Participated · Series A · Apr 2020

Nelumbo develops scalable advanced materials and surface modifications, notably anti‑icing coatings demonstrated on residential refrigerators and commercial heat pumps. The company aims to optimize these materials for industrial refrigeration substrates and scale manufacturing processes for commercial adoption. With a focus on reducing energy use and greenhouse‑gas emissions, Nelumbo targets the energy‑intensive defrost cycles that account for over 20% of industrial refrigeration energy consumption. The firm positions its technology as a way to improve food quality, reduce waste, and bolster grid reliability. Nelumbo views industrial refrigeration as a key commercial opportunity and plans to advance deployments across food and beverage processing systems. The company is presented in a Hayward, Calif. dateline in the announcement. Nelumbo develops a technology platform that designs and applies precise nanostructures to surfaces in a low-cost, scalable and environmentally sustainable manner. Its technology is leveraged by large global companies to create market-defining products such as cooling systems (air conditioning and refrigeration) and performance outerwear textiles. The company’s cooling unit currently comprises two key product lines. Nelumbo intends to use recent funding to grow its cooling unit and to launch a new business line while continuing to explore and develop its advanced technology platform. The company is led by CEO Liam Berryman and is based in Hayward, Calif. Nelumbo recently raised $14M in new funding as part of a Series-A expansion. Nelumbo offers a multi-functional, customizable surface modification platform that can be integrated with base products to deliver performance advantages and access new markets. The company has targeted cooling as its first vertical, positioning its technology to improve heat-exchanger performance. Nelumbo was established in 2015 and formed out of UC Berkeley; it has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Cyclotron Road Fellowship, the Thiel Fellowship, and Forbes 30 Under 30 for Energy. The business recently completed a move into an 8,000 sq ft Hayward, California headquarters that houses offices, an R&D lab, a testing center, and a pilot production plant capable of sending commercial-scale product directly to customers. Nelumbo says the new facility and funding will accelerate commercialization and enable strategic partnerships and product launches.