Washington, USA: Babu Jain, a seasoned Indian American leader in the renewable energy sector, has been named the latest Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) at the Washington Clean Energy Testbeds, an innovation hub at the University of Washington (UW) focused on clean energy and climate technology advancements.

Jain, the founder and CEO of Navia Energy Inc., an AI-powered renewable energy firm, brings more than three decades of experience spanning global startups and Fortune 500 corporations. He has a strong track record of guiding companies through growth and acquisitions, including leading NavSemi Energy to its successful acquisition by Alpha Technologies Inc.

In his new role, Jain will provide strategic guidance to students, startups, and early-stage companies, helping them navigate critical aspects of building and scaling climate technology businesses. His expertise will support areas such as product development, team building, strategic marketing, fundraising, manufacturing strategies, and overall business growth.

With a career that has taken him across the United States, India, Singapore, and Germany, Jain has held leadership positions in multinational companies, including spearheading the expansion of Infineon’s R&D team in Asia and driving innovation in power and industrial control technologies.

"Babu’s dual expertise as a startup founder and corporate executive will be instrumental in helping entrepreneurs transform their ideas into viable products and secure funding for their ventures," said Michael Pomfret, managing director of the Testbeds.

Expressing his enthusiasm, Jain stated, "I am excited to contribute to this dynamic community of innovators. The renewable energy startup landscape is evolving rapidly, and I look forward to mentoring founders and business leaders on team-building, strategic planning, and fundraising."

Jain holds a Master of Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a certification from BITS Pilani (India) in Safety and Environmental Enforcement. He will collaborate with Investor-in-Residence Jeff Canin, who has been assisting entrepreneurs with funding strategies and investment insights at the Testbeds since 2017.