ST. LOUIS, Jan. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ameren
Corporation (NYSE: AEE) is seeking applicants for the Ameren
Accelerator, an innovative public-private partnership with the
University of Missouri System, UMSL
Accelerate and Capital Innovators, that will assess, mentor and
invest in energy-technology startup companies. Applications are
being accepted through March 9 at
amerenaccelerator.com from interested entrepreneurs and
energy-technology companies.
Selected companies each will receive $100,000 in seed capital to participate in the
Ameren Accelerator program, which will be located in Cortex –
St. Louis' innovation and
technology district. As part of the 12-week program, the selected
startup companies each will receive intensive mentoring, technical
assistance, facilities and networking connections from the Ameren
Accelerator partners. Subject matter experts in the areas of
energy, sales, marketing, pricing, technical development,
operations, talent development and finance also will provide
guidance.
At the conclusion of the program, participants will showcase
their efforts to the mentoring teams, potential third-party
investors, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, students and the
general public during Ameren Accelerator Demo Day in September.
Ameren may select the most promising projects for ongoing mentoring
and engagement beyond the accelerator program.
The Ameren Accelerator is one of the first of its kind in
the United States and the first in
the St. Louis region to focus
solely on emerging energy technologies. The goals of the program
are to better position Ameren to meet its customers' future energy
needs and expectations, attract job-creating startups to
St. Louis and provide university
students the opportunity to be more involved and engaged in the
energy business.
"As technologies continue to advance, and as the needs and
expectations of our customers continue to rise, it is important
that we work collaboratively with innovators and entrepreneurs
throughout the world to deliver superior value to our customers,
shareholders and the communities we serve," said Warner Baxter, chairman, president and CEO,
Ameren. "Through the Ameren Accelerator, we've been able to
identify and support startups and innovations that have the
potential to make a lasting, positive impact for our customers and
our industry, while bringing new jobs to our region. We look
forward to opening the next chapter of this unique public-private
partnership and welcoming our second Ameren Accelerator class."
The call for applicants follows a successful 2017 Ameren
Accelerator, which attracted seven startup companies from around
the world to participate in the inaugural program. The 2017 program
drew more than 200 applicants from 23 states and 31 countries.
"Our involvement in the 2017 Ameren Accelerator has helped us
bring our newest initiative – an instant incentive program – to
customers of Ameren Illinois and other utilities this spring," said
Joe Pater, CEO, Rebate Bus and 2017
Ameren Accelerator participant. "This wouldn't have been possible
without the mentoring and support we received through the
accelerator program. It was an invaluable experience and a real
game-changer for our company."
For more information about the Ameren Accelerator, visit
amerenaccelerator.com.
About Ameren Corporation
St.
Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life
for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural
gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren
Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries.
Ameren Illinois provides electric distribution and transmission
service, as well as natural gas distribution service, while Ameren
Missouri provides vertically integrated electric service, with
generating capacity of over 10,200 megawatts, and natural gas
distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops regional electric
transmission projects. Follow the company on Twitter @AmerenCorp.
For more information, visit Ameren.com.
About the University of Missouri
System
The University of
Missouri System is the State of
Missouri's largest public university, with four campuses
serving more than 76,000 students, a health care system, an
extension program, and more than 500,000 alumni worldwide. The UM
System was created in 1963 when the University
of Missouri (founded in 1839 in Columbia) and the Missouri School of Mines
(now the Missouri University of Science
and Technology, founded in 1870 in Rolla), were combined with the formerly
private University of Kansas City (now
University of Missouri–Kansas City, founded in 1933), and a newly
created campus in suburban St. Louis
(University of Missouri–St. Louis).
About the University of Missouri-St.
Louis and UMSL Accelerate
The University of
Missouri–St. Louis is the largest public research university in
eastern Missouri with the greatest
concentration of alumni in the region. Their UMSL Accelerate
initiative fosters entrepreneurism and innovative thinking in and
outside the classroom and helps bring concepts from mind to market.
For more information, visit http://umsl.edu/accelerate/.
About Capital Innovators
Capital Innovators is an
innovation engine that creates practical solutions across
industries that can shape the future of organizations. Capital
Innovators provides innovation consulting, entrepreneurial-based
programs, acts as a liaison between Corporations, Universities and
Startups and investment into attractive early-stage businesses.
Capital Innovators has in-depth knowledge into the most
cutting-edge solutions through the Accelerator division of its
business, which has been ranked as a Top 10 Accelerator in the
country for three years in a row and has invested in and guided 70
companies to date. Capital Innovators model is simple and
effective: Innovation, Iteration, and Implementation.
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SOURCE Ameren Corporation