Enabling Enterprises with Digital Transformation, IoT/sensor integration, and AI deployment for data & AI-driven decision support systems to improve operational and worker productivity, sustainability, and AI Governance.
I congratulate Aepnus Technology, a deep-tech startup, for raising $8M to commercialize its National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded research work to develop an electrochemical platform to improve circularity and reduce emissions in battery supply chain chemicals, enabling GHG emissions reduction by an expected 3 gigatons by 2050.
I congratulate Rhonda Shrader, Executive Director of UC Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship & NSF I-Corps Bay Area. She is an inspiring instructor; I am so fortunate to be in her class during the Summer 24 #Icorps Cohort. I am an Industry Mentor (IM) to Professor Ratnesh Kumar and Professor Shawana Tabassum, PhD who are inventors of plasmonic metamaterial-based gas sensing technology, based on NSF-funded research. It offers an order-of-magnitude lower-cost alternative to techniques like gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR). The technology helps with environmental compliance for GHG emissions in agriculture and manufacturing, Condition Monitoring of gases produced during process control in manufacturing plants, and monitoring of gases in Transformers (HW used in utilities - not the ones for implementing attention 😀).
If you're interested in turning your NSF-funded research into a real-world product or service, consider the #Icorps program. It provides intense customer discovery training, where you'll interview 100+ potential customers in just seven weeks. This might sound grueling, but it's an invaluable experience. Remember, in startups, the founder is often the first salesperson. Understanding your customers' needs early on is crucial for success.
This morning, I had a delightful conversation with a fellow biochar enthusiast who's contemplating launching a biochar project. It was a pleasant and laid-back discussion—no need to prove who's the smartest. Just two individuals sharing thoughts on a shared interest.
While I'm uncertain about how I will reincorporate myself into the biochar space this 2024 or perhaps even wait until 2025, I'm anyway internalizing what are my options (#collaborate, #invest, or #lead a project of my own). Hence why, and because I have the time I got inspired by my morning chat, and I found myself reflecting on the essential steps to initiate a #biochar project. This reminded me of a blog I came across in 2023, and I believe the insights could be valuable for anyone considering venturing into the world of biochar.
For those of you contemplating a biochar project, this blog offers some insightful nuggets. 🌿
Feel free to reach out if you'd like to have a laid-back (non-show-off) biochar conversation. I am currently taking a career break, so I have the flexibility to make time for engaging discussions and exchange ideas on the topic.
Wishing everyone a fantastic day ahead! 🌞
Our 'IMPACTT - Technology Transfer for Impact Ventures' initiative will introduce its first Evansville, IN cohort in June 2024. The program was recently awarded $100k from the American-Made Program through the 2024 Community Energy Innovation Prize!
The IMPACTT program investigates the roles of climate and environmental technologies. Participants are encouraged to explore building a tech-enabled impact venture. Indiana students in the program will identify, research, and critically analyze technology inventions and patents available for license through universities and U.S. federal agencies.
The process of #technologytransfer will be investigated, including ways it can help #impactventures scale, enhance economic growth, and advance scientific research.
https://lnkd.in/gQGsK42a
Well, that was more than a full-house demo day, yesterday at mHUB . It’s clear there is a renewed interest in in-person #demodays. Or was it because the focus was on #climate and #energy? Or was it because we are one of the few #hardtech accelerators?
All of the above. Admitted, mHUB is a hardtech incubator and accelerator, so on demo day, our accelerator startups can show tangible stuff. Following the pitches, investors and corporates can meet our founders in person. And those individual conversations are relationship-building, deeper dives in the tech, the market or financials, exploring opportunities for piloting the tech. And frankly, being surrounded by many other startup founders from pervious cohorts and member-founders of our incubator is energizing.
Let me just highlight a few of the recent achievements of our graduating climate & energy cohort startups announced during demo day. (and if you want to know more, you can read my LinkedIn posts of the last two weeks).
Video-based vibration monitoring company Sensatek Propulsion Technology, Inc signed a few energy infrastructure pilots and got additional investment from corporate partners Constellation and Invenergy.
Aeternal Upcycling showed a candle on stage based on wax made from their process upcycling plastic waste; next are lubricants and SAF!
CryoCellar demonstrated how farmers can store captured carbon into peppercorn-sized rocks for better crops!
Tikal Industries reported on RoI of ongoing pilots using their IoT water management platform.
Metasorbex(TM) Corporation announced they will demonstrate their graphene based carbon capture and utilization tech at a major industrial player event in two weeks.
Farm to Flame Energy Inc. runs a pilot with paper manufacturer Georgia Pacific turning their biomass waste in clean energy.
FurnaQuantum held an ingot on stage produced in their new hi-tech furnace, an ingot from which SiC wafers are made for high voltage chips.
CarbonSeaquest reported that their carbon capture solution for merchant ships got support from the American Bureau of Shipping.
Next-Ion Energy Inc. announced they moved to the next round of testing their thermal paste aerogel with a major Japanese prospect.
RUSHNU showed how their upcoming carbon-capture-to-chlorine pilot with Livermore wastewater plant will look like – producing chlorine carbon negatively!
Needless to say, I've never felt so upbeat working with these wonderful founders: Robert KennedyRyan HacklerChisom EmegoakorJordan DeVriesStefano AlvaKwaku JyamfiOnur ErgenKadir Hakan Dede Mustafa Ergen Edward ChanKevin JonesMatin Hanifzadeh, Ph.D.Reamonn L. SotoTayyaba AliChristian Guerrero
Special shoutout to Mike Sundermeier, all our fantastic mentors, corporate partners and mHUB staff.
#mHUBaccelerator#mHUBdemoday#climatechange#climateaction#carboncpature#renewableenergy#decarbonization
Could a lack of start-ups jeopardise our net-zero future?
I read with interest this Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) article about the challenges facing #entrepreneurs launching themselves into the unknown. However the headline is less optimistic than some of the content I was relieved to see.
With their TechX Clean Energy Accelerator, they are helping start-ups through the early phases and on to a #sustainable future (pun intended).
From #hydrogen to #CCU based #JetFuel, from #HeatPumps to #WavePower, there are so many ideas to follow up on, and this underlines the importance of bringing more people into #science, #technology and #engineering.
We don’t know where the next earth saving development is coming from, so is it a numbers game? Do more people in these areas generate more opportunities, more dialogue, more collaboration and cross-fertilisation? Which is why I’m so keen on mentoring in the #STEM area, through Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), Generating Genius and FLISS - Free Mentoring for Women in STEM.
Back to the article and I was thrilled to read about one of the things I’ve thought a lot about. In the past 3 years, the cleverly named Mocean Energy have grown from a model wave energy converter to a full size 30T prototype trialling off Orkney.
But the challenge is funding. With usual sources concerned with short term economic pressures, the longer term #existential needs are being squeezed. And with those pressures, fewer start ups are coming up.
How can we change the world view to look longer term, and see the environmental and commercial benefits of supporting these endeavours?
https://lnkd.in/d_cZ7xKP
🚀 Sparkup Incubator x H2Electro 🚀
Sparkup Incubator's spring program has accepted two new participants.
First, let's get acquainted with the H2Electro. 👋
H2Electro is a hydrogen technology startup that develops and produces next-generation electrolysis cells and stacks for high-temperature electrolysers to enable efficient green hydrogen production. H2Electro's innovative technology is based on fully ceramic solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC), which operate at temperatures of 800-850 °C and offer higher efficiency, durability, and impurity tolerance than other electrolysis cells. H2Electro's SOECs enable the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in major industries such as steel and fertilizer production, as well as the storage and widespread utilization of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. H2Electro aims to become a leading provider of green hydrogen solutions worldwide.
What made you join the program?
We were encouraged by the opportunity to receive €10,000 in business and technology development support and help in testing the suitability of our solution, product and business development, increasing investor readiness and honing soft skills. We were also interested in the useful workshops, seminars and networking events offered by the program and the desire to become more closely connected with the startup communities of Tartu and Estonia.
✨ Alumni Spotlight: Fermi Energy ✨
RAMP recently had the opportunity to catch up with two Blacksburg-based battery scientists who are fundamentally disrupting the battery industry with revolutionary cathode technology. Drs. Feng Lin and Ray Xu co-founded Fermi Energy, Inc. specializing in the development of large-scale production of low-cost, sustainable cathodes.
Check out the full interview 👉 https://lnkd.in/eiS-Yqq2
Want to accelerate your startup like Fermi Energy did? Apply now for our Fall Cohort! https://lnkd.in/e9mXnafc
Associate Professor Chao Wang's EDAC Labs startup has received $3 million in seed funding from The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment to further develop its electrosynthesizer carbon-removal technology.
"Currently, we can capture kilograms of carbon dioxide per day, but we’ll be able to do tons soon.”
The electrosynthesizer produces acid and base from brine. The base is used to react with carbon dioxide in the air to form carbonates. The acid is then added to the carbonate solution to release carbon dioxide. Salt is regenerated from this last step and recycled, forming a closed-loop system. Powered by renewable electricity, the process uses only half the energy of conventional methods to capture carbon dioxide from air.
In addition to his appointment in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Wang is a core faculty member of the Ralph O'Connor Sustainable Energy Institute (ROSEI)#carbonremoval#carboncapture#electrochemistry
🌱🚀 One for the books!
UP Catalyst, a company we backed early on, just secured €4M as an initial step to reduce Europe's reliance on Chinese carbon materials.
The funding accelerates UP Catalyst's local production of sustainable carbon materials, providing a crucial alternative to raw materials for European battery manufacturers. This is an especially important counteraction to China's recent export controls. With investor support, UP Catalyst aims to become the world's largest green #graphite provider, countering the impending global graphite shortage by 2030 and contributing to a CO2-negative future for European batteries.
💡🔋Kudos to CEO Gary Urb, PhD for envisioning a future where 4 million car batteries are empowered by CO2 emission-sourced graphite by 2030, covering 20% of the European EV battery market's yearly carbon needs.
As initial believers in them, it’s amazing to see that UP Catalyst kept gaining more and more investors and is now making it big, confirming that we're on the right track when it comes to innovation!
#GreenTech#proudinvestormoment
Princeton NuEnergy’s $16M Funding Sparks a Brighter Future in #lithium -Ion #batteryrecycling
Princeton NuEnergy, a startup advancing lithium-ion battery recycling and clean-tech innovation, secured $16 million in Series A funding, emphasizing its dedication to sustainable energy solutions, driven by its innovative LPAS™ technology and contributing to developing a robust circular supply chain. The funding, led by Fortune Global 500 member Wistron Corporation, with participation from Honda Motor […]
The post Princeton NuEnergy’s $16M Funding Sparks a Brighter Future in Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling first appeared on USTechTimes - Leading Startup and Technology News in the United States .
The post Princeton NuEnergy’s $16M Funding Sparks a Brighter Future in Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling appeared first on USTechTimes - Leading Startup and Technology News in the United States .
https://lnkd.in/gsj9pHS8#USTech#Tech
