Turning a new energy or manufacturing technology into a company can take years of research, specialized equipment and substantial investment. For nearly a decade, Innovation Crossroads has given hard-tech entrepreneurs access to resources designed to help overcome those barriers.
As Innovation Crossroads welcomes its 10th cohort and prepares to open applications for the next, four alumni companies illustrate how founders have used the program to advance technologies toward the marketplace. Innovation Crossroads, one of four nodes of the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Commercialization’s Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program, is a fellowship program that embeds startup founders with researchers at DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to help translate early-stage technologies into viable commercial ventures. The 2026 Innovation Crossroads cohort is supported by the Office of Technology Commercialization and the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, as well as the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Since its first cohort in 2017, Innovation Crossroads has supported more than 57 startups. Those companies have created more than 340 jobs, generated more than $100 million in sales revenue, secured $326.8 million in follow-on funding and received 30 patents.
Nth Cycle
Nth Cycle participated in the second Innovation Crossroads cohort, where it developed technology for recovering critical minerals from electronic waste and other materials. The company recently signed a $1.1 billion offtake agreement, marking its progress from an early-stage venture toward commercial deployment.
Shift Thermal
Shift Thermal, part of the inaugural Innovation Crossroads cohort, partnered with the city of Oak Ridge to launch its thermal energy storage system, FLEX. The company is working to expand uses of its technology, which uses low-cost, off-peak power to make ice. The stored ice supplements the cooling system and improves operational efficiency during hotter parts of the day.
Qubit Engineering
In 2025, Qubit Engineering launched Neuro-Grid, a computational tool that uses AI for real-time, high-accuracy analysis of the power grid to offer insights not available through classical computing. Qubit leveraged Frontier, the world’s first exascale supercomputer housed at ORNL’s Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility to develop Neuro-Grid.
Skuld
A new manufacturing process developed by Skuld with support from ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility is moving from research to commercial production, offering U.S. manufacturers a faster, more efficient approach to producing complex metal castings.
Over its first decade, Innovation Crossroads has connected technical founders with scientists, facilities and entrepreneurial resources at ORNL to help advance early-stage technologies. The next cohort will offer another group of entrepreneurs the opportunity to do the same.
Applications for the next Innovation Crossroads cohort open Sept. 15. Selected innovators receive up to two years of support, including a $115,000 annual living stipend, access to ORNL facilities and expertise, research funding, entrepreneurial training, business mentorship and networking opportunities. The program supports innovators working in the physical sciences and energy technologies as they mature early-stage innovations toward commercial ventures. Learn about eligibility, program resources and how to apply on the Innovation Crossroads site.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the DOE’s Office of Science. The Office of Science is the largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is committed to addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit energy.gov/science