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AI Nexus NYC | C10 Labs
New York, NY | Flexible, Part-Time Mentor Engagement
About C10 Labs
C10 Labs is an AI-native venture fund and venture platform that partners with exceptional founders to build and scale category-defining AI companies. Through AI Nexus NYC, C10 Labs connects early-stage companies with experienced investors, operators, researchers, corporate leaders, and industry experts who can help accelerate product development, customer adoption, strategic partnerships, and fundraising.
We are expanding our mentor network and seeking experienced energy leaders who want to help founders build commercially viable AI solutions for one of the world’s most important and complex industries.
The Opportunity
C10 Labs is seeking experienced founders, executives, investors, operators, engineers, and subject-matter experts to serve as Energy Mentors for AI Nexus NYC. Mentors will support founders building AI-enabled products across utilities, power generation, grid infrastructure, renewable energy, energy storage, industrial operations, energy markets, and related sectors. Energy startups must navigate complex customer environments, long sales cycles, regulatory requirements, operational risks, integration challenges, and significant capital needs. The most effective mentors will help founders understand these realities while identifying practical paths to pilots, customer adoption, strategic partnerships, and investment. This is an opportunity to apply your industry experience and network to help entrepreneurs build solutions that are technically credible, commercially relevant, and capable of operating within critical energy environments.
What You Will Do
Founder Mentorship and Company Building
Advise founders on product strategy, commercialization, business models, and market positioning.
Help startups identify high-value use cases and prioritize customer problems worth solving.
Provide practical feedback on product-market fit, pricing, implementation, and go-to-market strategy.
Help founders understand the operational, financial, and technical requirements of energy-sector customers.
Share lessons learned from building, operating, purchasing, financing, or scaling energy technologies and companies.
Customer and Commercial Development
Help founders identify and engage utilities, power producers, energy developers, industrial customers, technology providers, and infrastructure operators.
Introduce companies to potential customers, pilot partners, investors, corporate partners, and technical experts when appropriate.
Advise founders on navigating enterprise procurement, security reviews, technical validation, and long sales cycles.
Help companies design pilots with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and credible pathways to commercial deployment.
Support founders in translating technical capabilities into business and operational value for energy customers.
Energy Industry Guidance
Provide insight into the structure, economics, and decision-making processes of energy markets.
Help startups understand industry regulations, standards, safety requirements, and operational constraints.
Advise founders on interoperability with existing energy systems, infrastructure, data environments, and operational technologies.
Help companies evaluate the risks and opportunities associated with deploying AI in mission-critical environments.
Provide guidance on reliability, cybersecurity, data quality, implementation, and customer trust.
Help founders distinguish between an interesting technology and a commercially scalable energy solution.
Fundraising and Strategic Growth
Advise founders on fundraising strategy, investor positioning, and financing requirements.
Review pitch materials and help companies communicate their market opportunity, technical differentiation, customer value, and traction.
Introduce startups to relevant venture investors, infrastructure investors, corporate venture groups, strategic partners, project-finance resources, or non-dilutive funding opportunities when appropriate.
Help founders understand the milestones required to attract institutional or strategic capital.
Support companies preparing for investor meetings, technical diligence, partnership discussions, and follow-on financing.
AI Nexus NYC Community
Participate in mentor office hours, workshops, panels, founder meetings, and ecosystem events.
Collaborate with C10 Labs team members, investors, operators, and other mentors.
Contribute industry insight that strengthens AI Nexus NYC programming.
Participate in Demo Day, pitch preparation, or investor-readiness activities when appropriate.
What We Are Looking For
We welcome mentors with experience across areas such as:
Electric Utilities
Power Generation
Grid Modernization
Transmission and Distribution
Renewable Energy
Solar, Wind, and Distributed Energy
Energy Storage and Battery Technologies
Energy Management
Demand Response
Virtual Power Plants
Energy Markets and Trading
Oil and Gas
Industrial Energy Systems
Electrification
Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure
Nuclear Energy
Hydrogen and Alternative Fuels
Critical Infrastructure
Asset Performance and Predictive Maintenance
Energy Data, Analytics, and Software
Project Finance
Energy Regulation and Policy
Cybersecurity for Energy Infrastructure
What We’re Looking For
Significant experience within energy, utilities, infrastructure, industrial technology, investing, or a related market.
Experience building, operating, financing, advising, purchasing, or deploying energy technology.
Strong understanding of energy customers, commercial models, market structures, and implementation requirements.
Familiarity with early-stage companies, venture-backed startups, innovation programs, or emerging technologies.
Interest in artificial intelligence and its application across energy systems and infrastructure.
Ability to give founders practical, direct, and constructive advice.
A strong professional network and willingness to facilitate relevant introductions when appropriate.
Excellent communication, judgment, and relationship-building skills.
A genuine interest in helping founders create commercially successful and operationally credible companies.
Ideal Backgrounds
Potential mentor backgrounds include:
Energy or ClimateTech Founder
Utility Executive
Power Generation Leader
Engineering or Operations Executive
Product or Technology Leader
Energy Investor
Corporate Venture or Innovation Leader
Project Finance Professional
Energy Markets or Trading Executive
Regulatory or Policy Expert
Infrastructure Investor
Business Development or Strategic Partnerships Leader
Industrial Technology Executive
Researcher, Scientist, or Academic Leader
Corporate Customer or Procurement Executive
Who You Are
You understand the complexity and responsibility involved in operating within energy markets.
You enjoy helping founders translate technical innovation into customer and commercial value.
You are comfortable challenging assumptions and identifying operational or market risks.
You provide practical advice grounded in real industry experience.
You are curious about how AI can improve reliability, efficiency, decision-making, and asset performance.
You want to help startups build solutions that energy companies can trust, adopt, and scale.
Commitment This is a flexible, part-time mentor engagement. Participation may include:
Founder mentoring sessions Office hours Workshops or panel discussions Customer, partner, or investor introductions Product and commercialization feedback Pitch and fundraising preparation
Demo Day participation
Periodic program and portfolio-company support
Mentor involvement will be coordinated based on availability, expertise, and the needs of participating companies.
Why C10 Labs
As an Energy Mentor, you will work with ambitious founders applying AI to critical energy, infrastructure, and industrial challenges. You will have the opportunity to share your experience, expand your network, and help startups develop stronger products, reach the right customers, establish strategic partnerships, and become better positioned for institutional investment.
You will also join a growing community helping shape the future of AI entrepreneurship in New York.
To Apply
Please submit your résumé or professional profile and a short description of the areas within energy where you can provide the greatest value to founders.
C10 Labs welcomes mentors from diverse professional, academic, and industry backgrounds.