California Energy Commission

A diverse ecosystem with no central place to connect, discover, or collaborate.

Empower Innovation was established to strengthen California's cleantech ecosystem — connecting startups, investors, government bodies, utilities, and research institutions around shared opportunities and challenges. But without a dedicated platform, the ecosystem was fragmented across email lists, event attendance, and individual relationships.

There was no single place for members to discover funding opportunities, find the right partners, access shared resources, or stay connected with events and announcements relevant to their focus areas. Building a community at this scale required more than a directory — it needed a dynamic, personalised experience for every member type.

A personalised community hub that surfaces what matters to each member.

Skipso powers the Empower Innovation platform as a fully branded member networking hub. Members across California's cleantech ecosystem can browse searchable directories of startups, organisations, and partners — then connect directly through the platform's messaging tools or by expressing interest in collaboration.

Funding opportunities, shared resources, and events are posted and discoverable across the platform — but what makes them stick is Skipso's AI-powered recommendation engine. Based on each member's profile and stated areas of interest, the platform automatically surfaces the most relevant content, opportunities, and connections from across the ecosystem — keeping members engaged long after they first join.

The result is a living, active community platform built entirely on Empower Innovation's own brand — with Skipso invisible beneath the surface.