Energytech Nexus, a Houston-based hub for energy startups, has named its inaugural cohort of 14 companies for the new COPILOT accelerator.

COPILOT partners with Browning the Green Space, a nonprofit that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the clean energy and climatech sectors. The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory backs the COPILOT accelerator.

The eight-month COPILOT program offers mentorship, training and networking for startups. Program participants will be tasked with developing pilot projects for their innovations.

Two Houston startups are members of the first COPILOT class:

• GeoFuels, housed at Houston’s Greentown Labs, has come up with a novel approach to hydrogen production that relies on geothermal power and methane decomposition.
• PolyQor, which converts plastic waste into eco-friendly construction materials. Its flagship EcoGrete product is an additive for concrete that enhances its properties while reducing carbon emissions. PolyQor’s headquarters is at Houston’s Greentown Labs.

Other members of the COPILOT cohort are:

• Birmingham, Alabama-based Accelerate Wind, developer of a wind turbine for commercial buildings.
• Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Aquora Biosystems, which specializes in organic waste biorefineries.
• Phoenix-based EarthEn Energy, a developer of technology for thermo-mechanical energy storage.
• New York City-based Electromaim, which installs small hydro-generators in buildings’ water systems.
• Chandler, Arizona-based EnKoat, an advanced materials company whose flagship product, the IntelliKoat System, is a patented two-layer thermal and weather barrier roof coating for flat and low-slope commercial buildings.
• Calgary, Canada-based Harber Coatings, which manufactures electroless nickel coating and electroless nickel plating.
• Dallas-based Janta Power, which designs and makes 3D solar towers.
• Miami-based NanoSieve, a developer of gas remediation technology.
• Palo Alto, California-based Popper Power, which has developed a platform that turns streetlight networks into resilient, maintenance-free distributed charging infrastructure.
• Buffalo, New York-based Siva Powers America, developer of small wind turbines for farms, utility companies and others with annual energy needs of 300,000 to 2 million kilowatt-hours.
• Los Angeles-based Thermoshade, which specializes in cooling panels for outdoor environments.
• Waukesha, Wisconsin-based V-Glass, Inc., developer of a vacuum-insulated glass for affordable high-efficiency windows.

“These startups reflect the future of energy access and resilience innovation,” said Juliana Garaizar, founding partner of Energytech Nexus. “By connecting them directly with partners through COPILOT, we’re helping them overcome the ‘pilot gap’ to build solutions that scale.”

The startups will run pilot projects along the Gulf Coast for their inventions.