Engine Ventures

Engine Ventures’ Lisa Hansmann and Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Brian Deese propose a bold national framework that harnesses AI’s growing energy demand to accelerate the scaling of clean energy. As demand for AI proliferates, its energy consumption is crashing headlong into existing energy infrastructure. An AI additionality requirement for new clean energy capacity to meet new computing demand, paired with a fast-tracked approval process for those clean energy projects, ensures the expansion of AI and clean energy go hand in hand. Read Hansmann and Deese’s article in Heatmap News outlining how a national framework can ensure that we scale innovation in AI and clean energy in tandem to build U.S. strength in the sectors critical to winning the 21st century. https://lnkd.in/eXm6tcux

This week, Silicon Valley Bank and Congruent Ventures released their 50 by 2050: Pioneers in Carbon Reduction list. The list - including Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Form Energy, VEIR, Boston Metal, and AtmosZero - features climate tech companies creating carbon reduction solutions to enable a net zero future. Congratulations.

Today marks an incredible milestone for the Cellino team. Cellino has been awarded $25M in funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The first project to be funded by the Scalable Solutions Mission Office under the ARPA-H Open Broad Agency Announcement, this capital will drive the development of Cellino’s ultra-scalable, autonomous, cassette-based advanced biomanufacturing technology for personalized regenerative medicine. Congratulations to the team!

Congratulations Mantel on the $30 million Series A! With backing from leaders in the energy industry, the company is scaling its molten borate carbon capture technology, which could cut costs by more than 50%. Spun out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Department of Chemical Engineering, Mantel is reinventing carbon capture with a new material: molten salts designed to operate best at the high temperatures found inside boilers, kilns, and furnaces. Mantel’s approach recaptures high-quality heat, dramatically reducing the net energy needed for the absorption of CO2 from exhaust and its subsequent desorption to pure CO2. This new funding will be used to launch a demonstration project at an industrial site, setting the stage for the full-scale commercial deployment of Mantel’s high-temperature carbon capture systems. https://lnkd.in/e3H_aQGy

One of my favorite things is to have a conversation with builders & founders about the personal experience and complexity of working to bring new deep tech to the point where it makes a real difference in our world. So looking forward to this!

As batteries are increasingly adapted and deployed on a massive scale for electric vehicle fleets, the demand for lithium is expected to grow exponentially. Lilac Solutions is commercializing an Ion Exchange (IX) Direct Lithium Extraction Technology for brine resources that is significantly faster, cheaper, and more scalable than existing technologies. Bloomberg spoke with Lilac CEO Raef Sully who discusses the importance of investing in directly lithium companies now: https://lnkd.in/gHRQA4nC

“Military might, geopolitical influence, and economic dominance all largely depend on technological superiority. Without strong research universities and the scientific and technological advances they discover and invent, the United States could not possibly keep up with China.” Massachusetts Institute of Technology president emeritus L. Rafael Reif emphasizes the importance of investing in both curiosity-driven research and the commercialization of innovative ideas to ensure that the U.S. remains a global leader. Reif points to The Engine Ventures as an example of what our country needs more of: an organization providing capital, operational expertise, and a powerful academic, commercial, and governmental network to build and scale companies unlocking massive opportunities in climate change, human health, and advanced systems. https://lnkd.in/enMyAaum

Are you a climate tech founder looking to understand your options for funding beyond traditional venture capital? As the landscape of climate tech investment continues to evolve, understanding the financing options available to you is crucial. Join our upcoming webinar, "The Climate Tech Capital Stack," on August 15 at 2:30 PM EST, to learn about the emerging climate tech capital stack and how to navigate the new fundraising landscape. You’ll hear from experts in climate tech financing, including: ?? Lisa Hansmann – Principal, Engine Ventures ?? Campbell Howe – Senior Advisor, DOE Loan Programs Office ?? Gabriel Scheer – Senior Director of Innovation, Elemental Excelerator The panel will be moderated by Alex Prather, Newlab’s Director of Ventures. Register Now → https://buff.ly/4d48r6B

Today, DBOS, Inc. welcomed Jeremy Edberg as its new CEO. Jeremy brings decades of experience in cloud product, engineering, and growth leadership to the team. Learn more about Jeremy’s career and his plans for DBOS here: https://lnkd.in/eTUFTqS4

Congratulations Kano Therapeutics for their $7.15 million seed round! Spun out of an MIT lab, Kano is successfully harnessing single-stranded DNA as a safe, efficient, and flexible biomaterial for gene insertions.