Novato firm builds tech for smart green energy microgrids

Like the solar panels that quietly pump out power, Novato-based Apparent has been humming along for a decade.

Started in 2010 by Bulgarian-born nuclear plant technician turned electrical inventor Stefan Matan, Apparent said its systems have been installed to dispatch and control 30 megawatts of clean power in wholesale markets covering five states.

Matan, chief technical officer, has led the company in securing 40 patents, with another 50 pending. His previous ventures include Bay Area electrical contracting firm Zap Electrics and solartech Silicon Valley startup Atria Technologies.

The company’s main product is igOS, the “intelligent grid operating system.” It’s a cloud-based system that uses machine learning to manage distribution of renewable energy. The software communicates with systems in the electrical panel, microinverter and battery managers that allow automated or customer-directed control of how the energy generated is used, including distribution to other microgrids or to wholesale markets.

Apparent debuted this year on the Inc. 5000 national list of fast-growing private companies at No. 2,407 with 172% revenue growth in 2016–2019, the business magazine’s main ranking metric.

At the helm of Apparent since 2013 is George Salah, who was one of the first employees at Google. He first met Matan when Salah was director of real estate and workplace services for the global search and digital services company. Salah joined the Apparent board in 2012 and was elected chairman in 2014.

Jeff Quackenbush (jquackenbush@busjrnl.com, 707-521-4256) covers wine, construction and real estate.