Best advice he has been given Integrity is what you do when no ones watching., Biggest career mistake Not seeking backers for the idea of Octopus Energy sooner., Word he overuses Brilliant. The current energy crisis emerged towards the end of the legal work and due diligence that is needed for such a deal to happen, and provided a dramatic test of the companys ability to handle a large, rapidly developing challenge: We had to demonstrate to the investors that taking on Avro wouldnt get in the way of the long-term mission.. The company also supplies software services to other energy suppliers. Jackson, 50, grew up near Middlesbrough. [21], The same month saw Octopus launch the not-for-profit Octopus Centre for Net Zero (OCNZ), a research organisation tasked with creating models and policy recommendations for potential paths to a green energy future. I want them to feel happy and fulfilled by the work they do. Despite the current crisis of price and supply in the gas market, its described by BP as resilient and by Centrica as more affordable than other energy sources. He's founded a number of successful businesses, including e-commerce company C360, built HomeServe's innovation business and is an angel investor in a wide range of tech start-ups. Greg: Passionate young people who believe in our mission. T&Cs  Devrim is the CEO of KrakenFlex, formerly Upside Energy, which joined the Octopus Energy Group in 2020 to add another layer of capabilities to Octopus's energy technology platform, 'Kraken'. Passionate, creative, innovative CEO, entrepreneur and investor. Prior to joining Octopus Energy, Lara worked at US-based Opower, a customer engagement start-up and pioneer of Behavioural Energy Efficiency. Spaces are limited for this very special event so make sure you dont miss out by signing up, To be the first to hear about our events, get immediate access to new podcast episodes, and hear news picked just for you . Greg Jackson was born in Washington D.C. to Kris and Jim Jackson, who were Quakers originally from the Midwest. Cheap energy bills arent coming back this decade, Christopher Harborne: the silent donor behind Brexit and Boris Johnson, Sherif Tawfik: The Middle East and Africa are ready to lead on the climate, The power trap: Why the energy crisis is a crisis of politics, Elon Musk was never really the worlds richest man, Why Jeremy Hunt is gambling with thousands of small businesses, The year woke broke: a brief history of a contested word, Why Britains economy has never been worse, with Duncan Weldon, The good social network: what Twitter could learn from the coffeehouse Audio Long Reads, Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance, HR, Training and Organisational Development, Information and Communications Technology, Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives, Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities, Science and Technical Research and Development. [6] Later in 2018, Octopus gained the 100,000 customers of Iresa Limited, under Ofgem's "supplier of last resort" process, after Iresa ceased trading. Greg: Weve been rapidly growing and in December closed our second financing round with Tokyo Gas and Origin Energy in 2020, which increased our valuation to more than $2 billion. He says it took years to find the 10m he needed to launch Octopus. As of September 2022, more than 450 charging companies were taking part, allowing customers access to over 300,000 chargers in over 50 countries through a single card and/or app. Events  There, Rebecca was Head of Marketing for Dyno Rod, and Head of Product for Hive 2 Thermostats, one of the most sought-after energy products of its time. Octopus is his magnum opus, taking on the tired, old energy market . I dont just want them to come in and do things for the company. As a result, he was suspended from school for instigating fights on more than one occasion. Britains failure to invest in renewables led us into the gas crisis, says Jackson, and a revolution in energy supply and policy is urgently needed. You cant become a car dealer if you havent got the money to buy cars, says Jackson, exasperated. What advice do you have for other businesses on environmental sustainability and its impact on climate change? Jon has worked for the last 18 years building a number of successful energy challengers, service innovators and disruptors across both Australia and the UK. We speak to Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy Group, the technology-to-investment energy platform, about the importance of government intervention in energy policy, the role of technology, and how a greener future could be nearer than we think. The green energy firms founder on his sympathy for those struggling with bills and his exasperation at net zero opponents. [29], In September 2019 Octopus acquired German start-up 4hundred for 15m; the acquisition of 4hundred, which had 11,000 customers, was Octopus' first overseas expansion. We then realised the change within the energy industry we could enable with a strong technology platform underpinning us, and thats how Octopus Energy came about. Elsewhere, a vast screen displays the progress of Plots for Kilowatts, a scheme that matches areas where residents have said theyll put up with an onshore windfarm in return for lower bills with areas where landowners are keen to host one. He's founded a number of successful businesses, including e-commerce company C360, built HomeServe's innovation business and is an angel investor in a wide range of tech start-ups. She spent some time consulting for a FTSE 100 energy company, followed by a secondment to the Department for the Energy & Climate Change (DECC), and then launching market-leading connected home products - starting at British start-up Alert Me, who became part of the leading smart home provider Hive, a British Gas innovation. Greg Jackson is the founder and CEO of Octopus Energy Group, the energy technology group with 3.5 million customers globally, operations in 14 countries and a 4.4bn portfolio of renewable energy assets. In 2009, Jackson released an instructional book about his fighting style called Jackson's MMA - The Stand Up Game. The green energy firm's founder on his sympathy for those struggling with bills - and his exasperation at net zero opponents [14] In January 2020, Octopus was ranked first in a Which? KrakenFlex is currently contracted to manage over 1,600 MW of power with further 2 GWs of renewable generation to come online through 2022. Rebecca is a highly experienced marketer and known for breathing new life into technology products. Its actually more than that: bringing down energy costs is one of the reasons I started the business, he says. About Greg Jackson: Greg is an experienced digital entrepreneur, passionate about making the green energy revolution affordable through technology. After graduating I joined Procter & Gamble and went through management training, owned and turned around a number of small ventures, and I even managed a factory that made and sold Mirrors at one point. We need to work like that now on the clean energy system., [See also: The power trap: Why the energy crisis is a crisis of politics], This article appears in the 13 Oct 2021 issue of the New Statesman, Perfect Storm. Its bollocks, Greg Jackson, the founder and CEO of Octopus Energy, replies, when I ask what he makes of this idea. It was founded in 2015 with the backing of British fund management company Octopus Group, a British asset management company. As a company we are completely digital, so we asked everybody to take their laptops home on Friday, and when lockdown was announced on Monday, our team just plugged the headsets into their laptops and continued working as usual. Since relocating to the UK 7 years ago, Jon worked on the set-up of Bulb and later Octopus Energy. We scaled the business by repeatedly cloning micro businesses, and what works for us wont work for other businesses. [23], In March 2021 the Financial Times listed Octopus at number 23 on their list of the fastest growing companies in Europe. [32] In September of that year, Octopus acquired Evolve Energy, a US Silicon Valley-based start-up, in a $5m deal. Do you have any influences that have inspired your entrepreneurial journey and how? His school officially turned into an MMA school in 2000. Since launching in 2018, Zoisa's team has accrued 40,000 customers, from SMEs to large organisations such as Arsenal FC. In 2019, Octopus stated that all its electricity came from renewable sources, and began to offer a "green" gas tariff with carbon offsetting. You can tell if someone grew up in a cold house: we often prefer baths when you get out of the shower you get a real shock, he says. A lot of people have different views of what it means to be an entrepreneur and if this is different from being a businessman or woman. He also holds an MBA from Yale University and is an independent non-executive director of the Thames Estuary Growth Board, where he co-chairs the hydrogen committee, and a Member of the Yale University Alumni Association Board of Governors. How much of your upbringing, surroundings and environment influenced your entrepreneurial journey? [31] This meant Octopus gained "unicorn" status, as a startup company with a value in excess of 1 billion. Our customer service metrics actually improved during the pandemic, and we were the only large domestic energy supplier in the UK still answering calls as usual. You can tell if someone grew up in a cold house: we often prefer baths when you get out of the shower you get a real shock, he says. [72], Responding to Octopus Energy's decision on Twitter, Andrew Neil, founder of GB News, said "Let me know if you want to advertise. We'll cover a range of topics, including asking Greg what 2023 holds for the tech and energy sector at this challenging time, and which technologies he thinks are going to make a difference to the sector in the future. Greg Jackson - Founder, CEO @ Octopus Energy - Crunchbase Person Profile Oops! The mop-topped energy boss, dressed in grey T-shirt and jeans, has become the acceptable face of a pariah industry. [36], In September 2021, Generation Investment Management, co-founded and chaired by Al Gore, purchased a 13% stake in Octopus Energy Group in a deal worth $600m. Weve established an incredibly flat structure here at Octopus, which allows people to make roles their own, and find what really works for them to make them happy to come to work every day. We took the 15 years it usually takes to make a vaccine, and did it in less than a year. Jacksons career has been far from typical for the energy business. Greg is also a strong advocate of maintaining a good work-life balance with his work-life blend, which to him means creating a symbiotic, rather than a compartmentalised relationship between his various work commitments and personal life, so he can remain present in all of them. Located in Slough, the centre will train 1000 heat pump engineers per year and develop new heating systems. Elon has the vision and reach to be able to disrupt so many industries for the better, and I believe we have similar approaches in disrupting industries to help save the planet. survey and was one of three recommended providers. Since our interview, Octopus has rejoined the race, submitting a last-minute bid. In May 2020, her team launched the Electric Juice Charging Network, the UK's first consolidated network of charge point providers that allows users to charge their EVs across the UK with all costs appearing on a single bill. Everyone wants to talk about the transition fuel maybe a 20 per cent hydrogen mix in our gas supplies, that kind of thing Even if the hydrogen was zero-carbon which, by the way, the creation of hydrogen so far in the UK at scale is definitely not it would only reduce the carbon emissions of gas by 6-8 per cent because of the lower energy density, [and] it would put bills up dramatically, because hydrogen is a lot more expensive. [28], In October 2022, Octopus reached an agreement to acquire Bulb Energy's 1.5 million customers. Family In a relationship; has two children from previous partners. I learned a big chunk of what I know from a brilliant HR Director, Dennis Shuler at Procter & Gamble, who was a massive advocate of decentralisation and people centred management. Rachel started her career in utilities as a consultant where she worked on a number of international energy industry privatisation and restructuring projects. [38], As of August 2021, the company has over 2.4 million domestic and business customers. Greg: The pandemic certainly hasnt slowed us down. He began his working life as a video games programmer and always fancied a stint as a motorcycle courier (electric, of course).. [5], By April 2018, the company had 198,000 customers and had made an energy procurement deal with Shell. On February 5, 2013, Jackson signed with Bellator to coach on the promotion's reality series titled Fight Master: Bellator MMA.[10]. Lara leads the Kraken Technologies licensing arm of Octopus Energy Group - one of the fastest growing 'EnTech' companies worldwide, launched in 2016 to use technology to unlock a customer focused and affordable green energy revolution. Headquartered in London, the company has operations in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. These days, Greg Jackson is the founder behind the only energy company recommended by Which?. [49], In January 2021, Octopus acquired two 73 metre (240') wind turbines to power their 'Fan Club' tariff, which offers households living near its turbines cheaper electricity prices when the wind is blowing strongly. You can meet Greg Jackson and hear more about where he got where he is today at My Entrepreneurial Journey with Greg Jackson on Thursday, 21 November. Mark Wahlberg's wife Rhea Durham shares sweet tribute to their daughter Grace on 13th birthday with snaps from . Fiona studied Engineering, Economics and Management at Oxford, and initially worked at BMW on a hydrogen fuel cell for an auxiliary power unit, as part of a hydrogen car that used a combustion engine. Octopus and Tokyo Gas agreed to launch the Octopus brand in Japan via a 30:70 joint venture to provide electricity from renewable sources, amongst other services. She is Chief Marketing and Product Officer at Octopus Energy. A weekly newsletter helping you fit together the pieces of the global economic slowdown. In order to provide you with the latest digital energy web services you need to use the latest and greatest web browsers. What is the number one trait you look for in employees before recruiting them as part your team, and how has this requirement been integrated into the organisations culture and recruitment policy? Our last question before ending this interview is around environmentally sustainable businesses and their impact on climate change. We have a technology licensing business with big customers like E.ON and EDF, and weve invested in generation and a heat pump centre. He refers to Octopus as an en-tech business rather than an energy company, and uses an unusual management structure, dividing its 1,600 employees into highly independent teams, obviating the need for a formal HR department. In regards to your global expansion plans, Octopus Energy is currently located in three continents, do you have any plans of expanding into Africa or acquiring any green energy businesses in Africa? Weve never made a profit and were going to, but weve ploughed everything were going to make into customer support so were not going to make one this year, he says. Rachel also works hand-in-hand with consumer bodies to ensure all customers are well served and benefit from the transition to net zero. reg Jackson starts each day by flicking on the radio and scrunching into his bath. [7] In 2007, Jackson teamed up with striking coach Mike Winkeljohn, which was a seminal moment for Jackson's academy; since then, the gym has been known as Jackson Wink MMA Academy (JW MMA Academy),[8] representing the partnership between Jackson and Winkeljohn. Octopus Energy is one of the fastest growing energy firms to ever launch in Britain and is on track to join the Big Six utility providers. Will Dunn is business editor of the New Statesman. Upstream reported that Jackson joined Greenpeace at the age of 16, and his expertise was in mirror manufacturing, coffee shops and software before launching Octopus Energy in 2015. [62][63] The Kraken software was also licensed to Australia's Origin Energy as part of their May 2020 agreement. Europe is going to go into this winter with more gas storage than last year, but if Russia stops sending gas to Europe, prices will skyrocket.. Its Kraken platform was designed to take the traditional worry about renewable energy that wind and sunlight vary in availability and turn it into a virtue, by forecasting and monitoring the output of wind turbines and solar panels, and deciding where the energy should be used or stored when it is abundant. Hello Greg, and thank you for taking the time our to participate in this interview. He's founded a number of successful businesses, including e-commerce company C360, built HomeServe's innovation business and is an angel investor in a wide range of tech start-ups. Greg is the founder and CEO of Octopus Energy Group, the green energy tech pioneer based in the UK with over 3.1 million customers, further operations in 13 countries and over 23 million accounts licensed worldwide to its green technology platform, Kraken. . 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