Innovation
Our venture capital and innovation arm, National Grid Partners, has invested more than half a billion dollars in dozens of startup companies since its launch in 2018.
To drive innovation at the speed and scale that’s needed to deliver the future of energy, they invest in companies that are making the power grid safer, cleaner, and smarter, as well as developing numerous solutions in-house.
As the only venture capital firm that’s built an alliance of over 160 global utilities, their team combines 100 years of investing experience and 125 years of utility operations.
Find out more about National Grid Partners
Working with startup companies
More than 80% of the startups in National Grid Partners’ portfolio have strategically engaged with National Grid business units to help make our energy networks smarter, more efficient and more resilient. Some examples of these companies include:
Urbint
Urbint's AI-based risk management platform predicts threats to critical infrastructure and the workers who maintain it. National Grid has deployed Urbint's solution to reduce pipeline damage from third-party excavation and to identify 35% more potential field worker hazards than manual methods. Most recently, Urbint's Storm Manager product has helped National Grid streamline its storm response operations.
Sensat
Sensat’s “digital twin” platform can dramatically reduce costs and completion timelines for large infrastructure projects. To date this has helped National Grid Electricity Transmission to upgrade a power station in Cheshire, connect a data centre in Oxfordshire to a new power cable and site a new substation in Lincolnshire, and enabled us to reduce customer impact from all three projects while saving millions of dollars.
More about Sensat’s digital twin software
Exodigo
Exodigo combines advanced sensor data with artificial intelligence to “see” what’s buried underground - similar to running an MRI, CT scan and ultrasound simultaneously.
As part of a project to expand a substation in Rotterdam, New York, this startup’s technology discovered multiple buried pipes and cables so our design team could avoid striking obstacles during construction. Avoiding such delays enabled us to save customers money and reduce construction-related emissions.
More about our work with Exodigo
Case studies
How Our Startups are Supporting Britain's Grid Transformation
Britain's electricity grid is undergoing its biggest transformation in generations. The unprecedented delivery schedule demands standardised design, faster consenting processes, and innovation in planning, construction and logistics. Alongside traditional engineering, a new wave of digital solutions is helping accelerate processes that have historically been slow-moving, from route planning to environmental assessments to construction.
National Grid pioneers UK-first trial of 3D printed technology for low-carbon substations
National Grid is working with Hyperion Robotics and the University of Sheffield to manufacture, install and test 3D printed substation foundations.
National Grid Ventures to Install World’s First 100 Percent Hydrogen-Fueled Commercial Linear Generator at Northport Power Plant
National Grid Ventures (NGV) announced it will install the first commercially-deployed, 100 percent hydrogen-fueled linear generator in the world at its Northport Power Plant, supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA).