Activate

As Kevin See, Head of Ecosystem at Activate, stated during this panel “Emerging hardtech startups are in a race to create value with limited resources. We need to work together to unlock the expertise, the support, and the infrastructure in a capital efficient way.” In our first joint appearance since announcing our partnership in December, The Engine and Activate hosted a panel during #CERAWeek exploring how to turn breakthrough science into a market-ready solution. Together, we’re making sure scientists and engineers have the momentum and resources they need to turn breakthrough research into real-world solutions. ?? Want to be a part of the ecosystem fueling the next wave of entrepreneurial scientists? Learn how you can contribute: https://lnkd.in/gtGe-J7W

Geothermal is one of the most promising sources of untapped renewable energy—literally. According to Zanskar Geothermal & Minerals, Inc. co-founders Carl Hoiland and Joel Edwards, “there’s enough energy underground to power the globe,” but most of it is still undiscovered. That’s where their company comes in, leveraging R&D breakthroughs in AI and advanced sensing technologies to identify new geothermal sites at an unprecedented rate. Now the leader in next-generation geothermal discovery, Zanskar has had to overcome the challenges of establishing itself in a “market that didn’t really exist yet.” According to co-founders Hoiland and Edwards, they had to “help kickstart the industry” themselves in order to get to scale. How did they do this, how did Activate’s early support make a difference? Where are they headed next? Read the link in comments to find out more.

We’re shaping the future of energy! ?Next week, we’ll be in DC for the next big event: the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit. (That’s right on the heels of a great CERAWeek conference.) Every year we look forward to coming together to solve America’s top energy challenges and gather the community that’s bringing transformational energy innovations to market. ??♀? Meet several Activate Fellows and alumni redefining the energy landscape, including Elise Strobach of AeroShield Materials, GJ la O' of Tyfast, Olivia Dippo and Andy Zhao of Limelight Steel, Richard May and Andy Wang of Standard Potential, and many more. ?? Hear from Activate Berkeley Managing Director Jill Fuss and Executive-In-Residence Leila Madrone on the panel “Playing the Long Game: Capital Strategies for New Energy Development and Deployment” on Monday at 10:45 a.m. ?? Come say hello to Activate at Booth #807. See you in DC! Check out the full agenda: https://lnkd.in/e8SRn58Q

We are delighted to share Leila Madrone, Executive-in-Residence at Activate will speak at #CERAWeek's #CWAgora for "Unlocking Potential: Non-Traditional Paths to Commercialization". Join us March 10-14. Register today at: https://okt.to/ckzQDe

Next week, we’re heading to CERAWeek 2025! Here’s where you can find us diving into deep tech breakthroughs, science-driven innovation, and the future of energy. ?? NextGen Amphitheater & Lyceum: ?? Accelerating Innovation from Lab to Market – Cyrus Wadia, CEO ?? How to Activate the Whole Ecosystem of Innovation – Kevin See, Head of Ecosystem ?? How Money Talks in Today’s Startup World – Calvin A. Cupini, Director of Investment ?? Unlocking Potential: Non-Traditional Paths to Commercialization – Leila Madrone, Executive-in-Residence ?? Fellows at the NextGen Pods are showcasing their groundbreaking innovations: ?? Kelly Redmond, Oleo Sustainable Palm Oil Solutions – Transforming biomass waste into sustainable oil feedstocks ?? Kaitlyn A. Suarez, Terra Watts – Advancing subsurface wireless power transmission ?? Alexander Gagnon, Banyu Carbon – Using sunlight and seawater for energy-efficient carbon removal ? Meet Activate Fellows at Innovator’s Row — stop by to hear their stories, see their tech, and explore ways to collaborate: ?? Kaitlyn A. Suarez, Terra Watts ?? Nate Weger, Calectra ?? Mert Akin, Ph.D. ??, EELI Technology ?? Rok Sitar, Blaze Energy Technologies ?? Claudia Hulbert, Geolabe ?? Xiaoyang Shi, Arbon Corp ?? Alexander Gagnon, Banyu Carbon ?? Kelly Redmond, Oleo Sustainable Palm Oil Solutions ?? Ryan DuChanois, Solidec ?? Alec Ajnsztajn, Coflux Purification See the full Activate schedule and details: https://lnkd.in/gbB74ySN #CERAWeek #InnovationAgora?

?? Activate Fellow companies are #hiring for impactful roles that support groundbreaking scientific innovation. Check out these latest job openings: Environmental Health & Safety Lead at Twelve (Moses Lake, WA) Engineer Pilot Co-op at Sublime Systems (Somerville, MA) CAD Configuration Manager at Antora Energy (San Jose, CA) Office Administrator at Zanskar Geothermal & Minerals, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT) Completions Engineer at Fervo Energy (Houston, TX) Lab Technician at Limelight Steel (Oakland, CA) Manufacturing Technician - Finished Product at AeroShield Materials (Waltham, MA) Contract - Graphic Designer at Anthro (Alameda, CA) Staff Embedded Systems Engineer at Copper (Berkeley, CA) Chemical Process at ReSource Chemical (Oakland, CA) ?? Share this post to help us connect our fellows with top talent!?

When it comes to navigating the unique challenges of building chemical technology companies, it’s best to consult the experts! With that in mind, we’re thrilled to highlight insights from Aimee Rose, Activate’s executive managing director; Richard Wang (Cuberg, Cohort 2016); and Hannah Murnen, former managing director of Activate Anywhere–which were featured in a recent article in Nature Chemical Engineering (Nature Portfolio). Aimee emphasizes the importance of “choosing your own adventure” by aligning entrepreneurial pathways with personal values. She explains how to prioritize and retire risk to create value for customers and embrace pivots to maximize that value. Hannah shares insights on scaling beyond pilot success, emphasizing how startups can leverage pilot results to build credibility, position for commercial deployment, and make strategic financing decisions as they grow. Richard illuminates the significant challenges of scaling chemical companies, especially in the climate sector, where substantial infrastructure investments are needed. He also highlights the value of strategic partnerships and acquisitions and the complexities of post-acquisition integration. Together, Aimee, Hannah, and Richard’s insights provide crucial guidance for those looking to transform ideas into scaled solutions. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gEUWs-Fy

There’s been a rise in Ph.D. founders in climate tech. With over 200,000 new Ph.D.s graduating in 2022 and tenure-track positions scarce, many scientists are taking their breakthroughs out of the lab and into the market. Unlike the classic college dropout founder story, solving climate challenges requires deep expertise in physics, chemistry, and engineering. As scientist Phil De Luna puts it in his Forbes piece: “Software won’t stop wildfires.” Activate helps scientists pivot from academia to entrepreneurship–providing funding, mentorship, and lab access to turn hard-tech breakthroughs into real-world solutions. The challenge? Climate tech isn’t software. Scaling solutions takes time, capital, and patient investors willing to bet on the future. Read more in Forbes by Phil De Luna. #ClimateTech #PhDFounders #DeepTech

Since launching in 2022, Activate Anywhere tested how a remote-centric cohort would perform, and the results have shown both high demand and impressive results for scientific innovation in every part of the U.S. Activate is opening doors to innovation all around the country. We started in 2015 in Berkeley with nine Activate Fellows. Today, we have over 60 fellows every year across five communities: Berkeley, Boston, New York, Houston, and Anywhere, which allows fellows to be based anywhere in the country. All together, you’ll find Activate Fellows building out 197 companies in 75 cities and 25 states. Our 2024 Annual Report has more details about this high demand for science entrepreneurship in every part of the U.S., and the impressive results in scientific innovation that’s happening across the map. #Fellowship #Entrepreneurship #Activate

This third post in our earth resources and mining series highlights some the incredible work that Activate Fellows are doing. They’re developing new ways to recycle materials, lower energy costs, improve how we access and use metals and minerals, and more. Check out these innovators who are reimagining how we source our most important materials. ?? Still Bright/Jon Vardner is transforming copper extraction with localized, cost-effective technology. Last fall, Still Bright was a winner of the World Economic Forum Uplink’s Sustainable Mining Challenge, which recognizes the most innovative and disruptive technologies around the world. ?? Lithios/Mohammad A. Alkhadra is using breakthroughs in applied electrochemistry to extract lithium from untapped brine resources, and secured a $12M seed round last fall led by Clean Energy Ventures with participation from TechEnergy Ventures and GS Futures as well as Lowercarbon Capital and MassCEC. ?? Sunchem/Daniel T. Sun, BLUUMBIO/Katherine French, and Vycarb/Garrett Boudinot were selected for the inaugural cohort of the Rio Tinto Mining Tech accelerator in partnership with Founders Factory, focused on decarbonizing mining. More Activate Fellows to watch: Brendan Smith of SiTration, Inc. is developing a solution for the low-cost sustainable extraction of critical materials in the lithium-ion battery recycling process. Alexa Schmitz of REEgen engineers microbes to cleanly and sustainably recycle rare earth elements in the United States. Gustavo Marquez, P. Eng (company in Stealth) is rethinking sustainable mining by developing technologies to upgrade mine waste into new streams of value. Nathan Good, PhD/RareTerra Inc. provides simple, low-cost, environmentally-friendly biomining and concentration of rare earth metals from low-grade and waste materials. Mert Akin, Ph.D. ??/EELI Technology develops advanced lithium extraction and purification solutions to enable sustainable and feasible lithium production from untapped domestic sources. Check out our whole series on earth resources, especially mining, on our Activate blog in comments!