Energy Tech Startups: Recent Episodes
Digital Wildcatters
Conversations with founders and team members at energy tech, climate tech, clean tech companies, and prominent leaders in the energy and climate change industry.
In this episode, we're joined by Derek Adams and Gus Perez from EarthBridge Energy, a tech startup revolutionizing long-duration energy storage. Combining elements from oil and gas, geothermal energy, and renewable sources, EarthBridge aims to solve the problem of energy waste due to the mismatch between renewable energy supply and demand. Their novel approach uses the earth itself as a storage media and has been validated by three National Labs. With a focus on commercial scalability, the team discusses the challenges and opportunities in the energy storage landscape.
- Introduction of Guests and Company: Derek Adams and Gus Perez from EarthBridge Energy talk about their startup, which is developing a long-duration energy storage technology to help transition to a net-zero future.
- Technology Overview: EarthBridge combines aspects of oil and gas, geothermal energy storage, and 24/7 renewable energy. Their system can store vast amounts of energy for very long periods, and can uniquely and economically store power over months vs. hours.
- The Importance of Long-Duration Storage: With increasing reliance on intermittent renewables like wind and solar, EarthBridge's long-duration storage technology is essential for maintaining a stable grid and minimizing energy waste.
- Importance of Storage: The technology aims to make renewable energy more reliable by storing it for extended periods, thereby stabilizing the grid.
- Regulatory and Investment Landscape: The team is navigating through investment tax credits and regulatory constraints, and they are in the middle of fundraising discussions to take their technology to market.
- Location and Community: The founders chose to base their startup in Houston due to the strong energy community and the city's history with oil and gas, which they see as an asset for their renewable energy-focused startup.
https://www.earthbridgeenergy.com/
Learn more about Fuze | The Future of Energy here: https://bit.ly/3DbZisD
This week we sat down with Emma Konet, co-founder and CTO of Tierra Climate to discuss how her startup is decarbonizing the grid by creating a new revenue stream for grid-scale batteries. Tierra Climate has a proprietary algorithm to estimate and certify how batteries can shift power from the grid during periods of low carbon production to supplant producers who are carbon-intensive. They anticipate issuing carbon credits to companies that want to offset their emissions. Emma provides an inside look at how she and her co-founder are building a marketplace to accelerate the energy transition by making batteries an attractive grid asset. She shares insights from her experience in energy trading and the battery industry, fundraising challenges, and key learnings from participating in competitions like the Rice Business Plan Competition. Emma explains how Houston has been an ideal launchpad for Tierra Climate as a hub bridging energy markets and climate solutions.
Key topics covered:
- How grid-scale batteries help enable renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions
- Challenges of making batteries economically viable on the grid
- Creating a new carbon offset methodology for grid batteries
- Partnering with data providers on emissions factors
- Getting practical pitch experience through competitions like RBPC
- Fundraising challenges for hard tech climate startups
- Building diverse founding teams with complementary skills
- Navigating energy regulations and carbon verification
- Houston as a hub for energy innovation
Get in touch: Company Website: www.tierraclimate.com
CEO & Co-founder Jacob Mansfield: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-r-mansfield/
CTO & Co-Founder Emma Konet: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmajohnsonkonet/
Find Emma on Twitter or X? @koneticenergy Her personal website is www.koneticenergy.com
Tierra Climate partners with REsurety, which provides emissions data for the power grid. https://resurety.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/resurety/
This week we sit down with Rahel Abraham, CEO of ClimaGuard, a company dedicated to creating ultra-extreme weather protection systems for vehicles and other valuable assets. Rahel shares her personal experience with Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which inspired her to use her engineering skills to create solutions for climate-related challenges. Despite facing numerous setbacks, including supply chain disruptions and the complexities of managing an e-commerce business, Rahel persevered. ClimaGuard has been successful, selling out in 2022 and expanding its product range to meet varied customer needs. Rahel also shares her experiences of being part of the Houston business ecosystem and the support she received from entrepreneurship programs like Div Inc. The episode concludes with a discussion on the importance of preparing for climate change and investing in protection for one's assets.
ClimaGuard is an innovative company created by a Hurricane Survivor offering the ultimate extreme weather protection for vehicles and other valuable assets. Weather protection from flood, rain, snow, UV, and dust is possible with our reusable and portable Temporary Protective Enclosure.
Discount code for your first Climaguard: CGSAVE30 for $30 off Always free shipping.
Learn more:
https://www.climaguard.co/hello@climaguard.co
https://www.facebook.com/ClimaGuardLLC
https://twitter.com/climaguard
https://www.instagram.com/climaguard_llc
https://www.linkedin.com/company/14060727
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq2g1uMMEZHdpwCRQ
Rahel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahel-abraham-b6a91516b/
In this episode, we chat with Sujatha Kumar, CEO, and Brandon Brown, VP of Business Development of Dsider, a platform that is transforming the energy industry. Dsider uses cutting-edge technologies including physics-based models, machine learning, and generative AI to provide businesses with strategic decision-making tools for sustainable energy transition. The platform, essentially a leadership dashboard for carbon management, combines complex analysis with a user-friendly interface, promoting a better understanding of how a company’s investments can generate both a financial return and achieve net-zero goals...
Key points of discussion include:
- An overview of Dsider and its mission to revolutionize the energy industry
- The use of advanced technologies such as generative AI for strategic decision-making in energy management
- The unique, user-friendly interface of Dsider that simplifies complex energy analysis, including understanding 45Q tax credits, ROI, and impact against net-zero goals
- The challenges faced by growing a software business in the energy industry
- A vision for the future of the energy industry, particularly in the context of achieving net-zero operations.
www.dsider.app
Sujatha Kumar | www.linkedin.com/in/sujathak-dsider | sujatha@dsider.app
Brandon Brown | www.linkedin.com/in/bvbrown | brandon@dsider.app
Sergio Tuberquia, the CEO and founder of Equipcast, joins us to discuss their product, Digi Engineer, which addresses the energy skills gap using advanced technology.
By combining proprietary algorithms, modeling capabilities, and generative AI, Digi Engineer matches subject matter expertise with asset data to enhance operational understanding and decision-making. The platform utilizes real-time data from sensors to provide insights and alerts related to asset performance. Inputs can be anything already used by operators from temperature and pressure through vibration and the weather. It enables field operators to make more informed decisions, optimize resource allocation, and improve safety.
Here’s what to expect:
- Sergio Tuberquia discusses the problem of the talent gap in the energy industry, particularly as subject matter experts retire and millennials show less interest in working in the field.
- Sergio explains how Equipcast's Digi Engineer product leverages proprietary algorithms and modeling capabilities to bridge the skills gap.
- Digi Engineer integrates asset data with subject matter expertise to provide real-time insights and alerts based on parameters like vibration, weather, and temperature.
- The platform allows field operators to have a better understanding of asset performance and make more effective decisions, ultimately optimizing resource allocation and improving operational efficiency.
- Sergio emphasizes the potential of Digi Engineer to act as a force multiplier, enabling field operators to accomplish the work of multiple individuals and drive better outcomes.
- The episode highlights the importance of embracing technology and innovation in the energy industry and discusses the changing landscape of the sector.
- The conversation touches on the cultural shift happening in Houston's innovation ecosystem and the challenges and opportunities in attracting the younger generation to the traditional oil and gas sector.
- Sergio shares the journey of Equipcast, from its founding in 2016 to its current product offering, and highlights the value of their approach in the context of the energy transition.
- The episode concludes with a discussion on the significance of real-world results and partnerships in contributing to the industry's transformation and attracting investor interest.
In this episode we have a special co-host, Nada Ahmed, filling in while Lara is in Hawaii!
Learn More: Sergio on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergio-a-tuberquia-6a300a3/
Equipcast: https://www.equipcast.com/
Ethan Novek is a multiple award-winning chemist and is the sole inventor of 25 granted utility patents with over 150 patent filings in the materials science and sustainable energy industries. He has invented 9 new platform technologies in heat transfer, electricity storage, gas separation, refrigeration cycles, calcium oxide & cement production, tidal power, power generation, and CO2 conversion. He is the inventor, founder, and CEO of SolvCor Technologies.
Ethan delves into:
- How industrial cooling systems work today - 2:00
- What viscosity is and why keeping it low matters in cooling systems - 6:35
- How Ethan developed technology based on physical sciences technology and decided to launch SolvCor - 11:50
- How Ethan went about finding first adopts for his novel and disruptive technology - 18:00
- How improving cooling systems can significantly reduce carbon footprint - 23:40
- How entrepreneurs and inventors have to develop a critical attitude to maintain focus - 29:05
- Why Houston is a strategic location to grow a startup - 36:00
- Where the cooling industry has opportunities to create efficiency by 2050 - 41:45
- Why investing and achieving our climate goals and bringing energy innovation to market is not a tradeoff, and how technology will enable us - 50:00
Get in Touch:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-novek/
https://innovatorenergy.com/
Ian Bishop is the CEO and co-founder of Elemental Recycling (ER). Elemental has developed a single step process to recycle all plastics and tires into hydrogen and graphite /graphene. The process is also patented for electronics and greenhouse gases and has the potential to solve single stream recycling challenges while making money for plant operators.
Ian Explores:
- How Ian and Ron made one small change with a Ph.D. chemist and developed a critical innovation for recycling - 1:15
- How a culture of tinkering started with inventing an automated Margarita Machine - 3:35
- How the Elemental Recycling process works - 6:08
- How their new process enables ER to monetize waste streams differently - 13:09
- Why this process can save the world - 18:27
- Why mass producing graphene (an output of the ER process) is a game-changing material - 21:40
- Why Houston has such a strong entrepreneurial spirit - 29:25
- Why the ION district is a hidden gem in Houston - 36:25
- What the basics are which entrepreneur needs to learn - 43:30
Caitlin Smith is a policy entrepreneur who currently works as the Senior Director, Regulatory, External Affairs & ESG at Jupiter Power. Jupiter Power is a leading developer, owner, and operator of stand-alone, utility-scale battery energy storage. We have 650 MWh of operation projects in Texas with over 300 MWh in or near construction, including a 200MWh project in Houston. It is expected to be the first urban battery storage project of that size. Energy is complicated because of the broad stakeholders involved as well as the expectations we all have for its reliability. Join us as Caitlin explores how navigating policy goes hand in hand with bringing new technology to market.
Caitlin explores:
- Caitlin explains the difference between MWh vs MW when it comes to battery storage and why that is important - 2:08
- How Caitlin and the Jupiter team think about reducing emissions using utility-scale batteries - 6:48
- Why Houston will be home to the first urban storage battery project of its size (200 MWh) - 10:26
- How the messaging from companies has changed around energy as users become more informed through technology - 15:30
- How Jupiter’s uses its batteries and its software to dispatch power economically into the grid - 19:20
- How the recently passed IRA will change the economics of standalone storage - 23:40
- How will energy storage developers think about deploying new battery technologies - 28:42
- What a policy entrepreneur does - 31:55
- Why disasters, unfortunately, drive policy changes, and why that sometimes leads to sub-optimal results - 38:00
- Why we should always be thinking about the grid holistically - 43:10
https://www.jupiterpower.io/
twitter: @CaitlinSmithATX ; @jupiterpowerllc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitsmith09/
Edward Eichstetter is the CEO of EKU Drives, an expert in the electrification and automation expert for the Oil and Gas industry. EKU has a number of technologies that reduce emissions, from the Engine Standby Controller which reduces idle time up to 90% through SOPHIA, a solution that taps into the cloud and allows fleet managers to better optimize their frack fleets. The founders of EKU tap into their shared history of developing electric formula racing cars to develop and deploy new products for upstream Oil and Gas.
Edward explores:
- How EKU got started in Germany and how they came to the US to reduce emissions - 2:10
- How Pioneer Natural Resources became EKU’s first pilot customer - 5:45
- How a startup founder like Edward navigates O&G cycles - 9:10
- How EKU was able to co-develop an E-frack system with O&G partners - 11:30
- Vulcan? Sophia? Ruth? Nora? Atlas? Cerberus? How EKU names its products - 13:40
- EKU’s biggest challenge is hiring; Ed explains where he finds new talent - 21:00
- How E-frack will reduce the carbon and energy intensity of shale oil development - 29:00
- How new technologies and business models will improve energy equity across the energy industry - 32:00
- How EKU and other technology developers work with regulators such as the EPA to help balance energy access with emissions reduction - 37:50
- How the founding teams can create luck for themselves - 44:12
EKU Drives Website: ekupd.com
EKU Jobs Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eku-power-drives/jobs/
Find Edward: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-eichstetter-62151174/
Daniel Basaldua is the CEO and founder of Euphree Electric Bikes, the maker of the most comfortable commuter style e-bike. Daniel a dyed in the wool entrepreneur started his early career in the upstream oil and gas industry and began looking at transportation as an industry that will transform the most in the energy transition.
Daniel Explores:
- How his sister inspired his first e-bike - 4:20
- How Houston has unique manufacturing strengths - 8:50
- Why access to cost-effective energy is in fine balance as we transition energy - 10:45
- Why e-bikes are essential to transforming mobility and accessibility - 25:05
- How Houston can change its infrastructure to better serve commuters 34:10
Reach out if your hands on a Euphree ebike
https://euphree.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielbasaldua/
Zimri Hinshaw is the CEO and founder of Bucha Bio. Bucha unlocks unique creative design potential using biotechnology. Their team creates novel biomaterials by combining fermented cellulose with plant-based polymers to create products for applications instead of animal leather, polyurethane, latex, vinyl, epoxy, and so much more.
Zimri Explores:
- What is SCOBY and what does it have to do with Bucha Bio - 1:56
- How do novel materials get to end consumers - 6:40
- How Bucha Bio uses branding as a strategy to bring its technology to market - 10:00
- What it's like to raise capital in Houston - 19:15
- How Houston entrepreneurs founders support each other - 24:40
- Why Houston was a top destination for Bucha Bio as it grows - 26:30
- What it takes to be a surfing legend on the Gulf Coast - 29:30
- Why Houston will be a biotech hub - 34:50
Follow Bucha Bio if you are interested in learning more
Zimri’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zimrithinshaw/
Bucha Bio’s website: https://bucha.bio/
Grace Chan is a venture principal for New Markets at BP ventures. Grace focuses on venturing discovery and deal delivery in support of cleantech market entry offers in China, elsewhere in the Asia Pacific, and India as well as technology-led ventures in service of one or more of BP’s 'transition growth engines' - bioenergy, convenience, EV charging, renewables, and hydrogen.
Grace Explores:
- How and where BP Ventures makes investments - 2:00
- How Grace figured out she was destined for Corporate Venture Capital - 3:15
- How Grace’s personal history led her to work in her current role looking at Energy Transition investments in Asia - 7:00
- How energy companies have three strengths that make them natural partners for the Energy Transition - 9:08
- How BP is reimagining energy: Bioenergy, EV Charging, convenience, Renewables, and Hydrogen - 14:55
- Why being a corporate VC presents unique challenges - 17:50
- Why now is the time to make investments in climate tech - 19:10
- How AllRaise is helping female and non-binary trailblazers support the innovation ecosystem - 23:10
- How Houston’s gritty and active the innovation is, and how many people in Houston are from all over the world - 27:10
- Why Hydrogen technology is complex t make investments in - 33:13
- Why Geothermal is exciting - 36:30
Reach out if you want to get connected. Find Grace in the ION at Suite 288. She invites founders and co-investors to meet in person to grow your network.
Trevor Best is a serial entrepreneur who is building the next big thing in chemical refining. His company, Syzygy Plasmonics is building a new type of chemical reactor driven by renewable electricity from making hydrogen or turning carbon back into useful molecules. The technology comes out of the very own Houston Grown Rice University and was built on top of 30 years of nano-photonics research. Syzygy is commercializing a photocatalyst, a material that uses light instead of heat to facilitate chemical reactions. This photocatalyst is orders of magnitude higher performing than any other in history. Trevor
Trevor Explores:
- How photocatalysts will remake chemical plants - 2:08
- How experiences in O&G prepared him for leading a startup - 5:14
- How entrepreneurs can deliberately (or not) learn to build a business - 10:55
- Why green hydrogen is a great market - 17:25
- What type of customers you want to pilot energy technologies with - 21:50
- How far the Houston innovation ecosystem has come - 27:20
- Where to find top talent in Houston - 31:17
- His top climate technologies which will change the world - 46:22
- How to win in scrabble — 52:43
If you are working in an energy company and are working on chemical reactions or need hydrogen or have CO2, please reach out!
info@plasmonics.tech
https://www.linkedin.com/company/syzygy-plasmonics/
https://plasmonics.tech/
plasmonics.tech
Syzygy Plasmonics
Learn how Syzygy Plasmonics, a deep decarbonization company, is electrifying the chemical industry.
Eric Rubenstein is Managing Partner at New Climate Ventures. New Climate Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in innovative carbon reduction and avoidance technology companies. Prior to founding New Climate Ventures, Eric held investment, fundamental strategy, and trading roles at Citigroup and Louis Dreyfus in their commodities and energy trading divisions. A psychology major with a focus on behavioral neuroscience, Eric graduated Yale University with a Bachelor’s degree. After graduating Yale, Eric received his MBA from Temple University with a focus on global business and entrepreneurship.
Eric Shares with us:
- What stage of business New Climate Ventures invests in - 2:40
- How the Houston investment landscape look as as investor - 7:25
- How Houston can reach innovators from the coasts - 13:50
- Learn about NCV’s Portfolio - 20:50
- How Regulators are informed by innovators - 29:50
- How Houston as a city adapts to a void of startup funding programs - 38:20
- How technology focus will change as we move through the energy transition - 45:00
If there are ways to partner with New Climate Ventures or its portfolio, be it co-investing, sharing deal-flow, or as a corporate partner. Please reach out. https://www.newclimateventures.com/portfolio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric--rubenstein/
Moji Karimi is a self proclaimed carbon negative entrepreneur and old school millennial. As CEO and co-founder of Cemvita, he is bringing nature inspired technology solutions to address climate change. Moji talks us through the opportunities Houston has to offer; both in launching his career in oil and gas as well as the various startups he was able to start.
A modern wildcatter, he explores:
- How O&G perceives risk - 3:45
- Why now is the time to be excited about synthetic biology - 5:30
- How synthetic biology can address hard to abate markets like aviation fuel - 10:30
- New exciting work Cemvita is doing with gold hydrogen – 15:50
- Why Houston talent is the bet for launching a climate tech startup – 37:45
- How we should turbocharge the Houston innovation ecosystem – 42:45
- Why the Energy Transition may never be completed – 50:05
- Lastly words of wisdom to live by – 1:01:15
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mojikarimi/
https://www.cemvitafactory.com/
cemvitafactory.com
Cemvita Factory Inc. | Economical carbon-negative solutions for a sustainable future
We utilize C02 to create carbon-negative solutions for a sustainable future on Earth and Mars.