Summer in Delaware tends to be quiet beyond the beaches, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t big moves happening up and down the state.

A Wilmington electric vehicle charging startup is plugging into one of Sussex County’s biggest redevelopment projects, a seasoned economic development leader out of Portland is coming to Delaware and Newark sees both new investment in transportation infrastructure and a pause on a proposed data center project.

Why is Sussex on the cutting edge of EV charging? Read on for more info and more moves, after the chart.

OmniPotential brings 10 EV charging plugs to Seaford

OmniPotential Energy’s second Curbstar deployment is part of a major downstate project.

The Wilmington-based clean energy startup has delivered five charging pedestals, each equipped to charge two vehicles, to the Nylon Capital Center in Seaford.

The project was commissioned by 9th Street Development Company, the real estate firm where The Mill founder Rob Herrera is a partner. The firm is transforming the former Nylon Capital Shopping Center into a 22-acre complex housing business, education and healthcare organizations, community services and entertainment.

The chargers will serve the broader campus, including The Mill Seaford, a 20,000-square-foot coworking center opening in a renovated former grocery store. The Mill will hold its grand opening and ribbon-cutting July 15 from 3 to 5 p.m., marking both its first location in Sussex County and the coworking company’s 10th anniversary.

For OmniPotential co-founder Cora Castle, the Seaford project represents another step toward proving that EV charging does not always require expensive electrical work.

“We can literally put a fuel pump anywhere there are wires carrying electricity,” Castle told Technical.ly.

Curbstar connects directly to nearby utility infrastructure, such as an overhead line or transformer, rather than drawing power through the property it serves. That can allow an older apartment complex, office campus or other existing development to add chargers without first upgrading the building’s electrical system.

“That’s really important when you’re talking about electric vehicle charging, because it’s a lot of electricity,” she added. “Our innovation allows us to sidestep connection to the building entirely.”

Each Curbstar can charge two vehicles at once. OmniPotential developed the system for places where drivers leave their cars for several hours, including residential streets, apartment developments, offices, museums and municipal properties.

The company completed its first commercial installation at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science in December. It closed the five-unit Seaford deal the following month and delivered the equipment in March while construction continued across the Nylon Capital Center campus.

Castle said the company also has commercial installations in the works in Rockville, Maryland, and Tempe, Arizona.

Delaware Prosperity Partnership names its next president and CEO

Delaware Prosperity Partnership has selected Monique Claiborne Cardwell as its next president and CEO, bringing in an economic development leader with experience in regional business recruitment, finance and government.

Cardwell will begin the role Sept. 14 and report to DPP’s board of directors.

Most recently, Cardwell served as president and CEO of Greater Portland Inc., the regional economic development partnership serving greater Portland, Oregon. DPP said she helped secure record public funding, expanded international partnerships and strengthened relationships among government and business leaders during her tenure.

Her earlier work included advising companies on business incentives and location strategy, helping lead Detroit’s financial recovery following its municipal bankruptcy, working on international sustainability initiatives and beginning her career in investment banking.

Cardwell has about 20 years of experience spanning economic development, public-private partnerships, global business and finance. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and a master’s degree from University College London.

“After an extensive nationwide search, we are excited to welcome Monique to Delaware Prosperity Partnership,” said Rodger Levenson, Co-Chair of the DPP Board of Directors, in the July 2 announcement. “She is exceptionally qualified and very well-positioned to lead DPP into its next chapter.”

DPP’s executive committee and staff will oversee operations during the transition before Cardwell arrives in September.

More moves

  • Fintech startup GradBridge selected Newark for its headquarters. The company’s platform helps employers offer student-loan repayment assistance as a workplace benefit.
  • A proposed three-building data center campus near Newark has been paused following a handshake agreement between New Castle County Councilman Tim Sheldon and an attorney for developer Shelbourne. The developer agreed to consider other uses for the White Clay Center property, though the nonbinding deal does not prevent the data center plan from returning.
  • Wilmington-based biopharmaceutical company Incyte completed its acquisition of Vega Therapeutics for $1.25 billion upfront, with up to $750 million in additional payments tied to sales milestones. The deal adds an experimental treatment for von Willebrand disease, an inherited bleeding disorder, to Incyte’s late-stage pipeline.
  • Newark gene-editing startup CorriXR Therapeutics named Hilary Malone its new CEO. Malone succeeds founder Eric Kmiec, who will remain chief scientific officer as the company advances potential cancer treatments.
  • Georgetown medical device startup Marins Med is bringing its ProHensor upper-limb prosthetic technology to market. The modular system is designed to give users a durable, responsive grip while allowing individual components to be replaced or serviced.
  • Rail manufacturer Alstom acquired a 20-acre Newark property where it plans to invest more than $55 million in a maintenance and technical support facility for Amtrak’s NextGen Acela trains. The project is expected to support about 100 jobs, including 50 new positions.
  • M&T Bank named Krista Phillips its Delaware regional president. Phillips, who has 25+ years of experience in financial services as a whole and joined M&T in 2025, will lead the bank’s local growth and community engagement efforts across Delaware while continuing in her role as chief customer and transformation officer.
  • Gov. Matt Meyer signed a package modernizing Delaware’s banking and financial services laws. The measures update state rules covering banks, money transmitters, virtual currency and payment stablecoins.
  • ChristianaCare researchers identified a developmental gene signature that appears to drive colon cancer growth and could help predict patient survival. The finding could eventually support more individualized treatment decisions.
  • Delaware and Thomas Jefferson University announced plans to establish Delaware’s first four-year medical school. The regional campus of Sidney Kimmel Medical College would allow students to complete their full medical education in the state while helping expand Delaware’s physician workforce.