Our Stories

Cultivating a resilient cleantech ecosystem is critical to combating climate change and realizing a zero-carbon future. If we’ve learned anything from the natural world, it’s that resilience stems from diversity. Fortunately, there is increasing recognition of the value diversity can bring to the space, and the unique contributions that women Read More

Energy efficiency in the housing market is difficult, but necessary, and the startups working with IN² in the housing vertical are making great progress. This spotlight on Darcy Solutions is an example of that growth: When multifamily structures and commercial building owners are considering energy efficiency measures, geothermal heating and Read More

2022 was the year of demonstrating solutions. Not only did our portfolio companies demonstrate solutions for potential customers and investors—IN² demonstrated itself, yet again, as a solution for accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy. IN² welcomed nine new companies into its portfolio in 2022, representing building, mobility, and agricultural Read More

In plant biology, one cell becoming two is a common and rapid occurrence, but one plant biology company becoming two is typically a rare and slow occurrence. However, a catalyst provided by the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) in 2022 enabled Plastomics, an IN² cohort company, to divide and a Read More

In January 2023, the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) founded and convened the inaugural Channel Partner Advisory Board (CAB) to guide the strategy of Channel Partner Network program over the next few years. The seven board members, who will serve for at least a year, are representative of the diverse Read More

In recent years, several companies in the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) portfolio started working together to accomplish shared goals. This is a story of one of those partnerships. CoverCress Inc. (CCI) developed a new oil seed branded CoverCress™, derived from field pennycress. The grain is now used as a Read More

For the past several years, several companies in the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) portfolio started working together to accomplish shared goals. This is a story of one of those partnerships. In 2019, IN² invited its portfolio companies to participate in the VERGE conference to highlight their energy related technologies. Read More

For its 10th cohort, the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) formed an all-demonstration group where each participant would scope and perform a demonstration of their technologies as part of the program. The IN² startups will complete their demonstrations over the next year or two, helping them in their goal to Read More

For its 10th cohort, the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) formed an all-demonstration group where each participant would scope and perform a demonstration of their technologies as part of the program. The IN² startups will complete their demonstrations over the next year or two, helping them in their goal to Read More

For its latest National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)-based cohort, the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) formed an all-demonstration group, where each participant would create a demonstration of their technologies as part of the program. The IN² startups will complete their demonstrations over the next several years, helping them in their goal Read More

When CEO and Founder of Innovation Corridor Investments Eric Drummond began his legal career more than 25 years ago, he was often the only minority in the room. He would think to himself: this is what happens when you’re breaking new ground and we have progress to make. “Now, I’m Read More

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, agriculture accounted for 10% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. Mitigating those emissions requires sustainable agricultural processes that work for farmers’ business models as well as the environment. Companies are working the problem, sequestering carbon and avoiding emissions with cash cover Read More

The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) identifies, validates, and scales promising cleantech startups, with the goal of commercializing high-impact, low-carbon solutions for the built environment and agriculture sectors. One of the most important factors our board and industry experts consider when selecting which startups are accepted into the IN² program Read More

In order to transition to the energy system of the future and decarbonize our economy, we need to scale innovative new technologies. But did you know that an estimated 90% to 95% of startups fail due to a lack of proper financial and technical resources? This is especially true for Read More

The External Advisory Boards play a significant role in the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) program, with each representatives’ insights helping to determine the companies selected for the program. The housing and commercial buildings board consists of industry and academic experts in the built environment space. With the recent announcement Read More

“We tried that already and it didn’t work.” Those were the words that AeroShield CEO Elise Strobach heard from the glass industry when she described her new material for windows. AeroShield Moves Forward on a (Crystal) Clear Path to Market Few could believe Strobach had found a way to make Read More

Cover crops have long offered huge promise for sustainability: They reduce soil erosion, prevent runoff, improve soil health, and sequester carbon. But for farmers running a business, cover crops often don’t pencil out. There is a cost to buy seeds, plant them, and in many cases terminate them. There is Read More

Significant energy efficiency gains can be found right under our noses, within the systems that are so ingrained in our modern lives that we take them for granted. For instance, electric motors account for more than half of the world’s electricity consumption, yet have seen very few technological advancements over Read More

Technology innovation can impact markets in big ways. But often, those impacts are only obvious to industry insiders who are focused on important, but incremental change. Not so with IN² portfolio company Blokable. In 2020, this housing developer and creator of building systems provided actual, tangible affordable housing to a Read More

The number of electric vehicles (EVs) around the world is projected to reach 35 million by 2022.  Beyond the challenge of designing and manufacturing the vehicles themselves, all those EVs need a robust, smart charging infrastructure. Enter PowerFlex, a Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) cleantech start up that developed an Read More