U.S. software giant buys energy efficiency startup Pulse Energy

David Helliwell | BCBusiness
Pulse Energy co-founder David Helliwell.

Acquisition marks a small victory for Vancouver’s green tech sector

A local startup that develops energy efficiency monitoring software for utilities such as BC Hydro and British Gas was acquired Tuesday by EnerNOC, one of the largest software companies in its field.

The NASDAQ-listed, Boston-based company acquired Pulse Energy in a deal with undisclosed terms and plans to incorporate Pulse’s team and customer-facing software into its product offerings for major utilities. Pulse’s platform offers energy efficiency analytics to small utilities, which can then be used to glean energy savings recommendations.

“With utility executives increasingly focused on customer satisfaction, there’s a growing need for solutions that can tie in energy management with customer engagement,” said Brett Feldman, research analyst at Navigant Research in a statement. 

Co-founded by David Helliwell, a former civil servant, and Greg Kerfoot, the founder of Seagate Technologies and part-owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the company recently signed a large contract with British Gas, a major U.K. utility. The self-funded company also has contracts with FortisBC, BC Hydro and California utility Pacific Gas & Electric.