The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden held its 30th Annual Industry Growth Forum (IGF), celebrating a milestone with record attendance surpassing 1,000 participants. “Thank you all for being here for this milestone anniversary,” NREL Director Martin Keller said during his welcoming remarks. “For 30 years, this forum has brought together the energy ecosystem. You help NREL understand industry challenges, refine our research priorities to address real-world needs, and accelerate market adoption of new technologies.”
Taking place from March 26-28, in downtown Denver, Colorado, the IGF focused on innovative energy solutions aimed at market implementation, including advancements in battery technology, building power systems, and energy efficiency improvements. The event featured new opportunities for startups and investors, including a reverse pitch session, spotlight presentations, and resource roundtables.
“What a difference 30 years makes,” IEC Director Trish Cozart said during her opening remarks. “Since the first NREL Industry Growth Forum, we’ve increased the size of the event by tenfold… one thing that has not changed is that the key to unlocking value in this business is people.”
Networking remained central to the event, with nearly 3,000 meetings held. A highlight for many attendees was the one-on-one meetings between startups and investors, which allowed for focused discussions on potential investment opportunities. Additionally, 52 presenters participated in a competitive pitch session judged by investor panels, covering categories from Growth to Best Overall Venture.
Palanquin Power co-founder and CEO Michael Solomentsev, attending the IGF for the first time, expressed enthusiasm for forming connections during the event. Solomentsev’s company focuses on improving data center efficiency through advanced power electronics. “Meeting that many investors… it’s worth its weight in gold,” he said.
Long-time attendee Tim Woodward, managing director of Prelude Ventures, praised the event’s evolution over three decades, noting, “There really isn’t another event that happens at this scale that brings this many investors and companies together.”
Among the new programs introduced were Industry Reverse Pitches, where executives from prominent companies shared their investment interests, and Resource Roundtables, offering startups professional insights from experts.
Before the event concluded, Cozart announced the pitch competition winners, with Solomentsev’s Palanquin Power receiving the Best Early Venture award. “I’m very happy to have won the award… it is very nice to get some sort of validation that people think the core business is a big enough opportunity,” he remarked.
Co-chair Cozart expressed optimism about the future, stating, “I look around this room and I see the future. I can’t wait to see the value that’s unlocked from the last couple of days.”
