November 20, 2012 – Toronto’s Ryerson University launched what it calls Canada’s first business incubator and accelerator devoted solely to urban energy.

Housed at the Centre for Urban Energy (CUE), the Innovation Centre for Urban Energy (i-CUE) focuses on research innovation (applied research in collaboration with industry), business innovation (entrepreneurship) and student innovation (experiential learning)—all within the energy sector. Its goal is to help new energy companies turn their ideas into commercial products, services and/or technologies.

PHOTO: Brian Millar and Josh Tzventarny of Plug’n Drive Ontario, one of the four companies in i-CUE.

“The energy industry needs entrepreneurs, but ones that know how to navigate this regulated sector. This is where the i-CUE comes in,” explained Dan McGillivray, CUE executive director.

Four companies are currently being incubated and/or accelerated in i-CUE: Energy Savers, Plug’n Drive Ontario, DanTeb Enterprises and Grid Resources. i-CUE says a growing list of businesses are looking to join.

The Centre for Urban Energy (CUE) is an academic-industry partnership whose mission is to explore and develop solutions to urban energy issues, such as the advancement of clean energy technologies, energy conservation and demand management, energy storage and smart grids. CUE was founded by Ryerson with sponsorships from Hydro One, Toronto Hydro and the Ontario Power Authority.