Techstars Founder Spotlight Sessions with Powertrust

Why It Matters

Power Trust proves that structured storytelling, early traction, and strategic anchor investors can unlock renewable energy financing for corporations in emerging markets, accelerating global decarbonization and creating a replicable model for climate‑tech startups.

Key Takeaways

• Power Trust enables corporate renewable procurement in emerging markets.
• Early traction and experienced team convinced investors and customers.
• Storytelling and quantifiable impact secured contracts with Netflix, Apple.
• Anchor investor Ecuador provided capital and network access.
• Structured rejection feedback loop builds resilience and improves pitches.

Summary

Techstars’ Founder Spotlight featured Power Trust, a climate‑finance and infrastructure startup that helps multinational corporations source renewable electricity in emerging markets such as Brazil, India, and Southeast Asia. Co‑founders Nick, a former utility‑scale wind and solar developer, and Ricky, a former GE strategist and Microsoft engineer, explain how the company translates a corporate climate pledge into on‑the‑ground distributed solar projects, starting with Netflix’s first contract in India. The conversation highlighted three levers of Power Trust’s growth: a seasoned founding team that lends credibility, early revenue traction that turned the venture from idea to cash‑generating business, and a disciplined fundraising process taught by Techstars. By systematically profiling investors, leveraging a convertible‑note anchor from Ecuador’s energy arm, and weaving quantifiable impact data into a concise narrative, the founders secured seed capital and landed marquee customers like Apple and Microsoft. Specific anecdotes underscored the playbook. The founders note that roughly 40‑45% of global solar installations through 2050 will be distributed, a fragmented market ripe for systematization. Their first deal—signed during the Techstars program with Netflix—provided a concrete case study to showcase replicable processes. Ecuador’s involvement not only supplied capital but also opened doors to additional investors through its network. For the broader ecosystem, Power Trust illustrates the commercial viability of climate‑aligned supply‑chain decarbonization outside traditional U.S. and EU markets. Founders can learn that strong storytelling, early customer wins, and anchor investors are critical to scaling climate‑tech ventures, while corporates gain a template for meeting ESG goals in regions where utility‑scale procurement is limited.

Original Description

What does it take to build a platform that decarbonizes the world’s most emissive grids? This month, we sit down with the founders of Powertrust (Techstars 2022) to explore their journey from idea to a high-impact marketplace that landed customers like Microsoft, Salesforce, and Netflix.

​Join us for a fireside chat with Nick Fedorkiw, Co-founder and CEO at Powertrust, and Ricky Buch, Co-founder and CTO at Powertrust. Backed by Equinor Ventures, they’ve built an AI-driven marketplace that helps source renewable energy in the fastest growing markets.

​Nick and Ricky will share insights on securing investments and reaching the right customers. This event will be moderated by Audun Abelsnes, Techstars Managing Director.

​

About the Speakers:

Nick Fedorkiw, Cofounder and CEO at Powertrust, is based in Vancouver and has worked in the energy industry for over 18 years. His background before founding Powertrust was developing utility scale wind and solar projects globally.

​Ricky Buch, Cofounder and CTO at Powertrust, is based in New Jersey and has worked in the energy and software industry for over 15 years. He previously worked with companies like GE and Microsoft developing digital products across the energy space.

​

About Powertrust

Powertrust is a Renewable Energy sourcing platform with high traceability, additionality, and co-benefits – aimed to accelerate corporate Scope 2/Scope 3 decarbonization of highly emissive energy grids through an AI-driven environmental credit climate finance marketplace, especially in the emerging markets. They are backed by Equinor Ventures, and earlier had led the co-creation of a high impact and fully traceable REC market instrument, previously backed by the likes of the IFC, Shell Foundation et al. They have a growing market traction with ~12 signed customers including Microsoft, Salesforce, Netflix, REI, J&J, Watershed among many others.

--------------------------

🌟 Apply to Techstars: http://apply.techstars.com/

🤔 Learn more about Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/

🔗 Connect with us on social: https://linktr.ee/techstars_