Company name: Edenic Energy.

Company hometown: Portsmouth, Virginia.

Leadership team: Thomas L. Hunter Jr., founder and CEO; Lionel Sapp, chief technology officer.

Alabama News Center: What is your company’s overall focus and mission?

Thomas L. Hunter Jr.: We are on a mission to build paradise in disadvantaged communities by identifying, upgrading and managing outdated and neglected properties with smart city technologies.

ANC: What inspired you to start this company? How do you want to contribute to the future of energy and tech?

Hunter: Growing up in Baltimore, I experienced firsthand how old, neglected and dilapidated buildings impacted the environment and quality of life. It turns out that 75% of Black, brown and low-income people are more likely to live in highly polluted areas with these buildings, which also produce about 38% of emissions. This significantly impacts the health, social status, access and wealth of these communities. In short, your environment dictates your life. However, we saw a unique opportunity in 2022 with the rise of climate tech solutions, incentives and opportunities to change disadvantaged communities across the globe. We are combining the best technology from four emerging industries: the climate tech industry, the property tech industry, the government tech industry and the construction tech industry. We are leveraging these industries and applying them to neglected properties around the world, upgrading them with smart building, smart city and smart energy technologies. With this approach, we can rapidly transform neglected properties and, in turn, transform disadvantaged communities into thriving environments.

Thomas L. Hunter Jr., founder and CEO of Edenic Energy. (contributed)

ANC: What attracted you to the Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator?

Hunter: Well, when we got the call, we didn’t believe it. But as time went on, the opportunity got realer and realer. Techstars is a huge opportunity, wealth of mentorship, leadership and community. It was a no brainer. And with Birmingham, Alabama, there’s tons of buildings that need our solution and local government and corporate support to make these innovations happen.

ANC: What is the No. 1 thing you’d like potential investors to understand about your company?

Hunter: The No. 1 one thing we want potential investors to understand is this: Look around you. You probably drive past these buildings every single day and should ask yourself, ‘Why aren’t these buildings being upgraded?’ While there are issues behind this, our solution is simple: We connect new data to old buildings to automate and accelerate building improvements, transforming communities in the process.

ANC: What takeaways do you hope to gain for your company by taking part in the Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator?

Hunter: The key takeaways we want to achieve are building a network of support to bring our mission to reality and establishing a solid operational foundation to support this mission.

ANC: What is your opinion of Birmingham so far?

Hunter: I think it’s great. I’m still waiting on the best food.

Contact: LinkedIn, Instagram and twitter @Edenic Energy

Alabama News Center is posting profiles on Tuesdays and Thursdays of companies in the 2024 Class of startups participating in the Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator.