CUETS on Scaling Demand Flexibility
Hosted by the Cambridge University Energy Technology Society. Enter via Queens' College Porters' Lodge and follow signs to the Angevin Room (next to the bar).
Demand flexibility is increasingly central to grid reliability, cost reduction, and decarbonisation. But, translating theory and policy of flexibility into deployable infrastructure in reality remains challenging. This session explores how plug-in battery systems can enable real-world load shifting at the grid edge, drawing on engineering constraints, market design, and startup experience building distributed energy technologies.
⚡️ We're a YC-backed team (X25) building a distributed power network in the UK.
At PowerMatrix, we're developing plug-and-play battery systems that enable real-world demand flexibility and load shifting — without installation, long permitting cycles, or complex grid interconnection.
Our goal is to make flexibility deployable at the grid edge, starting with homes and small businesses, and to explore how distributed storage can relieve grid bottlenecks, lower costs, and unlock new market designs under dynamic tariffs.
We see plug-in batteries as a form of permissionless distributed energy infrastructure: fast to deploy, easy to move, and designed for the realities of modern electricity markets.
Co-Founders
Catherine Jeong
Catherine is a second-time founder with experiences across venture building and investment in energy and climate infrastructure. She built her first startup in carbon data infrastructure at Entrepreneur First. She holds a BA in Political Science from Brown University and an MSc in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Climate Track) from the London School of Economics, where she focused on energy systems, policy design, and market mechanisms.
At PowerMatrix, Catherine focuses on strategy and market development with B2B stakeholders like energy suppliers, grid operators, property developers and policy makers.
Borong Hu
Borong completed postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge and holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Warwick with a focus on power electronics. Hence, the initial focus of PowerMatrix was on developing ultra-efficient, compact power supplies for AI data centres. He has extensive experience in research, product development, electronics manufacturing, business, and venture capital. At PowerMatrix, Borong leads battery system design and power electronics architecture while running the sprints on D2C customers as someone who personally had a pain point around getting a battery for his own house.