BPCL opens investment opportunities for startups focusing on energy efficiency and city gas distribution, with a commitment to accelerating India’s energy transition

Bharat Petroleum Corporation(BPCL), a Fortune Global 500 company, has started the ‘Emerge’ cohort under the BPCL Ankur Fund, aimed at empowering startups working in the fields of Energy Efficiency and City Gas Distribution (CGD).

The ‘Emerge’ cohort calls for applications from early-stage startups that have developed a proof of concept (PoC), prototype, minimum viable product (MVP), or a fully implemented solution, particularly in the oil and gas sector, or are looking to expand into the sector. Startups selected under this program will be eligible for investments of up to Rs 5 crore through funding options such as equity, compulsory convertible preference shares (CCPS), etc., with a maximum stake of 20 per cent.

The cohort focuses on two key themes: energy efficiency and CGD. The Energy Efficiency theme seeks innovative solutions that optimize energy consumption, enhance sustainability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the oil and gas sector. Solutions in this category may include AI-powered energy management systems, predictive maintenance for equipment, heat transfer optimization, and waste heat recovery technologies.

The CGD theme targets technologies that improve customer experience, operational efficiency, safety, last-mile connectivity, and project execution. This could include advancements such as smart metering, pipeline monitoring, leak detection, predictive maintenance, and AI-driven project execution tools.

Since its inception in 2016, BPCL’s Ankur initiative has already supported 30 startups with grants totaling approximately Rs 28 crore. The start of the ‘Emerge’ cohort expands BPCL’s ongoing efforts to drive innovation and sustainability in the energy sector, helping the country reduce its carbon footprint while improving energy access and efficiency.