Tendril, a smart-grid, energy-management company is on a cloud as it nearly tripled its workforce this year to 200 people. The startup has also attracted $75 million in venture capital and partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, such as Lockheed Martin and General Electric. At the center of all this activity is an Internet-based platform, or "cloud" called Tendril Connect, that enables electricity consumers and utilities to plug in, get information and manage their energy demands.
Tendril's aim is to build a business by helping homeowners and consumers tap in and use that grid. The company's development of home management tools attracted major appliance makers — GE, Whirlpool and Siemens — as partners.
For consumers, plugging into Tendril's cloud will give real-time data on electricity consumption and a measure of how they are doing against their average consumption and their peers. When a house has a smart thermostat, plugs and appliances, a homeowner can control the devices from a computer or a mobile phone. Using GroundedPower resources, Tendril is also creating an analysis and energy-saving tips for users through a service called Tendril Energize.
