Electron

Based in London, Electron is a key player in the energy technology sector, focused on advancing the transition to a zero-carbon energy grid. The company was established in 2015 by Jo-Jo Hubbard and Paul Ellis. Hubbard's background in renewable energy investment and digital strategy consulting at McKinsey, combined with Ellis's experience in building electronic trading platforms, provided the foundational expertise for the venture. They identified the need for a coordination platform to manage the increasing number of distributed energy assets in a decentralizing industry, which led to the creation of Electron.

Electron operates a B2B model centered around its core product, ElectronConnect, a software platform that creates local flexibility markets. This marketplace connects electricity network operators, renewable energy generators, and consumers with distributed energy resources (DERs) like battery storage and smart thermostats. The platform's primary function is to enable the buying and selling of energy flexibility, which helps manage grid congestion, integrate more renewable power sources, and improve overall grid stability. By facilitating a market-based approach, Electron allows for dynamic pricing and optimization of energy supply and demand based on time and location, which can defer costly grid infrastructure upgrades and lower consumer bills.

The ElectronConnect platform is designed to be highly configurable, offering pre-configured templates for common market archetypes to speed up deployment for its clients, which are primarily network utilities and grid operators. It provides real-time asset coordination and supports the scaling required to manage millions of individual energy assets. Since its inception, the company has engaged with numerous utility partners and launched deployments to pilot and prove its market-based approach. Electron has secured significant funding through multiple rounds, including a notable Series A in 2023, to fuel product development and expand its operations in the UK, Europe, and North America.

Keywords: energy flexibility market, distributed energy resources, DER management, grid congestion, smart grid, energy trading platform, renewable energy integration, demand response, energy transition, virtual power plant, grid optimization, Entech, Jo-Jo Hubbard, ElectronConnect, electricity market software, network balancing, clean energy, utility software, flexibility procurement, local energy markets