ChargeUp Accelerator for Battery Startups Opens Application Period for Cohort 3

ChargeUp Accelerator in Binghamton N.Y. Enables Companies to Leverage Resources within a Federally Designated Battery Tech Hub to Speed Commercialization

BINGHAMTON, N.Y., Nov. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New Energy New York (NENY) has opened applications for the third cohort of ChargeUp. The six-month accelerator program is designed to support startups working on battery innovations in order to help them advance their technology development and business. U.S. companies that are working on battery innovations from lab-scale prototype to early revenue are encouraged to apply. Companies accepted into the accelerator will receive $25,000 (non-equity), training on business development and investor pitches, connections to supply chain partners, and opportunities for follow-on investment. The third round of the program follows the success of the two previous cohorts of companies, including Ateios Systems, Fermi Energy, Standard Potential, Cellec Technologies, LiBama Power and more.

"It was really important for me to become investor-ready. Being in ChargeUp, we now have the best slide deck yet, and we’re ready to scale,” said Christopher Schauerman, co-founder and CEO of Cellec Technologies. “We need partners in manufacturing, testing and engineers to make that dream come true – and going through ChargeUp put us in the position to start raising money and making that dream happen.”

The initiative is part of a $4.5 million grant awarded to NextCorps from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF-2334103) to test an accelerator model focused on technology commercialization for early-stage, deep-tech businesses while strengthening economic development within region-specific technology hubs located across the U.S. The accelerator is based on curriculum and learnings from two of NextCorps’ proven accelerators: Luminate, the world’s largest accelerator for startups developing technologies enabled by optics, photonics and imaging, and the Manufacturing Accelerator, which helps early-stage companies reduce the risk, waste and cost associated with getting hardware from prototype to mass production. The methodology used by both programs leverages university, community and industrial involvement to guide and speed the delivery of emerging technologies.

ChargeUp follows a similar format, and will take place at Koffman Southern Tier Incubator. During the program, companies will receive more than 200 hours of curriculum that will prepare them to become investment-ready by mastering business due diligence, design for manufacturing, complex supply chains, product pricing, investor pitch preparation and other topics. Each month, participation in the Binghamton-based accelerator is split between one week of in-person instructional workshops and regional tours of supply chain partners and three weeks of virtual activities. Virtual curriculum includes instruction provided by industry and business experts, pitch coaching, regional showcases, and opportunities to build out each company's data room so they are ready for investment. The accelerator also will connect companies to resources within the region’s rapidly growing battery industry cluster – which has been federally designated as a battery tech hub – and New York State’s efforts to pioneer critical energy storage technologies through NENY.

“The Binghamton region and our partners are driving the future of energy storage innovation. ChargeUp is more than an accelerator – it’s a catalyst for transforming bold ideas into market-ready solutions,” said Bandhana Katoch, associate vice president of Technology Commercialization and Economic Development at Binghamton University and regional economic competitiveness officer for NENY. “The connections formed here empower startups to leverage New York’s unmatched expertise and assets, accelerating their path to impact. The collaboration and shared purpose among ChargeUp companies are fueling a powerful movement that strengthens the energy storage industry and advances New York’s leadership in building the batteries that will power America’s future.”

Binghamton University, through its Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships (OEIP), is leading the NENY initiative, which aims to advance the development of U.S. battery technology, supply chains and workforce development. NENY’s cornerstone project Battery-NY, a pilot prototyping and manufacturing center for batteries that is chemistry and format-agnostic. Additionally, OEIP oversees the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator, which has fostered 106 startup companies through mentorship and programming since 2017.

Startups applying to ChargeUp must be incorporated, have at least two people working full-time on the business, and should have proven their core technology, preferably having developed a working prototype. ChargeUp Cohort 3 begins in April 2026 and concludes in September 2026. The first information session will be held on Zoom at noon on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, to give companies an overview of the program and how it can help reach their goals for investability.

To apply to ChargeUp, sign in or create a free account at F6S.com.

For more information on ChargeUp, visit https://bit.ly/4oPewcO

For more information on NextCorps, visit nextcorps.org.

For more information about Binghamton’s New Energy New York initiative, go to neny.org.

For more information about NSF grants, visit nsf.gov.

Media Contact
Kari Bayait
Marketing Communications Manager
ChargeUp Accelerator
kbayait@binghamton.edu
607-777-6124

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