Squid
AI agents that build a live, versioned model of the power grid for utility planners.
On the record
Checkpoint: Second independently verified DSO deployment beyond National Grid (Northern Powergrid still unconfirmed)
The call
Squid has one verified utility deployment and elite founders inside a fast-closing window before Schneider or Siemens ship a competing agent layer.
Squid builds software that helps electricity grid operators plan and manage power distribution using AI. It has already signed National Grid as a customer and was started by people who ran major utility companies, which helps it win trust fast. The main risk is that much larger companies like Schneider Electric and Siemens already sell grid software to the same customers and could copy Squid's AI features without much trouble, since they have existing relationships and products already in use. The next 18 to 24 months matter most: Squid needs to become so embedded in how utilities actually work that switching would be painful for them, before Schneider or Siemens ship their own AI version.
Why
01
AI pressure: Generic LLM-agent tooling (e.g. Argonne's agentic grid-planning research). Argonne showed LLM agents can drive grid simulators too, so the AI layer itself is copyable; data access and utility trust are not. Could AI do the core job? Unlikely.
02
Bigger players: Schneider Electric (ETAP) and Siemens (PSS/E). ETAP already runs digital twins for 20,000 users and Siemens has PSS/E's installed base; either could bolt on an agent layer before Squid signs a third utility. Could a giant copy it? Probably.
03
What protects it. National Grid DSO already runs live on Squid's model, and utility data-sharing and liability deals take years to replicate.
What would change this call
Schneider Electric or Siemens ships an agentic (not just visualization) grid-planning product tied to ETAP or PSS/E. Would show incumbents closing the gap on Squid's core differentiation.
A second and third DSO independently confirms a live Squid deployment within 12 months. Would show Squid converting its early lead into multi-customer traction.
National Grid DSO or another utility publicly describes Squid's model as the system of record for planning decisions, not just a dashboard. Would show workflow lock-in deepening beyond the initial FlexPortal visualization use.
A second and third DSO independently confirms a live Squid deployment within 12 months. Would show Squid converting its early lead into multi-customer traction.
National Grid DSO or another utility publicly describes Squid's model as the system of record for planning decisions, not just a dashboard. Would show workflow lock-in deepening beyond the initial FlexPortal visualization use.
Key numbers
- National Grid DSO's FlexPortal launched, powered by Squid
- ETAP has roughly 20,000 enterprise users
- Squid has 2 employees, hiring its first engineers
Named risks
- Schneider Electric/Siemens shipping adjacent AI digital-twin grid tools could close Squid's differentiation window.
- Extremely small team (2 employees Feb 2026) creates execution and key-person risk.
- No priced seed funding round publicly confirmed as of mid-2026.
- Regulated UK DSO procurement cycles (Ofgem, RIIO) may slow customer expansion.
- Name confusion with unrelated crypto company also called Squid could cause reputational or search mixups.
Rivals, as read in July 2026
| Rival | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| ETAP (Schneider Electric) | contesting | Squid targets ETAP's ~20,000-user install base with AI-native SaaS approach, per Jun 25, 2026 profile |
| Siemens PSS/E | contesting | Legacy desktop simulation tool cited as incumbent Squid aims to displace, Jun 25, 2026 |
| Camus Energy | contesting | DERMS/grid orchestration platform named among top grid-planning platforms alongside Squid, Jun 24, 2026 |
| Amperon | contesting | AI energy forecasting rival backed by National Grid Partners $100M fund announced Mar 16, 2025 |
Questions people ask
- Is Squid profitable in 2026?
- No. Squid was founded in 2026 and is pre-revenue with no public revenue figures. Its first major traction signal is the National Grid DSO FlexPortal tool, publicly credited to Squid on Feb 17, 2026, but no ARR or profitability data exists.
- Could AI replace Squid?
- Squid itself is built on AI agents orchestrating grid-planning calculations, but as of July 2026 no frontier AI lab (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) has shipped a grid-planning product. Argonne National Lab presented similar agentic concepts at FERC in July 2026, showing the approach is replicable by others.
- Who is Squid's biggest competitor?
- ETAP, majority-owned by Schneider Electric since 2021 with roughly 20,000 enterprise users, is the incumbent Squid targets, alongside Siemens PSS/E and PowerWorld Simulator, per a June 25, 2026 trade profile of Squid's positioning.
- Who owns Squid?
- Squid is privately held, founded in 2026 by CEO Conor Jones (ex-National Grid, Octopus Energy, BCG) and CTO George Kolokotronis (ex-Octopus Energy Head of Tech, AWS). It is backed by Y Combinator's Winter 2026 batch and mentioned as supported by investor network 33East.
- What has Squid actually shipped?
- Squid built the FlexPortal interactive flexibility-market tool for National Grid DSO, publicly launched Feb 17, 2026 with a quote from CEO Conor Jones on National Grid's own site, roughly 60 days after Squid's incorporation.
- Is the energy startup Squid the same as the crypto company Squid?
- No. Squid (squid.energy, YC W26, London) builds AI grid-planning software. A separate, unrelated Web3 company also named Squid, based in Zug, Switzerland since 2022, raised a $6 million round in May 2026 for cross-chain crypto swaps.
Timeline
- 2026-07-22Squid job listing shows active engineering hiring in London, calling new hire 'one of our first engineers'
- 2026-07-08Argonne National Lab presents agentic AI grid-planning concepts at FERC Software Conference
- 2026-06-25Trade profile details Squid's versioned model architecture and ETAP/Siemens competitive positioning
- 2026-05-22Unrelated crypto company also named Squid raises $6M round led by North Island Ventures
- 2026-02-17National Grid DSO publicly launches FlexPortal, crediting Squid, with CEO Conor Jones quoted
- 2026-02-11LinkedIn lists Squid headcount at 2 employees
- 2026-01-28Squid publicly launches as part of Y Combinator Winter 2026 batch
- 2025-03-16National Grid Partners commits $100 million to AI-for-energy startups, sector context for Squid
Revision history
27 July 2026
First assessed. Protection under test. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
In the same band
Sources
- National Grid DSO launch new interactive FlexPortal (2026-07-23)
- Squid: AI agents for power grid planning
- Launch YC: Squid AI-powered grid planning in your browser (2026-01-28)
- Squid (YC W26) (2026-02-11)
- Claude's Corner: Squid, The Startup Replacing National Grid's Spreadsheets With a Living Map of the Power Grid (2026-06-25)
- Automate Grid Planning with Agentic AI (FERC Software Conference) (2026-07-08)
- Digital Twins in Power Market Size, Share and Report Analysis (2026-07-19)
- Top 10: Grid Planning Platforms (2026-06-24)
- National Grid Partners commits $100 million to invest in AI startups advancing the future of energy (2025-03-16)
- Software Engineer (Power Systems)
- 33East, Home for Founders
- Software Engineer (Power Systems) in London at Squid (2026-07-22)