Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program

Stored: Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program

Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program

Type	Program
Sponsor Organization	Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Top Organization	Department of Energy
Creation Legislation	None
Website	Website
Purpose	The Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program supports clean energy innovators by embedding them in national labs to develop early-stage technologies into market-ready solutions. It aims to accelerate commercialization, foster entrepreneurship, and drive decarbonization through mentorship and resources.
Program Start	2015
Initial Funding	$15 million
Duration	Ongoing
Historic	No

The Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP) is a Department of Energy initiative launched in 2015 under the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) to embed early-career scientists and engineers in national labs, advancing clean energy technologies from concept to market. Operating four nodes—Cyclotron Road (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), Chain Reaction Innovations (Argonne National Laboratory), Innovation Crossroads (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), and West Gate (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)—LEEP has supported over 140 fellows by 2025, raising over $1 billion in follow-on funding for startups like Celadyne Technologies. With events like the 2022 LEEP Summit and a 2025 cohort call opened September 2024, it continues to bridge lab research and industry, supporting DOE’s decarbonization goals.

Official Site

Goals

• Accelerate clean energy technology development through lab-based R&D.
• Train innovators in entrepreneurship to launch sustainable startups.
• Enhance U.S. economic competitiveness with over $1 billion in follow-on investments.

Organization

The Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program is managed by EERE’s Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO), with each node led by a national lab—e.g., NREL for West Gate—under a Program Manager’s oversight. Funding from AMMTO and partners like the Building Technologies Office supports two-year fellowships, lab access, and training.

Partners

• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• Argonne National Laboratory
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory

History

LEEP began in 2015 with Cyclotron Road, funded by $15 million from EERE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, expanding to four nodes by 2021 with West Gate’s launch. Milestones include Cohort 7 at Chain Reaction Innovations (2023) and the first LEEP Summit (July 2022), with over 140 innovators supported by 2025, surpassing $1 billion in private funding by 2023. It continues with calls like the 2025 cohort announced September 2024.

Funding

Initial funding of $15 million in 2015 established Cyclotron Road, with over $48 million awarded by 2021 across 115 fellows and $80 million by 2025 for 140+ projects. Ongoing support from AMMTO sustains fellowships ($150,000-$200,000 per fellow), lab resources, and ecosystem development, with no end date as it aligns with DOE’s clean energy mission.

Implementation

LEEP embeds fellows in labs for two years, offering R&D access, mentorship (e.g., lab scientists), and training via nodes like Innovation Crossroads, with demos at events like the 2023 Chicago Demo Day. It progresses through cohort cycles (e.g., Cohort 9 call, September 2024), fostering startups with no fixed end, adapting to energy innovation needs.

Related

• Energy Innovation Hubs
• Energy Earthshots

External links

• https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/lab-embedded-entrepreneurship-program
• https://www.nrel.gov/west-gate/
• wikipedia:Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program

Social media

• https://twitter.com/DOEEERE
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-department-of-energy