Last month, over 2,000 energy innovators gathered at the sixth annual ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit to discuss cutting-edge energy technologies and how to move them out of the lab and into the market. During the three-day program, attendees heard from an impressive roster of industry leaders, networked at focused seminars and panel discussions, and had a first-hand look at over 270 technologies featured in ARPA-E’s Technology  Showcase.

Attendees traveled from across the U.S. and from 32 countries to learn from industry leaders and engage in lively panel discussions. Attendees heard from top leaders such as former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, University of California President Janet Napolitano, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, and ARPA-E’s new Director, Dr. Ellen Williams, each offering their insights on the future of energy innovation and how to transition cutting-edge technologies into successful commercial products. “The ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit affords teams the opportunity to showcase their accomplishments and collaborate with other energy innovators and investors to advance their projects, secure follow-on funding, form start-up companies and cultivate strategic partnerships to move technologies toward the marketplace,” stated Williams, as the Summit kicked into high gear.

At the Technology Showcase, a cornerstone of the Summit, attendees had the opportunity to find future contributors and collaborators for research and build relationships with entrepreneurs and investors. The showcase featured over 270 groundbreaking technologies, from both ARPA-E awardees and outside organizations and companies, including a U.S. military prototype transport vehicle with integrated power supply and a heating and cooling system powered by thermal energy.

Another highlight of the 2015 Summit was the Future Energy Pitching Session. Eight innovative energy technology startups were given the opportunity to present their ideas to a panel of venture capital investors, who in turn provided feedback and actionable advice to the startups in real-time. Anthony Diamond of Axiom Cloud, who pitched thermal energy batteries for commercial refrigeration applications, received the most audience votes. Additional top vote getters included Daniel Behr of SLIPS Technologies and Avideh Zakhor of Indoor Reality.

Highlights from the 2015 ARPA-E Summit include:

• Over a dozen main stage speakers, including Doyle N. Beneby, President and Chief Executive Officer, CPS Energy; Ahmad Chatila, President and Chief Executive Officer, SunEdison; and Lyndon Rive, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, SolarCity
• 15+ dynamic panel sessions such as “Energy Storage: Moving Beyond the Tipping Point” and “A Lesson from Solar: Applying Financing Models to Drive New Technologies”
• 21 government agency partners, including other Energy Department agencies and the Department of Defense
• Four new videos showcasing the achievements of several ARPA-E projects as well as the Agency’s unique Technology-to-Market program
• Comments from congressional leaders including Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX)

Each year, the ARPA-E Summit continues to highlight the latest energy innovations that will change the way we generate, use, and store energy. Save the date now for the 2016 Summit! It will be held February 22-24, 2016 at the Gaylord National Convention Center, just outside Washington, DC.