Technology Incubator

The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) provides funding and technical assistance leveraging the capabilities, facilities, equipment and deep expertise that exists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (Danforth Center).

Derisking Promising Technologies for Investment

No matter what stage a startup is at when selected for the program, the goal is to help it reach critical milestones—ultimately helping propel the company forward and de-risk it for investment. Over the course of 12 to 18 months, participating companies have access to NREL or Danforth Center’s world-class facilities and are paired with an expert researcher, who will test, validate, and incubate the companies’ technologies to help them move them forward on the path to commercialization.

Selection Process

IN² fosters a network of Channel Partners to identify and refer companies to the program. Channel Partners, consisting of incubators, accelerators and universities across the country, serve as ambassadors to the program and help their portfolio companies determine if IN² is a good fit for their current needs. Once referred, companies participate in a highly competitive application and down selection process to determine which companies will be invited into the next cohort. When applying to the program, applicants are requested to provide information addressing their company profile, impact on environment, business plan, technology development status, and future plans.

• Cohort 10: Cleantech Demonstration Cohort – Referrals beginning mid-July 2021 and companies to be selected in January 2022.
• Cohort 11: Sustainable Agriculture  – Referrals beginning mid-September 2021 and companies selected in April 2022.