Department of Energy Entrepreneur in Residence Program

The Department of Energy Entrepreneur in Residence Program was a DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy pilot that placed venture-capital-sponsored entrepreneurs inside DOE national laboratories to identify commercially promising clean-energy technologies and build business cases for spinout companies. DOE launched the program in 2007 and selected the first three venture capital firms in February 2008.

DOE's thesis was that national lab inventions often stalled before reaching market because researchers and federal labs lacked startup-company formation expertise. By embedding venture-sponsored entrepreneurs inside labs, DOE hoped to pair scientific talent with business talent, speed technology transfer, and create clean-energy startups around lab-developed IP.

Designed for Founders, Investors, Fund Managers, Operators. The program is in person. Participation is generally full time.

The program was not an open founder fellowship. The 2007 call required each entrepreneur to be sponsored by an established venture capital firm, with first-round firm requirements reportedly including at least USD 10 million available for energy efficiency and renewable energy technology investment and at least USD 100 million overall fund size. Physics Today reported that the 2008 expansion relaxed requirements to USD 5 million in relevant energy funds and USD 50 million overall fund size.

DOE ran a competitive Funding Opportunity Announcement for venture capital firms. The original FOA was DE-PS36-08GO98001 with applications due December 21, 2007. DOE then evaluated responses and selected venture firms to pair with specific national labs; selected firms identified, hired, managed, and mentored the EIRs.

For the selected venture capital firms and their entrepreneurs, the program provided privileged access to DOE national laboratory technologies, researchers, invention disclosures, and commercialization staff. The EIRs could evaluate lab-developed technologies, work directly with scientists and technical managers, and identify candidates for new clean-energy startups.

The 2007 launch called for entrepreneurs with startup experience to spend up to one year working directly with lab technical management and staff. The first three pilot labs were NREL, Oak Ridge, and Sandia. Physics Today reported that the program was underway by spring 2008 at those labs and that DOE invited firms in November 2008 to bid for EIR placements at five additional labs.

Public outcome information is mixed and incomplete. DOE's own later Energy I-Corps evaluation describes the program as an EERE initiative from 2007 to 2008 designed to address national-lab technology transfer gaps, but does not present a public scorecard of spinouts or commercialization outcomes.