In 2019, US Ignite teamed up with AWS and the National Science Foundation to host a Smart Cities Accelerator. The goal of the accelerator was to help start-ups from around the world that had innovative solutions for cities. Twenty promising startups were selected to participate in the Accelerator including Enpira, a start-up that was providing energy management software and solutions to local governments around their hometown. Enpira was one of eight finalists to present at AWS Headquarters in DC, ultimately placing second.

 

“The accelerator helped us transition from serving local pilot customers to developing a scalable solution with broad appeal to cities,” said Enpira Founder and CEO Daniel Kauffman.

Five years later, Enpira is a growing company serving clients across North Carolina and around the country.

Expanding Enpira and Local Talent

Based out of Durham, North Carolina, Enpira has found a broad user base within city and county governments. With a background in energy engineering, Kauffman originally designed Enpira with professional energy managers in mind. Since then, Enpira software has been adopted by sustainability managers and local government budget managers.

“Whether we are talking about saving BTUs, lowering utility expenses, or reducing a city’s greenhouse gas emissions footprint, we are really talking about the same thing: operating more efficiently and sustainably,” stated Kauffman.

Enpira also works closely with electric and water utilities, particularly municipal utilities and electric cooperatives.

Kauffman explained that “from rate setting to managing costs and engaging customers, utilities face an increasingly complex set of challenges. These utilities want to do what they can to help their citizens and members, and we want to offer tools to help them do so.”

To build and grow Enpira’s software team Kauffman proactively recruited from North Carolina’s local pool of software developers and college graduates.

“We have terrific tech talent in North Carolina, and I believe in leveraging local people to address local challenges. I want to build a company that North Carolina can be proud of,” said Kauffman.

The US Ignite Boost

After Enpira completed the Smart City Accelerator, it permanently found a spot within US Ignite’s vibrant network of mentors and technical experts – a valuable benefit for a startup company. 

“US Ignite is one of the entities that helped us when Enpira was starting out,” expressed Kauffman. “Our work to help cities, counties, utilities and communities be more efficient and sustainable aligns well with US Ignite’s mission, and we look forward to keeping in touch with US Ignite and it’s network as we continue to grow.”

Enpira’s story is a testament to US Ignite’s role in the startup journey. As Enpira continues to expand its reach and impact, its success inspires other startups striving to make a difference. 

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