The demand for innovation in clean energy has never been stronger than it is today. With the environmental impact of conventional energy sources, and the consequences of climate change being undeniable, it is abundantly clear to adopt sustainable practices in the energy sector.

The AGNIi Mission is dedicated to maximizing India’s potential as an innovation hub for cleantech, and to that end, we partnered with Amplus Solar and GoMassive for the 2021 MILES (M+ Innovation Lab for Environment and Sustainability) Challenge.

Amplus Solar is Asia’s leading distributed energy company providing low carbon solutions to industrial and commercial customers through both on-site solar projects (rooftop and ground-mounted) and off-site solar farms. It owns a portfolio of 800+ MWp of distributed solar assets. It is also a member of PETRONAS Group, Malaysia and is headquartered in Gurugram, India.

GoMassive works towards creating an ecosystem for innovation, capital investment and stakeholder engagement towards solving problems in the areas of environment, waste management, agriculture, mobility and energy.

Following were the focus areas for the MILES challenge:

• Solar energy for distribution of residential, commercial & industrial consumers
• IoT applications in Energy Efficiency
• Battery Storage
• Electric Mobility

Eleven startups were shortlisted for the Green List, which was a curation of high-quality innovations that would receive numerous benefits, including access to GoMassive’s Angel network, mentorship opportunities, and exposure to venture capitalists in the energy ecosystem.

• Delcetrick Systems Private Ltd: Delcetrick’s energy storage systems are based on Vanadium Redox Flow Battery technology. Their primary markets are commercial, industrial and utility Scale stationary applications.
• Virya Batteries Pvt Ltd: Virya betteries have an ultra-safe Lithium-ion and Sodium-ion Cell technology. Aside from the technology, they also operate on the synthesis of materials, electrolyte etc.
• Wenergie Ecoworks Pvt Ltd: Wenergie specializes in the production of hardware and software that integrates solar energy with battery storage
• Inoviea Ventures Pvt Ltd: Inoviea has developed a unique technology known as the iPanelKlean nA2, a patented waterless self-cleaning system for solar panels
• DeyHaat Connect LLP: DeyHaat’s solar powered pico-grids operate in rural markets to provide energy access to low income generating micro enterprises
• AHAsolar Pvt Ltd: The AHA! Rooftop Solar Helper is an AI powered cleantech platform that digitalises solar installations through efficient communication, process management and reporting.
• Upgrid Solutions Pvt Ltd: Upgrid offers a network of tech-enabled battery swapping stations for electric-rickshaws. They also help e-ricksaws transition from the archaic lead-acid battery system to Li-ion in a cost-effective manner.
• MinionLabs India Pvt Ltd: MinionLabs has developed a smart energy management solution, enabling businesses reduce their electricity costs and improve their productivity by providing real-time device-level electricity consumption insights.
• LEDsafari Innovation Pvt Ltd: Operating as SmartHelio, LEDsafari’s edge based IoT sensor and intelligent software are designed to increase the life of solar powered vehicles and batteries.
• Ushva Clean Technology Pvt Ltd: Ushva Clean have developed an industry-agnostic IoT edge device along with industry-wise smart solutions that can play an important part in the journey of India’s energy digitisation.
• Vecmocon Technologies Pvt Ltd: Vecmocon is a vehicle intelligence company working on the core components of electric vehicles.

Out of the above 11 startups, 3 will be shortlisted for investment by Amplus Solar. However, all startups will retain the intellectual property rights to their innovations.

Lastly, the winner of the MILES challenge will receive:

• Seed capital of up to $100,000 for scaling
• The MILES 2021 Award
• Media coverage
• Potential business partnerships with Amplus and its partners
• Mentorship and support from Amplus' energy experts
• Exposure to VCs and the Energy ecosystem

The AGNIi Mission remains committed to working with accelerators and investors in the cleantech space to ensure that the best innovations from India get the support they need. As reflected in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, advancement in the cleantech space is the need of the hour.