Energyz Black wins Hotwire Accelerator for UK energy AI

Hotwire has named Energyz Black as the winner of its first Hotwire Accelerator, a pro bono communications and public relations programme for early-stage UK tech companies.

Energyz Black is building Energyzer AI, which it describes as the UK's first AI-powered career and skills platform focused on the energy sector. The Accelerator provides PR and communications support, alongside mentoring and an in-person programme day.

Hotwire has positioned the scheme as a way to work with startups and scaleups that need stronger visibility and clearer messaging as they seek customers, partners and investors. The consultancy is known for work with technology companies and operates as part of Hotwire Global.

Winner profile

Energyzer AI targets students, apprentices, and early- to mid-career professionals working in energy. It brings together training, jobs and mentorship on a single platform. The founders, Edwin Ehiorobo and Jesusoorefunmi Olaoye, cite their own experiences of access and progression barriers in the sector.

The judging panel highlighted the company's positioning across several themes that have attracted investor and policy interest in recent years, including artificial intelligence in workforce development, digital tools linked to decarbonisation, and skills shortages in energy.

Judges also pointed to the company's potential to scale across international energy markets, reflecting the global nature of energy supply chains and the mobility of skills across projects and geographies.

How it works

Energyz Black will take part in an Accelerator Day at Hotwire's London headquarters. The agenda includes sessions on technology storytelling and follow-on mentoring tailored to the company.

Hotwire will also host a networking panel event at the same venue, focused on London's future role in technology innovation. It will include members of the judging panel, alongside attendees from Hotwire's client base, staff and the investment community.

The format reflects a growing number of programmes that blend communications coaching with network access, particularly for founders without established routes into media, corporate partnerships or venture capital. While many accelerators focus on product development and fundraising preparation, communications support is increasingly common as companies compete for attention in crowded markets.

Judging panel

Entries were assessed by Hotwire's UK team, led by Charlotte Harvey, Managing Director for the UK. The external judging panel included Jonathan Prynn, Business Editor at The Standard; Angela Stathi, Chair of Digital Boost and a deep tech expert at the European Innovation Council; Elham Fardad, Chief Executive of Migrant Leaders; and Dr Richard Tolcher, an AI specialist and technology entrepreneur.

The panel spans journalism, public-sector innovation, entrepreneurship and technical expertise-now typical of programmes that aim to select companies with both a clear market proposition and a story that resonates across media, policy and business audiences.

Energyz Black was selected for its market potential and its fit with themes shaping technology investment. In the UK, energy transition plans sit alongside concerns about workforce readiness, apprenticeships and reskilling. At the same time, AI adoption continues to expand in HR technology, training and recruitment workflows.

Hotwire's rationale

Charlotte Harvey framed the accelerator as a response to uneven access to networks and visibility for founders, particularly as investment interest in areas such as AI and automation increases.

"We've grown up in tech, so we know that as investment in AI, automation and deep tech accelerate, the people powering the next wave of innovation aren't always getting equal access to networks or visibility. Many breakthrough ideas never get the attention they deserve because founders are building incredible products but don't always have the time, support or networks to tell the story in a way that cuts through. Reputation, relationships and revenue go hand in hand, so being able to support these early-stage businesses means a lot to us. We're also using this moment to take the temperature on the UK's future as a tech investment hub powered by diversity and to hear directly from some of the brightest minds in our network," said Charlotte Harvey, UK Managing Director, Hotwire.

Dr Richard Tolcher argued that communications strategy shapes how early-stage companies are perceived long before they reach scale.

"Most startups postpone communications and PR until later, assuming silence is neutral. It isn't. Meaning and narrative about a startup form regardless. Hotwire's decision to build an accelerator reflects the depth of experience of a leader in this space, earned through seeing, repeatedly, how companies are shaped long before they scale," said Tolcher.

The programme will convene founders, judges and investors at Hotwire's London offices for the Accelerator Day and related networking session.