Day Three in our Themes Highlight Series: Energy + Utilities The energy and utilities sector is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation. Rising infrastructure costs, surging electrification demands, and a shift toward decentralized energy systems are testing the limits of legacy processes—and opening the door for modern, intelligent solutions. What we’re seeing is a perfect storm of urgency and opportunity: massive budgets in motion, legacy systems cracking under pressure, and a wave of tech that's ready to scale. Here are three themes we’re especially excited about 👇 🏗 Navigating Rising Infrastructure Costs Supply chain challenges and tariffs on critical materials like steel, aluminum, and electrical components are pushing infrastructure and oilfield services budgets to the brink. These costs create pressure to do more with existing assets and are accelerating demand for smarter capital planning—tools that help operators optimize asset lifecycles, reduce downtime, and make better maintenance and investment decisions. We’re especially interested in predictive maintenance software, cost modeling platforms, and asset performance systems that can bend the cost curve without compromising safety or scale. 🔋 Electrification’s Pressure on the Grid From data centers and AI to EVs, the future runs on electricity—and the grid isn’t ready. Demand is growing faster than our ability to distribute it, exposing vulnerabilities in outdated infrastructure and planning models. We’re excited about companies building next-gen grid orchestration platforms, load forecasting tools, and smart energy management systems that ensure power gets where it’s needed—without tipping the system into chaos. 🌐 Decentralization of Power DERs are becoming central to how we generate and consume power—but the ecosystem is fragmented, unreliable, and hard to coordinate. Visibility into behind the meter resources is low, interoperability is limited, and control systems often lag behind the complexity of the grid. We’re looking for platforms that provide real-time asset visibility, normalize disparate data streams, and enable DER integration, VPPs, and microgrids at scale. From DERMS to infrastructure APIs, this is an urgent and foundational layer for the future of energy. If you’re building in energy or utilities space—or just jamming on how to modernize the grid—we’d love to hear from you. #EnergyTech #Utilities #Infrastructure #Electrification #GridModernization #DER #Founders #Startups #VC
