ST. LOUIS, March 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ameren
Corporation (NYSE: AEE) announced today the launch of Ameren
Accelerator, an innovative public-private partnership with the
University of Missouri System, UMSL
Accelerate and Capital Innovators, that will assess, mentor and
invest in energy technology startup companies.
The unique partnership, one of the first of its kind in
the United States, is also the
St. Louis region's first to focus
on energy technologies.
Leveraging the expertise of all of the partners, the goals of
this program are to better position Ameren to meet its customers'
future energy needs and expectations, create new jobs through these
start-up companies and provide university students opportunities to
be more engaged in the energy business.
Five to seven startup companies are expected to be chosen, and
each will receive $100,000 in seed
capital to participate in the Ameren Accelerator program, which
will be located in Cortex, St.
Louis' innovation and technology district.
Warner Baxter, chairman,
president and CEO of Ameren Corporation, said the program is a key
component of Ameren's focus on innovative technologies to make the
energy grid smarter, more reliable, resilient, and secure while
also transforming how customers manage and use energy to power
their lives in the future.
"As new energy technologies rapidly advance, it is critical that
we take bold steps today to better position Ameren to meet our
customers' future energy needs and expectations," Baxter said.
"This forward-thinking initiative is expected to draw innovators,
entrepreneurs and business startups from around the world to
St. Louis and to provide us with
important insights and technologies to deliver long-term value to
our customers and the communities we serve. At the same time, this
initiative will enhance St. Louis'
already robust innovation and entrepreneurship community, attract
top-level talent, educate university students and create jobs. This
is a tremendous opportunity for the St.
Louis region."
As part of the program, the selected startup companies will each
receive intensive mentoring, technical assistance, facilities and
networking connections from the Ameren Accelerator
partners.
"The Ameren Accelerator will be a transformative public-private
partnership to create new technologies and workforce training for
the future," said Dr. Mun Choi, University of Missouri System president.
"Collaborating with innovative partners such as Ameren and Capital
Innovators will enable the faculty, students and staff of the
University of Missouri System to
directly contribute to economic development in the state. I am
proud that UMSL spearheaded this project because these activities
are strongly aligned with our mission as a top public research
university."
Beginning today through May 12,
applications will be accepted from interested entrepreneurs and
energy technology companies. Information and requirements may be
found at amerenaccelerator.com.
In July, the selected startup companies will receive seed
funding and hands-on support throughout the 12-week program.
Senior-level executives from a variety of companies will provide
mentorship. Subject matter experts in the areas of energy, sales,
marketing, pricing, technical development, operations, talent
development and finance will also provide guidance. Based out
of the CIC@4240 Building in Cortex, participants will be able to
network with like-minded individuals focused on innovative thinking
and collaboration. CIC is one of the most cutting-edge high-tech
facilities in the country and a prime destination for business
creativity.
At the conclusion of the program, participants will be invited
to showcase their efforts to both the mentoring teams and potential
third-party investors during Accelerator Demo Day this October.
Ameren may select the most promising projects for ongoing mentoring
and engagement beyond the Accelerator program.
"The Ameren Accelerator is our first corporate initiative
through UMSL Accelerate – which is designed to foster
entrepreneurism and innovation in and outside the classroom," said
Dr. Tom George, chancellor of
the University of Missouri–St. Louis. "We look forward to tapping
into our strong contingent of faculty, student and alumni
connections to make this program a success for all involved."
"Capital Innovators is excited to lead the movement through this
partnership for the next level of accelerator programs to focus on
the world's most pressing issues, such as energy," said
Judy Sindecuse, CEO of
Capital Innovators. "We look forward to engaging a new group of
fresh thinkers on a variety of energy-related challenges and
cultivate necessary innovations that can provide extreme value to
the energy sector."
"We are excited about the prospects of this unique
public-private partnership," Baxter said. "Ameren Accelerator is
one way we are demonstrating our vision of 'Leading the Way to a
Secure Energy Future' and our mission 'To Power the Quality of
Life.'"
To apply or to learn more about Ameren Accelerator, visit
amerenaccelerator.com.
About Ameren Corporation
St.
Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life
for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural
gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren
Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries.
Ameren Illinois provides electric distribution and transmission
service, as well as natural gas distribution service, while Ameren
Missouri provides vertically integrated electric service, with
generating capacity of over 10,200 megawatts, and natural gas
distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops regional electric
transmission projects. Follow the company on Twitter @AmerenCorp.
For more information, visit Ameren.com.
About the University of Missouri
System
The University of
Missouri System is the State of
Missouri's largest public university, with four campuses
serving more than 76,000 students, a health care system, an
extension program, and more than 500,000 alumni worldwide. The UM
System was created in 1963 when the University
of Missouri (founded in 1839 in Columbia) and the Missouri School of Mines
(now the Missouri University of Science
and Technology, founded in 1870 in Rolla), were combined with the formerly
private University of Kansas City (now
University of Missouri–Kansas City, founded in 1933), and a newly
created campus in suburban St. Louis
(University of Missouri–St. Louis).
About the University of Missouri-St.
Louis and UMSL Accelerate
The University of
Missouri–St. Louis is the largest public research university in
eastern Missouri with the greatest
concentration of alumni in the region. Their UMSL Accelerate
initiative fosters entrepreneurism and innovative thinking in and
outside the classroom and helps bring concepts from mind to market.
For more information, visit http://umsl.edu/accelerate/.
About Capital Innovators
Capital Innovators is an
innovation engine that creates practical solutions across
industries that can shape the future of organizations. Capital
Innovators provides innovation consulting, entrepreneurial-based
programs, acts as a liaison between Corporations, Universities and
Startups and investment into attractive early-stage businesses.
Capital Innovators has in-depth knowledge into the most
cutting-edge solutions through the Accelerator division of its
business, which has been ranked as a Top 10 Accelerator in the
country for three years in a row and has invested in and guided 70
companies to date. Capital Innovators model is simple and
effective: Innovation, Iteration, and Implementation.
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SOURCE Ameren Corporation