About

Andy Chen is a Co-Founder and CTO at Nira Energy, a map tool designed for renewable energy developers that displays available capacity at every interconnection point on the electrical grid. With customers like AES and Cypress Creek, Nira has become a go-to tool for finding the most profitable points on the grid to site new projects. Prior to co-founding Nira, Andy was a CELI Fellow at the Clean Energy Leadership Institute, where he gained experience in clean energy and sustainability. He also co-founded Sidekick, a device that brings remote teams closer with a background video call. Teams at Brex, Remote.com, and 50 Y-Combinator backed startups use Sidekick to feel like they're working side by side. Andy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Brown University, where he graduated in 2015. He also completed a Climate Change: Learning for Action program at Terra.do in 2021. In 2020, he attended Y Combinator, where he gained valuable experience in entrepreneurship and startup growth. With over 8 years of relevant experience as a Senior Software Engineer, Andy possesses a strong technical background that has enabled him to lead the development of Nira's map tool. He is also proficient in various tech stacks, which has enabled him to build scalable and efficient software systems. Overall, Andy is a highly motivated and experienced entrepreneur with a passion for clean energy and sustainability. His technical expertise and entrepreneurial skills have enabled him to co-found successful startups like Nira and Sidekick, and he continues to make significant contributions to the renewable energy industry.