Derapi

PUBLIC

Name	Derapi
Tagline	Universal API for DER software developers [Derapi, retrieved 2026]
Headquarters	San Carlos, California, United States
Founded	2022
Stage	Seed
Business Model	API / Developer Platform
Industry	Cleantech / Climatetech
Technology	Software (Non-AI)
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)
Funding Label	Seed (total disclosed ~$7,000,000)

Links

PUBLIC

• Website: https://derapi.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/derapi-inc/
• GitHub: https://github.com/derapi

Executive Summary

PUBLIC

Derapi is building a universal API for distributed energy resource (DER) software, a bet that the fragmentation of solar, battery, and EV hardware is a critical bottleneck for grid-scale software innovation. The company's $7 million seed round, led by Earthshot Ventures in February 2026, signals investor confidence in the need for a standardized data layer to connect disparate behind-the-meter devices [Derapi, February 2026] [The SaaS News, February 2026]. The founding team, led by CEO Stina Brock and President Thomas Lee, brings direct experience from Proterra's energy management SaaS unit and prior roles at AutoGrid and Enphase Energy, grounding the technical vision in industry-specific integration challenges [Derapi.com/about/, retrieved 2026] [Tech Funding News, retrieved 2026].

Derapi's core proposition is to eliminate the need for DER software developers to build and maintain bespoke integrations with every manufacturer, instead offering a single API that abstracts device-specific protocols [Derapi.com, retrieved 2026]. This positions the company as an infrastructure enabler for virtual power plants (VPPs) and demand response programs, aiming to accelerate time-to-market for its customers. The business model is an API/developer platform, with revenue presumably tied to data access and transaction volume, though specific pricing is not yet public.

Over the next 12-18 months, the key milestones to watch are the announcement of named, paying customers beyond the referenced partnership with Solis, the expansion of the supported device ecosystem, and the scaling of the engineering and product teams, as indicated by an open role for a Director of Product Management [Solar Power World / pv magazine USA, retrieved 2026] [apply.workable.com, retrieved 2026]. The primary risk is the classic platform challenge: achieving sufficient device coverage to become the default choice before larger incumbents or well-funded competitors decide to build similar aggregation layers.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core product claims and funding round are confirmed by the company and a trade publication; team background is partially corroborated by public profiles and prior press, but some experience claims lack independent verification.

Taxonomy Snapshot

Axis	Classification
Stage	Seed
Business Model	API / Developer Platform
Industry / Vertical	Cleantech / Climatetech
Technology Type	Software (Non-AI)
Geography	North America
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)
Funding	Seed (total disclosed ~$7,000,000)

Company Overview

PUBLIC

Derapi was founded in 2022 to address the fragmented integration landscape for distributed energy resources (DERs), a challenge co-founders Thomas Lee and Stina Brock encountered in their prior roles at companies like AutoGrid, Enphase Energy, and Proterra [Tech Funding News, retrieved 2026]. The company is headquartered in San Carlos, California, and operates as a developer-focused API platform, a structure reflected in its early-stage seed financing [Crunchbase, retrieved 2026].

Key operational milestones are limited but point to a focused build phase. The company participated in the Chattanooga Sustainable Mobility Accelerator, an early signal of its focus on grid-edge applications [structured fact]. Its most significant public milestone to date is the close of a $7 million seed round in February 2026, led by Earthshot Ventures [The SaaS News, February 2026]. This capital is earmarked for scaling the platform to support "millions of smart energy devices nationwide," according to the company's announcement [Derapi, February 2026].

A notable leadership transition occurred with Stina Brock joining as CEO, bringing P&L experience from leading Proterra's Valence SaaS business unit [Stina.io / LinkedIn, retrieved 2026]. Thomas Lee, the original founder, serves as President. The team has publicly highlighted its collective experience in energy software, though specific year counts vary across sources [Derapi.com/about/, retrieved 2026] [Climatebase, retrieved 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Founding year and headquarters confirmed by Crunchbase; funding round and leadership details are company-sourced or from single trade publications.

Product and Technology

MIXED

Derapi's core offering is a single, standardized API designed to abstract away the complexity of connecting to a diverse and fragmented universe of distributed energy resources. The company's public positioning frames this as a universal translator for behind-the-meter devices, allowing software developers to build applications for virtual power plants, demand response, and grid management without creating and maintaining a patchwork of custom, manufacturer-specific integrations [Derapi.com, retrieved 2026]. This approach targets a clear pain point: the time and cost of building direct data connections to solar inverters, home batteries, electric vehicles, and other smart energy hardware.

The platform's primary function is to provide cloud API access to device data and control capabilities. According to the company's solutions page, this enables customers to run VPPs, manage solar installations, and simplify participation in utility DER programs [Derapi.com/solutions/, retrieved 2026]. A partnership with inverter manufacturer Solis, announced in trade press, serves as a concrete, albeit early, example. The collaboration is intended to allow Solis energy storage customers to access VPP and demand response programs through the Derapi platform [Solar Power World / pv magazine USA, retrieved 2026]. This suggests a go-to-market motion focused on embedding with hardware manufacturers to reach their installed base.

Technical specifics about the API's architecture, supported protocols, or the exact scope of connected devices are not detailed in public materials. The company's developer documentation references internal caching of inventory information from multiple vendors, indicating a layer of data normalization is part of the service [Derapi.com, retrieved 2026]. The recent seed funding is earmarked for expanding support to connect "millions of smart energy devices nationwide" [Derapi, February 2026]. The open role for a Director of Product Management suggests active development, but the roadmap remains undisclosed.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims are consistent across the company's website and a cited partnership. Technical implementation details and full device support list are not publicly available.

Market Research

PUBLIC The market for software to manage distributed energy resources (DERs) is no longer a niche; it has become a critical component of grid modernization and decarbonization efforts, creating a new layer of infrastructure that sits between hardware manufacturers and grid operators.

Third-party market sizing for a dedicated DER software integration API is not yet widely published. However, the adjacent market for virtual power plant (VPP) software and services, a primary use case for Derapi's technology, provides a relevant analog. According to a 2024 report from Wood Mackenzie, the U.S. VPP market is projected to grow from 7.8 GW of enrolled capacity in 2023 to over 90 GW by 2030, representing a more than tenfold expansion [Wood Mackenzie, 2024]. This growth trajectory is underpinned by several converging tailwinds. Grid operators are increasingly seeking flexible, non-wires alternatives to traditional infrastructure to manage peak demand and integrate intermittent renewables. Simultaneously, the proliferation of behind-the-meter assets like residential solar, home batteries, and electric vehicles is creating a vast, decentralized pool of grid resources that require software to be aggregated and controlled.

Key demand drivers cited in industry research include utility program expansion, federal policy support, and falling hardware costs. The Inflation Reduction Act allocates billions in funding for grid modernization and clean energy, which is expected to accelerate utility and third-party DER program deployments [U.S. Department of Energy, 2022]. Furthermore, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Order 2222 mandates that DER aggregators be allowed to participate in wholesale energy markets, a regulatory shift that creates a direct economic incentive for the software platforms that enable such participation [FERC, 2020]. The primary substitute for a universal API like Derapi's is the status quo: in-house development teams building and maintaining a growing portfolio of bespoke, point-to-point integrations with each device manufacturer and utility program. This approach is costly and slow, creating a clear wedge for a platform that abstracts away that complexity.

VPP Capacity (U.S.) 2023 | 7.8 | GW
VPP Capacity (U.S.) 2030 | 90 | GW

The projected growth in VPP capacity, while not a direct measure of Derapi's addressable revenue, illustrates the scale of the underlying resource pool that requires software orchestration. The platform's potential SAM is a function of the number of developers and companies seeking to build applications on top of this expanding asset base.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing based on an analogous sector report from a known research firm. Regulatory drivers are cited from primary government sources.

Sources

PUBLIC

1. [Derapi, retrieved 2026] Derapi - Data Infrastructure for Distributed Energy | https://derapi.com/

2. [Derapi.com/about/, retrieved 2026] About - Derapi | https://derapi.com/about/

3. [Derapi, February 2026] Derapi Raises $7M Seed Round to Scale the Software Infrastructure Behind Distributed Energy Ecosystem | https://derapi.com/2026/02/03/derapi-raises-7m-seed-round-to-scale-the-software-infrastructure-behind-distributed-energy-ecosystem/

4. [Derapi.com/solutions/, retrieved 2026] Solutions - Derapi | https://derapi.com/solutions/

5. [The SaaS News, February 2026] Derapi Raises $7 Million Seed Round | https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/derapi-raises-7-million-seed-round

6. [Solar Power World / pv magazine USA, retrieved 2026] Partnership with Solis enables energy storage customers access to VPP and demand response programs via Derapi platform | https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2025/10/solis-partners-with-derapi/

7. [Tech Funding News, retrieved 2026] Thomas Lee was Director of Innovation at Union Labs and served in Product Management at AutoGrid and Enphase Energy prior to founding Derapi | https://techfundingnews.com/derapi-raises-7m-seed-round-led-by-earthshot-ventures/

8. [Stina.io / LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] Stina Brock led Proterra's Valence SaaS business unit with P&L responsibility, focused on charge management and grid integration for EV fleets | https://www.linkedin.com/in/stinabrock/

9. [Climatebase, retrieved 2026] Leadership team has over 75 years of experience building software, 50 in energy and climate | https://climatebase.org/company/derapi

10. [Crunchbase, retrieved 2026] Derapi - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/derapi

11. [Wood Mackenzie, 2024] U.S. VPP market projected to grow from 7.8 GW in 2023 to over 90 GW by 2030 | https://www.woodmac.com/press-releases/us-virtual-power-plant-market-to-grow-tenfold-by-2030/

12. [U.S. Department of Energy, 2022] Inflation Reduction Act allocates funding for grid modernization and clean energy | https://www.energy.gov/inflation-reduction-act

13. [FERC, 2020] Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order 2222 | https://www.ferc.gov/order-no-2222

14. [apply.workable.com, retrieved 2026] Director of Product Management job posting | https://apply.workable.com/derapi-inc/j/7377B2E082