Across the world, electricity grids are under growing stress. Overloaded transformers, rising outages, and reliability risks are becoming more common. Modernizing just the US grid alone could cost upwards of $2 trillion over the next decade. These traditional grid modernization projects take that long due to permitting, supply chain delays, and construction bottlenecks.
A startup named Visionary Energy addresses these problems by rethinking how grids are reinforced. Instead of expanding infrastructure to meet rare peak demand, it deploys decentralized energy nodes next to distribution transformers to flatten peaks locally. This approach will allow utilities to bypass multi-year capital projects and manage demand growth at a fraction of the cost and time required for traditional upgrades.
To better understand how their platform works, we spoke to Constantine Fedoseev, CEO of Visionary Energy Inc. This article contains notable highlights from our entire conversation.
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This interview is part of our exclusive Scouted By GreyB series. Here, we speak with the founders of innovative startups to understand how their solutions address critical industry challenges and help ensure compliance with industry and government regulations. (Know more about startups scouted by GreyB!)
“We realized the grid does not need to be rebuilt everywhere; it needs flexibility exactly where it is stressed.”
– Constantine Fedoseev
Constantine Fedoseev is the founder and CEO of Visionary Energy Inc., a Delaware startup that modernizes electric utilities using modular energy storage and real-time grid control. He has over ten years of experience in energy, infrastructure, and design, leading projects in battery storage and microgrid management in Europe and the US. Before founding Visionary Energy, he co-founded several startups and collaborated with utility engineers and public agencies, leveraging his skills in architecture and sustainable design to develop innovative energy systems.
How a front-of-the-meter energy node could cut years from grid upgrades
Visionary Energy develops front-of-the-meter energy flexibility solutions for electric distribution utilities. The company focuses on deploying hardware units next to distribution transformers, combined with a cloud-based virtual control room, to help utilities manage peak demand, reduce overloads, and improve reliability. Its technology is designed to integrate with existing grid infrastructure and distributed energy resources, offering utilities a faster alternative to traditional grid expansion.
What problem were you trying to solve when developing this technology?
Constantine: The main issue is that electric utilities are struggling to keep up with modern electricity needs. Electrification, EV charging, and regulatory pressure are increasing demand, while traditional grid upgrades are slow and extremely expensive. Many utilities face overloaded transformers, outages, and reliability risks. Instead of building more infrastructure to cover short peak periods, we wanted to give utilities a way to manage those peaks locally. That shift in thinking is critical, especially for smaller utilities that cannot wait years for major upgrades.
Can you explain how your technology works at a high level?
Constantine: Our solution has two main parts. The first is a hardware energy node installed next to distribution transformers. It connects in series between the grid and the load and works with local energy resources to flatten peak consumption. The second part is a cloud-based virtual control room that orchestrates all deployed units. Together, these components allow utilities to deploy flexibility exactly where the grid is stressed, instead of investing in large, system-wide upgrades.
How easy is it for utilities to install and integrate your system?
Constantine: The installation process is very similar to installing a standard distribution transformer. It usually takes a day or even less. We designed it this way so utilities do not need to create new workflows or undergo complex retraining. The system integrates easily with local generation, such as rooftop solar or EV charging stations, and helps reduce customer outages during installation or upgrades.
How do you monitor performance and handle maintenance in the field?
Constantine: Each unit has multiple layers of protection. If something goes wrong, the unit notifies us and the utility and safely detaches itself so customers continue receiving power. Safety is always the priority. We collect over 60 parameters from built-in sensors and transmit them to our cloud platform. This data enables predictive maintenance and supports a digital twin model that compares real-time operation with expected performance.
Have you tested the technology in real-world environments?
Constantine: Yes, we have designed and assembled our proprietary energy nodes and are currently developing the cloud platform to dispatch them. We are demonstrating the system through microgrid projects with New Mexico State University and St. Thomas University. These projects help us prove to utilities that the technology works in realistic operating conditions and delivers measurable reliability benefits.
What were the biggest challenges you faced while building this solution?
Constantine: Hardware development is always difficult. You need to design, assemble, test, certify, and eventually scale production. That takes time, capital, and patience, especially for a small team. Another major challenge is selling to utilities. They are understandably conservative because they operate critical infrastructure. You cannot deal with slides alone. You must show a working, certified product in real conditions, and that is why demonstrations were so important for us.
What is your go-to-market strategy moving forward?
Constantine: Our first customers will be smaller utilities, such as municipal utilities and cooperatives, because they struggle most with managing growing demand. They also benefit greatly from solutions that avoid large capital projects. Over time, we plan to work with larger investor-owned utilities and eventually expand internationally into markets such as Europe, Australia, and India, where grid stress is also increasing.
What is the main metric utilities should care about when evaluating your solution?
Constantine: Utilities care most about reliability and cost. Our goal is to increase energy supply reliability while reducing the need for expensive infrastructure upgrades. If utilities can serve growing demand with fewer outages and lower capital spending, that is a strong benchmark compared to traditional approaches.
Meet our Interviewer – Raveena Singh, Senior Research Analyst at GreyB
Raveena Singh, Associate Researcher
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