Swinburne leads the clean energy revolution

The 2025 Pulse Innovate Showcase, hosted by Swinburne’s Innovation Studio, saw finalists present to over 100 industry leaders and investors, marking the culmination of the Pulse Innovate Challenge.

Commencing in October, the Pulse Innovate program challenged participants to identify breakthrough innovations shaping the future of energy, with a focus on energy storage, transmission, alternative clean fuels, integrated decarbonisation and renewable energy generation.  

The founder-friendly program was designed to build connections and strategies that accelerate the clean energy transition through collaboration with program partners EDF power solutions Australia and the Franco Australian Centre for Energy Transition (FACET).

Participants were provided with tailored support to strengthen their business and pitch readiness. They attended a webinar offering in-depth knowledge about EDF’s global impact, received one-to-one due diligence sessions, benefited from customised pitch training, and gained exclusive access to networks and resources.

“The Pulse Innovate Challenge perfectly met what FACET is all about, creating collaboration, pushing forward innovation, and discovering new solutions to the energy transition,” said Sarah Cumming, Co-Director of FACET.

“All the startups were really fantastic, with competitive and investment-worthy innovations. Trying to differentiate came down to the strength of their presentations, the clarity of their responses, and the strategies they brought to the challenge."

“Innovation is at the heart of the EDFA strategy,” said Ali Bourig, Project Development and Technical Manager of EDFA.

“Through our collaboration with Swinburne, we’re building an ecosystem to connect major industry, academics, and emerging startups, leveraging this approach to drive growth and competitiveness.”

The finalists presented their solutions to an audience of 100 stakeholders, investors and industry leaders at the Pulse Innovate Showcase. The winning startups were awarded cash prizes totalling $41,000, investing in the growth of their clean energy solutions.

First place: Gridsoft

Gridsoft was awarded first place for its AI platform leading the charge in digital infrastructure for energy asset optimisation. Gridsoft is empowering businesses to seamlessly integrate renewables, storage, and EV fleets with energy markets, driving cost savings, ensuring supply security, and generating new revenue streams. Their Luna AI platform is built to deliver maximum return on investment and contribute to Australia’s renewable energy targets.

 “The Pulse Innovate Challenge provided strategic validation that we’re on the right track with a product the market wants,” said Philip Chalko, Head of Growth at Gridsoft. “It allowed us to engage with industry and research partners efficiently, and the value it brought through high quality events, networking, and connections has been stellar for accelerating our growth in the energy sector.”

First place was awarded to AI platform, Gridsoft. 

Second Place: Reswitch

Reswitch was awarded second place for its initiative, bridging the gap between developments and communities as an independent third party and delivering tangible benefits. The company is helping people living close to renewable energy projects, such as wind farms and transmission lines, receive free or reduced power bills through credits with the developments. Reswitch believes that achieving the Net Zero renewable energy target by 2050 can only be possible when the transition is just and equitable for affected communities.

Swinburne’s Vice President of Innovation and Enterprise Dr Werner van der Merwe presented at Swinburne’s Pulse Innovate Showcase.