JUNO BEACH, Fla. — Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today welcomes 14 entrepreneurs in seven startup companies into the 35 Mules program – the first-ever in-house innovation hub powered by a global energy leader. The incubator is located at FPL’s Juno Beach headquarters, where the seven startups will work on their ventures for the next 12-18 months.
The startups are from Australia, Texas and Florida and are in various industries, including maritime, industrial professional services, raw materials, asset and vegetation risk management, consumer electronics, cleantech, aviation and aerospace, and information technology.
The second class of innovators include:
- Abilitare provides hands-free access to computers and smartphones to empower those with hand disabilities.
- Bond Energy is working to commercialize and scale lithium extraction from seawater.
- Digital Twin Marine Inc. creates customized 3D virtual replicas of ships – similar to Google Street View but for the maritime industry. DTM’s models allow maritime companies to manage projects, market and train crews with the click of a button and from anywhere in the world.
- Intelfuse is revolutionizing the management of vegetation near infrastructure through 3D data and LiDAR technology.
- Revterra is developing a modular kinetic battery designed to mitigate demand charges and infrastructure upgrade requirements in applications such as high-power electric vehicle charging and larger grid-scale applications.
- Sensatek Propulsion Technology Inc. provides autonomous monitoring of industrial systems using artificial intelligence-enabled technology for harsh environments.
- SMG Delivering Data uses highly skilled manned pilots and drones, outfitted with proprietary LiDAR technology, sensors and cameras to collect ultra-high-resolution datasets turning physical assets into digital models.
“It was incredibly difficult to choose startups for this cohort given the quality and diversity of applications we received from innovators around the world,” said FPL Chairman and CEO Eric Silagy. “We selected these startups because of their remarkable technologies, strong leadership qualities and capacity to grow significantly – all of which allows them to greatly benefit from 35 Mules. I look forward to witnessing these startups make significant strides in their businesses to help create a better world.”
The 35 Mules innovation hub helps entrepreneurs develop their innovative, technologically driven ideas into a business based in Florida, further supporting the state’s economic growth and building its business ecosystem. The program offers entrepreneurs access to NextEra Energy subject-matter experts, Fortune 200 executive coaching, a tailored business curriculum, $100,000 cash grant and dedicated, rent-free workspace.
The incubator is one of the ways FPL continues to demonstrate its commitment to grow and foster businesses in Florida, both new and existing. The program offers new businesses the opportunity to reach their potential as they partner with a leader in the energy industry, creating the next generation of great innovators right here in Florida.
Learn more about 35 Mules and its second class of startups at 35Mules.com and on LinkedIn.
Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest vertically integrated rate-regulated electric utility in the U.S. as measured by retail electricity produced and sold. The company serves more than 5.7 million customer accounts supporting more than 11 million residents across Florida with clean, reliable and affordable electricity. FPL operates one of the cleanest power generation fleets in the U.S and in 2021 won the ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Award for the sixth time in the last seven years. The company received the top ranking in the southern U.S. among large electric providers, according to J.D. Power’s 2021 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction StudySM and 2021 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction StudySM. The company was also recognized in 2020 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Escalent for the seventh consecutive year. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity. NextEra Energy is ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune’s 2022 list of “World’s Most Admired Companies” and recognized on Fortune’s 2021 list of companies that “Change the World.” NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
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