Innovation has always been at the heart of EDF’s strategy. To give its endeavours even more of a boost, the Group has created “EDF Nouveaux Business” (EDF NB). The purpose of this company is to develop new solutions along with innovative, competitive services.
EDF Nouveaux Business plans to invest 40 million Euros in 10 start-ups within the next 2 years. The focus will be on five different fields:
- energy efficiency, for both private and business customers;
- sustainable comfort in the home, the smart house;
- the “energy cloud”, in other words, steering decentralised energy systems (storage, managing intermittency in energy production, flexibility);
- the sustainable city, services aimed at local authorities (electric vehicles etc.);
- businesses of the future, operational excellence for clients in industry and the service sector.
An investment fund and business incubator rolled into one, EDF Nouveaux Business boasts a tightly-knit team working closely with EDF’s R&D department and with all of the Group’s members committed to open innovation and partnerships with the world of start-ups (such as EDF Pulse and Innovation Hub).
EDF Nouveaux Business will also draw on the ideas and know-how of the Group’s employees. The company will be able to offer them dedicated support as well as funding to help them develop their projects in the spirit of entrepreneurship.
In order to develop new businesses and innovative solutions in new technologies, EDF Nouveaux Business will invest directly in young companies, in particular through the Group’s dedicated funds such as Electranova Capital, as well as creating joint ventures with start-ups which will be able to explore new business models and win over new markets in France and around the world.
Cédric Lewandowski, EDF Group Senior Executive Vice President of Innovation, Strategy & Planning explained: “By creating EDF Nouveaux Business, the Group is keen to take another step forward in the field of innovation. In order to respond effectively and quickly to the challenges of energy transition, as well as to the new habits and needs of the Group’s customers, EDF Nouveaux Business will be committed to creating technologically innovative, low-carbon, digital, competitive services, with the support of R&D and EDF’s different areas of expertise, working closely with the ecosystem of start-ups”.