NEW YORK and Houston, May 15th, 2019 (PR NEWSWIRE) — Innowatts, a leading AI-enabled retail energy technology platform, today announced it has closed its Series B funding round, led by Energy Impact Partners (EIP). Innowatts’ current funders –Shell Ventures, Iberdrola and Energy and Environment Investment (Japan) – are joined by new investor Evergy Ventures in this funding round. The syndicateis making an$18.2-million investment, which willenable Innowatts to extend application of its eUtilityTMplatform – helping regulated utilities, retail energy providers, and smart grid operators increase the value of digitalization within their businesses; lowering energy costs and delivering a more personalized energy experience.
Utilities and retail energy providers are increasinglychallenged to develop more personalized, cost-effective, risk-mitigating,end-usersolutions that address impacts of decarbonization, digitalization and decentralization of energy. Innowatts’ eUtility™ platform provides a practical, cloud-based solution to solve that challenge, synthesizing and analyzingutilityconsumption data to deliver predictive insights and AI (Artificial Intelligence) to the energy value chain.
“Competing in today’s complex and evolving marketplace requires utility companiesuse data and intelligence to drive business and customer value,” said Siddhartha Sachdeva, founder and CEO of Innowatts. “Energy Impact Partners, along with its coalition of innovative utility investors, appreciates the role that the eUtility™ platform can play in creating a smarter, more efficient energy value chain. We’re excited to have EIP join us on the next phase of our journey in building the digital utility of the future.”
Innowatts’ eUtility™ platform has been deployed by a broad range of companies, including retail energy providers, regulated utilities, energy trading firms, and new players in the emerging energy ecosystem. The eUtility™ platform currently processes meter data from more than21 million customers globally and across13regional energy markets, representing the largest body of machine learning-enabled customer intelligence available today.
“We invest in companies driving the transformation of the energy sector towards an increasingly decarbonized, digitized, and electrified future – solutions that our utility partners can commercialize at scale and have the greatest impact,” commented Michael Donnelly, Partner and Chief Risk Officer at EIP. “Innowatts is poised to become a key building block in the software-driven, intelligent grid of the future, and we look forward to working closely with them alongside our utility partners.”
Evergy Ventures, also an investor in EIP’s venture fund, has joined Innowatts’ current funders, Shell, Iberdrola, and EEI, in this latest round. All stakeholders see thecompanyas critical todelivering the next generation of energy solutions. Brock Smith, Managing Director at Evergy Ventures, stated, “Innowatts’ bottom-up forecasting models enable utilities to efficiently manage the grid with more precision in order to reliably provide power and keep costs low for customers.”
“Utilities have the opportunity to deliver morevalue to customers, at lower cost and withgreater personalizationthan ever before, while helping streamline thecomplex energy marketplace,”saidGeert van de Wouw, Vice President Shell Ventures. “The predictive customer intelligence and digital solutions provided by Innowatts’eUtility™ platform is central to executing that vision.”
About Innowatts
Innowatts is a leading provider of AMI-enabled predictive analytics and AI-based solutions for utilities, energy retailers and smart energy communities. To date, the Innowatts eUtility™ technology platform has provided nearly 21 million energy consumers and their energy providers with access to lower energy costs and more reliable and personalized energy experience. Innowatts is backed by Energy Impact Partners, Evergy Ventures, Shell Ventures, Iberdrola (Spain) and Energy and Environment Investment (Japan). For more information, please visit www.innowatts.com
About Energy Impact Partners
Energy Impact Partners (EIP) is an investment firm focused on the conversion of the energy industry towards a decarbonized, decentralized, digitized and electrified future. EIP brings together leading innovators with some of the world’s most valuable, forward-looking energy and operating companies to create a cleaner, more secure and resilient future. Through close collaboration with its investor base, EIP connects the best companies, buying power and vision in the industry to bear on the emerging energy landscape. EIP’s utility partners include Southern Company, National Grid, Xcel Energy, Ameren, Great Plains Energy, Fortis Inc., AGL, Avista, MGE Energy Inc., TEPCO, PTT Public Company Limited, OGE Energy Corp., TransCanada, and Alliant Energy. For more information, visit www.energyimpactpartners.com
About Evergy Ventures
Evergy Ventures – formerly known as GXP Investments (GXPI) – is the non-regulated investment affiliate of Evergy, Inc., the parent company of Kansas City Power & Light Company (KCP&L) and Westar Energy, Inc. Our investment portfolio includes a wide range of businesses, and we are particularly focused on exploring unique opportunities that are aligned with Evergy’s core mission to foster energy that moves us forward. Our well-respected team of investment professionals has deep experience in both regulated and non-regulated energy solutions as well as investments, entrepreneurship and business strategy. For more information, visit www.evergyventures.com
Contact
Bob Champagne
SVP & Chief Marketing Officer
Innowatts, Inc.
bob@innowatts.com
