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V O L . X X X I N O. I V F E B R UA R Y 2 4 , 2 0 2 5 10 E N E R G Y / E N V I RO N M E N T A mong Maine startups out to conquer the green economy, we found three worth keeping tabs on. One has pioneered software to help heat pump installers do their jobs better and faster, another is help- ing businesses save on energy use and costs via smart-plug systems, and the third is a consumer beverage brand sourcing water from Sebago Lake and packaging it in recyclable aluminum cans. We checked in with the found- ers to get the lowdown on their busi- ness backstories and plans. Amping up heat pump sales When Nick Moore of Dave's World vis- its the home of a prospective heat pump client, he doesn't need to walk around with a tape measure and notepad like many of his industry peers to sketch out an estimate and design. Using a made-in-Maine software program called Amply on his tablet, Moore can scan entire rooms to create 3D visualizations with accurate measure- ments in a fraction of the time it would otherwise take. at's allowed him to raise his sales batting average. "Before I started using Amply, I was averaging a 62% to 64% close ratio and now I'm at 68% to 70% as a direct result of using their software," the Windham- based consultant says. Based in Cumberland, Amply Energy Inc. was founded in 2021 by Eric Fitz and Ed Smith with an initial focus on home decarbonization and electrification. After discovering how complex and time-consuming heat pumps were to design, size and sell, they shifted their focus and switched to a B2B business model. Using Amply on an Apple iPad Pro, contractors can instantly collect data, run the numbers to correctly size equip- ment and create an installation plan for residential customers in 20 to 30 minutes. at's much shorter than the five to 10 hours it takes using old-school methods. "Our mission is to help make heat pumps a no-brainer for both HVAC contractors and homeowners," Fitz explains. "We can make what's been invisible visible for the first time." Fitz, who is based in Cumberland, and Smith, who is based outside of Boston, met at Colby College, where Fitz majored in physics and Smith studied philosophy. Fitz went on to study engineer- ing at Dartmouth College and the Georgia Institute of Technology, while Smith earned his MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Today in jointly leading Amply, "it feels like we're yin and yang," says Smith, who serves as the chief customer officer with Fitz as chief tech- nology officer. With customers across 28 states and Canada, the five- employee startup is aiming to be in all 50 states. "Over the next three months, we want to make the existing experience as good as it can possibly get, and then we want to start pushing the bounds of functionality," Smith says. e plans come amid projected 9.6% compound annual growth for North America's $6 billion heat pump market through 2032, driven by rising demand for energy-efficient heating and air condi- tioning along with government incentives to reduce carbon footprints, according to Global Market Insights, a Delaware- based market research firm. Without taking out any bank loans, Fitz and Smith have raised $1 million, tapping grants including $100,000 from the Maine Technology Institute, angel investors and their own money. "is cleantech company is well- positioned as heat pumps become We can make what's been invisible visible for the first time. — Eric Fitz Amply Energy Inc. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY F O C U S Eric Fitz is the CEO and co-founder of Amply Energy Inc., a Cumberland-based startup that has pioneered software for heat pump installers. Green and growing Three startups powering Maine's eco-economy B y R e n e e C o r d e s

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