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SURGE Acclerator wants software projects to invest in

Thursday, November 3, 2011

SURGE Accelerator, a Houston organisation, is looking for early stage oil and gas software projects to invest in.

Entrepreneurs with 'innovative ideas to solve the world's energy problems using software' are encouraged to apply.

Finalists will receive $30,000 cash, over $20,000 'valuable in-kind partner services', and be connected to over 80 SURGE mentors.

Finalists will be announced in late January 2012, and the program will start in March 2012, with finalists making a presentation to industry experts and investors in May 2012.

The initial focus will be on 'green' applications, with plans to expand the program to include production efficiency in fossil fuels, energy independence, security and safety.

The 'in-kind' services include banking from Silicon Valley Bank; cloud hosting and coaching from Rackspace; legal setup from Andrews Kurth; financial modeling and recruiting from vCFO; office space and amenities from Red House Associates; software from Microsoft BizSpark; and entry into the Houston Technology Center

Finalists will attend more than 40 educational sessions where they will learn from SURGE's mentors, industry experts and guest speakers about a range of key business topics including legal formation and intellectual property, working with large energy companies, working in a regulated industry, and landing a pilot.

"Traditionally, startups and early-stage companies have had a difficult time gaining traction and credibility in the energy space," said Kirk Coburn, Managing Director and co-founder of SURGE Accelerator.

"Located in the heart of the world's largest energy ecosystem, SURGE can offer entrepreneurs direct access to industry leading energy and technology resources and will give participants an opportunity to make their ideas a reality.'

"The intersection of energy and IT is vastly under-served by the entrepreneurial community," says Brian Landrum, former COO of Reliant and RRI Energy.

"SURGE was created to fill this white space by providing a mentor-based program to help startups achieve faster and more meaningful new product acceptance in established energy markets.'

Associated Companies
» SURGE Accelerator

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