EEI and IEI partner with Incubator 1776 to form 1776 Challenge Cup

The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and the Institute for Electric Innovation (IEI) announced a new partnership on Thursday with startup Incubator 1776 and the launch of a new innovation competition, the 1776 Challenge Cup.

“The electric power industry is working to develop and cultivate new innovations and partnerships to help advance the industry’s transformation,” Brian Wolff, EEI executive vice president of public policy and external affairs, said. “Our partnership with 1776 allows us to identify strong startup partners and innovative thinkers who can bring to market cutting-edge technologies that deliver the energy future our customers want and expect.”

The partnership and competition seek to incentivize innovation. Each year, energy startups can compete for the “E Prize for Innovation” at the 1776 Challenge Cup Global Finals and Festival, starting this year.

This year’s festival began Thursday, with experts in technology and electric power assessing competitors and innovations across an array of categories based on clean energy and smart technology. E Prize recipients will earn the opportunity to participate in the IEI’s Technology Partner Roundtable for a year, and will win a trip to the annual EEI Convention.

The organizations invite all energy innovators to participate, not just startups. All companies are invited to transform the electric power industry with innovations that provide smarter, more energy-efficient solutions that reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.