Today, we dive into one of the most exciting areas of the energy transition: the expansion and optimisation of our power grids and the role that startups play in this. There's no question that the big players in the energy industry are important. But more and more often, it's the young, courageous companies that are driving change in the system with fresh ideas, new technologies, and unusual business models.

However they need tackle quite a few hurdles on their way. How do start-ups manage to assert themselves in a highly regulated and technically demanding industry? How do they work with grid operators, municipal utilities, or energy suppliers, and where do they encounter resistance?

We talk about this with Johan Söderbom, Thematic Leader for Smart Grids and Energy Storage at EIT InnoEnergy.

About Johan Söderbom

Between 1995 and 2014, Johan worked at the northern European Utility Vattenfall AB in various positions in R&D. From 2014 to 2019, Johan was heading a section at RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden) responsible for electrical and optical measurement technology, and he now holds the position of thematic leader for Smart Grids and Energy Storage at EIT InnoEnergy.

InnoEnergy is industrialising clean tech innovation to enable and grow a global net-zero economy. Active in Europe and the US, the company invests in early-stage start-ups and in the current and future workforce, building resilient clean-tech value chains that drive sustainable economic growth. Through its ecosystem – with 1,400 partners including 39 shareholders spanning industry, finance, public policy, and academia – the company scales the energy transition at speed.

Since 2010, InnoEnergy has supported 540+ companies, helping 4 of them grow into industrial unicorns. These companies have raised more than €34 billion to date, created over 47,000 jobs, and are on track to generate €110 billion in revenue and reduce 2.3 gigatons of CO2e by 2030. Currently, InnoEnergy is invested in 160+ start-ups and scale-ups.

In support of the EU’s climate and industrial goals, InnoEnergy leads industrial alliances in batteries and solar, and accelerates the uptake of green hydrogen. Pinpointing market gaps, InnoEnergy launches new industrial champions in sectors including batteries, steel, and fertilisers. InnoEnergy was established in 2010 by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, as one of its first Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC). In 2025, the EIT and InnoEnergy entered into a new partnership, continuing their collaboration on specific projects.