Innovation Crossroads

Stored: Innovation Crossroads

Innovation Crossroads

Type	Program
Sponsor Organization	Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Top Organization	Department of Energy
Creation Legislation	None
Website	Website
Purpose	Innovation Crossroads places innovators at Oak Ridge Lab to turn energy tech into market solutions, speeding up clean energy via a two-year fellowship.
Program Start	2017
Initial Funding	$2.5 million
Duration	Ongoing
Historic	No

The Innovation Crossroads program, launched in May 2017 by the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), embeds innovators at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) as part of the Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP), supporting over 50 fellows across eight cohorts by 2025 who have raised more than $450 million in follow-on funding.

With initial backing from EERE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), CRI has nurtured startups like SkyNano Technologies, leveraging ORNL’s facilities such as the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility and Spallation Neutron Source.

Cohort 8 began in June 2024, and with applications for Cohort 9 open as of February 2025, it continues to drive DOE’s clean energy innovation agenda.

Official Site

Goals

• De-risk early-stage energy and manufacturing technologies for market entry within two years.
• Train innovators in entrepreneurship to launch impactful startups.
• Enhance U.S. clean energy competitiveness with significant private investment.

Organization

Innovation Crossroads is sponsored by EERE’s AMMTO, hosted at ORNL, and directed by a Program Manager, integrating mentorship from ORNL’s 7,000+ scientists and engineers and partnerships with the University of Tennessee and TVA. Funding from AMMTO and TVA supports fellowships, lab access, and business training.

Partners

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Tennessee Valley Authority
• University of Tennessee
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

History

Initiated in May 2017 with $2.5 million from DOE and TVA, Innovation Crossroads expanded LEEP from Cyclotron Road and Chain Reaction Innovations, welcoming its first cohort of five fellows after a 2016 announcement. Milestones include Cohort 3’s 2019 expansion, Cohort 7’s 2023 impact ($450M+ funding), and Cohort 8’s June 2024 start, with Cohort 9 applications open as of February 2025, reinforcing its role in clean energy entrepreneurship.

Funding

Initial funding of $2.5 million in 2017 launched CRI, with over $20 million in DOE support by 2025—e.g., $1.4 million annually for 5-7 fellows—yielding $450 million+ in follow-on funding. Ongoing AMMTO and TVA funding provides fellowships ($90,000-$200,000/year per fellow), R&D grants (up to $200,000), and resources, with no end date as it supports DOE’s energy goals.

Implementation

CRI embeds 5-7 fellows annually at ORNL for two years, offering lab facilities, mentorship, and training, with progress showcased at events like the 2022 LEEP Summit. It advances through cohort cycles—e.g., Cohort 9 call opened fall 2024—focusing on innovations like carbon-negative nanotubes, adapting to market needs without a fixed end.

Related

• Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program
• Chain Reaction Innovations

External links

• https://innovationcrossroads.ornl.gov
• https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/lab-embedded-entrepreneurship-program
• wikipedia:Innovation Crossroads

Social media

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