AI-powered grid planning in your browser 🦑 (squid.energy)
Public company, workplace, funding, and market signals
Updated Jul 29, 2026
Squid is a 2026 Y Combinator W26 energy-tech startup building AI-powered, browser-based grid-planning software that turns messy network data into a live, versioned model for utility planning and operations. Public sources describe a London operating base and a Delaware legal entity; the company also lists a San Francisco office and says it works with grid operators such as National Grid/NGED. Public evidence for a GitHub, X, or engineering-blog presence was not found.
Primary product
AI-powered grid planning software for utilities and grid operators
Founded
2026
Headquarters
Wilmington, Delaware, United States (LinkedIn/legal); YC and company materials also describe London, UK as the operating base.
Team size
1-10 employees
Industry
Energy Technology
Sub-industry
Grid planning software / utility infrastructure software
Offices
Business model
Stage
pre-seed
Total raised
$500K
Latest round
Pre-Seed · Jan 2026
Latest amount
$500K
Jan 2026 · Y Combinator
Leadership
CEO & Co-founder
Co-Founder / CTO
Founding Engineer
High-agency, customer-facing, AI-native, and very execution-oriented; the hiring copy emphasizes Palantir-style complex-data problems, reliability, auditability, and shipping end-to-end with founder-level ownership. Founding engineering is London in-person to start.
Compensation
Public hiring signals show a Founding Engineer role at £80k-£140k plus 1.0%-2.5% equity, and a Chief of Staff role at £60k-£140k salary plus equity. No public benefits package was listed.
Differentiators
Technology
Customers
Competitors
Estimated monthly visits
2.3K
LinkedIn company post · Jul 2026
Squid said it had raised 'a few million dollars,' moved into a new London office, and was working with some of the world's largest grid operators; it also named several backers and said it was hiring across multiple roles in London.
The Energyst · Mar 2026
The Energyst covered National Grid Electricity Distribution's partnership with Squid and the CIM Explorer product, which turns technical network models into a visual, interactive interface for broader stakeholders.
National Grid DSO · Feb 2026
National Grid DSO says it launched FlexPortal with Squid, an interactive tool for flexibility data, dispatch patterns, and tender outcomes; the page describes Squid as the partner powering the platform.
Utility Week · Feb 2026
Utility Week reported National Grid DSO's new FlexPortal and described it as a more transparent, interactive way to explore flexibility data, dispatch patterns, and tender outcomes, powered by Squid.
LinkedIn company post · Jan 2026
Squid announced it had joined Y Combinator W26 and described its product as AI-powered grid planning in the browser, a live versioned map with evidence attached for utilities.
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