The Sea Change team is still buzzing from last week’s DTECH in San Diego. It was one of the strongest conferences we have attended in recent years, and the energy (pun intended) was present throughout the entire event.
From the startup pitch sessions to the opportunity to connect with so many brilliant colleagues across the industry, the conversations felt both optimistic and urgent. We especially enjoyed the startup pitches and the chance to meet founders and teams building the next wave of innovation across the grid and energy ecosystem.
One key theme that stood out repeatedly was the reinforcement that we cannot automate or modernize the grid without AI. It is not a “nice to have.” It is a non-negotiable. The companies that embrace AI will accelerate, and those that do not will lag behind in future growth.
One of the standout sessions was “Reinventing the Utility Playbook: AI Agents for Grid Growth, Storm Response & the Workforce,” featuring Josh Wong, Brenden Russell, Mark Thomson, and Steve Adams. Their insights on the role of AI agents in supporting grid reliability, storm response, and workforce evolution were timely and compelling.
We also enjoyed hearing Dan White from National Grid Partners and Ian Black from Sensat speak about scaling from startup to pilot. Their discussion highlighted the importance of understanding company hierarchy, building internal champions, and strategically positioning the right leaders to drive successful adoption and partnership outcomes.
Beyond the sessions, our time at the Buoyant cocktail hour led to many positive conversations, valuable takeaways, and new relationships that we look forward to continuing.
We are already looking forward to the next DTECH and continuing to support the founders, investors, and operators shaping the future of energy.
