2026 Industry Growth Forum: ‘All Systems Go’ as Advanced Energy Innovation Startups Pitch to Investors
The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) Industry Growth Forum (IGF), a premier gathering for energy innovation and investment, returned March 31–April 2, 2026, at the Sheraton Downtown Denver, bringing together more than 400 startups and nearly 200 investors with $1.6 billion of capital to deploy in the next 12 months.
The forum convenes annually to accelerate commercialization of next‑generation energy technologies.
With a theme of “All Systems Go,” this year’s forum highlighted advances in energy systems integration and the technologies, markets, and partnerships needed to impact the entire energy spectrum, from energy system supply chains to end use, culminating in top honors for eight standout companies.
Known for its “speed-networking” approach to one-on-one meetings between startups and investors and a pitch competition where finalists are hand-selected by a committee of 220 investors, the 2026 forum expanded its agenda with new offerings, too. These included a preconference pep talk where startups received guidance from investors and experienced founders on maximizing their time at IGF, plus jump-start sessions and knowledge bars highlighting national laboratory expertise across energy disciplines, including data centers, critical minerals, built environment, biomass-derived fuels and chemicals, energy security, and geothermal technologies.
The event also showcased reverse pitches from industry partners, like Exxon Mobil and CBRE, who shared their needs with the innovation ecosystem, prompting startups with solutions to connect throughout the rest of the conference. A spotlight event featuring startups in NLR’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) programs rounded out the agenda, creating a robust and action-packed forum experience.
The pitch competition provided a select group of startups an opportunity to showcase their advanced energy innovations to some of the most active venture capitalists in energy. Ahead of the forum, presenting companies were chosen from a pool of 273 applicants and narrowed by a selection committee of investors. Fifty-two finalist companies were then grouped into early, pre-commercialization, commercialization, and growth stages, as well as artificial intelligence (AI) and international tracks.
In the end, winners were identified by investor deliberation as the most promising ventures based on several criteria, including product, market, business model, team, 12-month prospects, investment potential, and presentation quality.
Heading into the awards ceremony, Trish Cozart, director of the IEC, applauded each startup for their passion and contribution to the innovation ecosystem.
“At IGF, we aren’t just showcasing great companies. We're building systems,” she said. “We need the startups with their breakthrough technologies and the incubators and service providers to support. We need investors with capital and conviction, and we need industry with real-world experience to scale up, and researchers with deep thinking.”
“The real work is connecting all those pieces, and judging from the great conversations in these rooms over the past few days, I think we’ve got it,” Cozart added.
The 2026 IGF Award Winners
- Best Overall Venture
Endolith—Liz Dennett, Founder and CEO - Best Early-Stage Venture
Solid Sky—Aiden Mickleburgh, Founder and CEO - Best Pre-Commercialization Venture
Supercarb Inc.—Hitesh Manglani, CEO - Best Commercialization Venture
Transaera—Sorin Grama, CEO - Best Growth Venture
Nitricity Inc.—Nicolas Pinkowski, CEO - Best AI Venture
Fluix AI—Abhishek Sastri, Founder and CEO - Best International Venture
Qarbotech—Amirul Merican, Cofounder and COO - People’s Choice Award
Active Surfaces—Shiv Bhakta, Cofounder and CEO
Through IGF, NLR's technical expertise helps convene together some of the most investable technologies with deployable capital, technology adopters, laboratory researchers, and the full breadth of ecosystem support.
For a list of participating companies and sponsors, and for more information on the IGF, visit www.industrygrowthforum.com.
Last Updated Jan. 22, 2026