NextEnergy, one of the nation’s leading accelerators of advanced technologies, is partnering with global automotive supplier DENSO in an effort to accelerate the implementation and commercialization of advanced mobility and smart city technologies.
“DENSO is excited and proud to be sponsoring NextEnergy,” said Tony Cannestra, director of corporate ventures for DENSO International America. “We believe that working with NextEnergy to expand our knowledge of startup companies in the Midwest will be very valuable to DENSO’s external innovation efforts. In addition to that, NextEnergy’s commitment to clean energy advancement is an excellent fit to DENSO’s long-term corporate goal of pursuing eco-friendly partnerships.”
As part of the partnership, DENSO International America Inc. (DIAM) becomes a corporate sponsor of NextEnergy’s venture services program, and NextEnergy will serve as a strategic adviser to DIAM’s Corporate Venture Group, which is based in San Jose, California. In addition to early insight on new technologies as they are being developed, the partnership will provide DENSO with networking, startup engagement and other relationship-building opportunities as well as an avenue for potential investments in NextEnergy clients.
“Collaboration for the purpose of accelerating technologies is the core of what we do,” said Jean Redfield, president and CEO of NextEnergy. “As part of our partnership with DENSO, we’re striving to help them meet their business goals by providing first-hand knowledge of collaboration opportunities with NextEnergy clients and technologies.”
This corporate sponsorship aligns with DENSO’s corporate environmental policy and action plan to help resolve environmental and energy issues and conduct business in harmony with nature. DENSO’s ECO VISION policy, which was first launched in 1997, has been in place for nearly 20 years.