says Molly Morris, President Equinor Renewables Americas. “This impressive cohort partnered with the support of the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub will undoubtedly usher in game-changing solutions for the entire offshore wind industry.”
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “NYSERDA congratulates the winning companies and applauds them for developing forward-thinking, innovative solutions that will play an integral role in advancing the State’s offshore wind industry. Equinor’s commitment to the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub and its partners is helping to break barriers, bring forward economic opportunity, and accelerate progress toward New York’s climate and clean energy goals.”
“We have seen an incredibly strong field of applicants this year, allowing us to select six companies with immense potential for impact and scalability” says Tone Søndergaard, Director of the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub with Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon NYU Tandon School of Engineering. “We can’t wait to start working with the companies as they begin the program later this June and support them in their endeavors to bring novel technology to Brooklyn and the industry”.
In 2024, the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub’s cohort selection process focused on innovations that can improve the project economics of US offshore wind. The evaluation criteria therefore emphasized economic impact including scalability, market traction, and potential local impact of solutions. Cohort companies will be individually paired with knowledgeable Equinor mentors and gain industry-specific guidance on technology development from NOWRDC.
The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub is based in Brooklyn with a mission to advance an inclusive supply chain and accelerate a green economy. Cohort companies will also benefit from NYCEDC’s extensive involvement in piloting and innovation activities throughout the city. Urban Future Lab and NYU Tandon School of Engineering bring extensive experience in hands-on startup support and a vast network of ecosystem partners. All to support innovators on their journey to scaling up and commercializing climate solutions.\
“The caliber of the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub’s second cohort speaks to the program’s success and our shared goal of harnessing the entrepreneurial power of New Yorkers to accelerate the growth of New York City’s offshore wind industry,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) Chief Operating Officer Melissa Román Burch. “The Hub supports entrepreneurs with industry-specific partnerships, piloting opportunities and mentorship for early-stage climate companies which are integral to growing the green economy. NYCEDC congratulates this new cohort and looks forward to seeing these cutting-edge startups grow their footprint across our five borough climate tech ecosystem.”
“We have reached a significant milestone in our mission to drive innovation and excellence in the offshore wind industry with the selection of these six companies for this year’s accelerator program. These companies exemplify the cutting-edge technology and visionary thinking necessary to propel offshore wind development. At the National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium, we look forward to supporting this cohort as they navigate the path from innovative concepts to market-ready technologies,” said Lyndie Hice-Dunton, Executive Director at National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium.
“Today’s announcement showcases what is possible when academia partners work with government and private industry. The potential that these six companies bring to the offshore wind sector will make New York City a hub for this expanding market, enhance Tandon’s Sustainable Engineering Initiative and continue to make sustainability an economic development driver in New York State,” said Linda Ng Boyle, Professor of Civil and Urban Engineering; Vice Dean for Research, NYU Tandon School of Engineering.
About the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub
Catalyzing startups to unleash the potential of offshore wind in New York. We leverage our New York City hub to grow the US offshore wind industry by harnessing the entrepreneurial powers of both global industry-leading startups and the local community. Our innovative programming and strong networks connecting innovators, local partners, investors, and industry will foster demonstration opportunities, safety awareness, knowledge transfer, innovation, and job creation. Through collaborative partnerships, we accelerate the local development of new technologies for the national offshore wind industry, to facilitate cost-efficiency gains. Our commitment to diversity and equity will advance inclusive supply chain and business development and accelerate the green economy in New York. To learn more, visit www.offshorewindnyc.com.
About Empire Wind
Empire Wind is located 15-30 miles southeast of Long Island and spans 80,000 acres, with water depths of between approximately 75 and 135 feet. The lease was acquired in 2017. The project’s two phases, Empire Wind 1 and 2, have a potential capacity of more than 2 GW (810 + 1,260 MW), enough to power over 1 million New York homes. www.empirewind.com.
About Equinor
Equinor is a broad international energy company and one of the largest offshore wind developers in the world. Its work in the United States includes the development of two lease areas, Empire Wind, off the coast of New York, and Atlas Wind, off the coast of California. The projects plan to provide Americans with up to 4.1 gigawatts (GWs) of energy—enough to power over two million homes—including more than 2 GWs from Empire Wind. The United States is an attractive growth market for Equinor, with an ambition to install 12-16 GW of renewables capacity globally by 2030. www.equinor.com/NY
About the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium (NOWRDC)
The National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium, established in 2018, is a not-for-profit public-private partnership focused on advancing offshore wind technology in the United States through high-impact research projects and cost-effective and responsible development to maximize economic benefits. Funding for the Consortium comes from the U.S. Department of Energy and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), as well as contributions from the Commonwealths of Virginia and Massachusetts and the States of Maryland, Maine, New Jersey, and California. For more information, please visit nationaloffshorewind.org.
About New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity, build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city’s future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About the Urban Future Lab at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering
The Urban Future Lab at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering is a nonprofit innovation hub for best-in-class climatetech startups with a focus on clean energy and sustainable urban infrastructure solutions. It is home to ACRE, New York’s longest-running climatetech incubator, Clean Start, an advanced certificate from NYU for people seeking a transition into the climatetech sector, the Carbon to Value Initiative and Offshore Wind Innovation Hub, which bring innovative technologies and solutions to industry leaders, and the Innovate UK Global Incubator Programme, which supports market entry in the U.S. for U.K.-based climatetech startups that can effectively scale and support the clean growth goals of New York State. As an integral part of Tandon’s Sustainable Engineering Initiative and NYU Tandon Future Labs network, the UFL is home to programs focused on policy, education, and market solutions for the green economy.
For more information, visit ufl.nyc or LinkedIn and Instagram. For more information about NYU Tandon, visit engineering.nyu.edu.
