The Speaker:
Adam Sledd is the executive director of the Dominion Energy Innovation Center (DEIC), a nonprofit clean technology incubator supporting entrepreneurs driving the transition to a net-zero carbon economy.
Since joining DEIC in 2019, Sledd has led the organization’s growth into an internationally-recognized resource for energy startups.
The organization’s flagship program, DEIC Accelerate, has guided 60 startups that have collectively secured more than $700 million in investment and generated over 700 jobs.
He previously held roles at Metlife Investment Management and the Institute for Market Transformation.
Sledd holds an MBA from American University and a bachelor’s from Pitzer College. He serves on the Board of Directors for MedRVA Healthcare.
Join us for a free webinar on December 2 at noon to get an inside look at the Dominion Energy Innovation Center in Ashland, Virginia’s only energy-focused incubator and accelerator. We’ll spotlight some of the startups that have gone through DEIC Accelerate cohort and explore the Strategic Cluster Advancement for Leading Energy (SCALE) project, a new initiative to grow Virginia’s advanced energy economy.
For more than 15 years, the Dominion Energy Innovation Center (DEIC) has been a hub for energy innovation in Ashland.
That work is driven by two key efforts: DEIC Accelerate, its signature program connecting energy startups with utility customers, and the Strategic Cluster Advancement for Leading Energy (SCALE) project, a new initiative to grow Virginia’s advanced energy economy across regions.
Established in 2009, the Dominion Energy Innovation Center is a clean energy incubator and independent nonprofit public-private partnership founded by Dominion Energy, the Town of Ashland, Hanover County, and Activation Capital.
Executive Director Adam Sledd will discuss how DEIC has become Virginia’s only energy-focused incubator and accelerator, supporting 60-plus companies.
That matters for Virginia. As demand for electricity grows and the grid evolves, DEIC gives the entrepreneurs building tomorrow’s energy solutions a home base, expert guidance, and direct access to the utilities and investors who can help them grow.
The organization’s signature program, DEIC Accelerate, is where much of that work comes to life.
Launched in 2020, Accelerate is DEIC’s virtual accelerator connecting energy and grid startups with their next major utility customers, helping cohort companies connect with industry experts, navigate Virginia’s energy ecosystem, and explore pilot projects with Dominion Energy and other commercialization partners.
The program has completed six cohorts and worked with 60 companies. Its graduates have raised more than $700 million in capital and supported more than 700 jobs. Startups keep full control of their IP and equity, since DEIC does not take an equity position.
The Dominion Energy Innovation Center also is thinking beyond individual startups to the growth of Virginia’s whole energy economy through SCALE, the Strategic Cluster Advancement for Leading Energy project.
DEIC was awarded $154,391 in GO Virginia funding to study and catalyze advanced energy supply chains, with the long-term goal of growing a cross-regional energy cluster centered on the manufacturing, deployment, and advancement of electrical power systems and grid technologies.
The project will complete a market and feasibility study, establish a cross-regional Energy Growth Council, and support Energy Soft Landing Sites at DEIC and the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center’s Secure Energy Future Center in Newport News.
By connecting Greater Richmond, the Tri-Cities, and Hampton Roads, SCALE aims to turn regional assets and industry insight into coordinated economic development action, positioning Virginia as a leader in the next generation of energy technology.