Participated · Series B · Nov 2022

Starfire Energy develops modular systems for synthesis of 100% green ammonia and for cracking ammonia into hydrogen, centered on its Rapid Ramp and Prometheus Fire product lines. Rapid Ramp is designed to produce green ammonia from air, water, and renewable energy and can rapidly ramp production up and down to match intermittent renewables without hydrogen or energy storage. Prometheus Fire is an advanced cracking system that operates at lower temperatures to convert ammonia into hydrogen and create cost-effective ammonia-hydrogen blends to replace natural gas. The company says its modular approach enables easier, safer, and cheaper storage and transportation versus other carbon-free fuels, leveraging existing ammonia infrastructure. Starfire is pursuing field demonstration programs and aims to commercialize and ship products worldwide. The company is a Colorado Public Benefit Corporation headquartered in Denver and was founded in 2007; it holds patented technologies for its systems. Starfire Energy designs modular chemical plants that synthesize zero‑carbon ammonia and crack ammonia back into hydrogen using patented catalysis technology. Its Rapid Ramp NH3 synthesis technology makes ammonia from renewable energy, air, and water, and the Prometheus Carbon‑free Fire system cracks ammonia to yield hydrogen for storage and transport. The modular systems are mass‑produced and assembled onsite for scalability, aiming to connect directly with renewable energy sources and provide distributed zero‑carbon fuel. Starfire targets applications including utility gas turbines, large ships, industrial process heat (steel and cement), and fuel‑cell vehicles. Proceeds from the announced funding will be used to accelerate scale‑up of systems and expand global operations and commercial deployments. The company communicated from Denver and emphasizes commercialization of its technologies to decarbonize ammonia production and enable ammonia as a zero‑carbon energy carrier.

Participated · Equity · Apr 2022

Carbon Upcycling develops a platform system that transforms industrial byproducts and captured CO₂ into high‑quality, low‑carbon supplementary cementitious materials for cement manufacturing. Its flagship commercial project at the Ash Grove Mississauga Cement Plant is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2026 and has the capacity to produce up to 30,000 tonnes of SCMs annually. The company has secured asset‑backed financing of up to USD 10 million from ATEL Ventures to support that first commercial deployment. Carbon Upcycling is backed by a syndicate of strategic investors, including Builders Vision, the Business Development Bank of Canada, Climate Investment, Oxy Low‑Carbon Ventures, Amplify Capital, Clean Energy Ventures, CRH Ventures, Cemex Ventures, and TITAN Group. Management frames the financing as reinforcing the commercial readiness and financeability of its technology. The company aims to use the commercial project as the foundation to scale localized, low‑carbon cement manufacturing infrastructure across North America and beyond.

Led · Seed · Jan 2022

SoHHytec is a Swiss cleantech startup whose technology enables decentralized production of hydrogen along with oxygen, electricity and heat with no CO2 emissions. Its core product is the artificial tree 'Arb' system, developed over more than eight years of R&D and claimed to deliver unprecedented solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency. The technology is reported to be ready for industrial use and the company has won several entrepreneurship awards. Prior to this round SoHHytec secured approximately $1.6M in non-dilutive funding, which supported development of the Arb system. The recent $2M seed financing will support commercialization, industrialization and expedited deployment of systems for industrial customers. Management plans to leverage the investor's network for large-scale demonstration and market entry, targeting decarbonization opportunities including clean transportation. SoHHytec has developed the Arb, an “artificial tree” that uses concentrated sunlight and water to simultaneously produce highly pure hydrogen, oxygen, electricity, and heat. The patented integrated device reportedly shows record stability, high solar-to-fuel and solar-to-electricity efficiency, and cost-effective fuel and power production. The company is completing long-term testing of an Arb pilot located on the EPFL campus and is advancing a commercial-scale pilot called Arbs Garden to supply a steel processing factory in Switzerland. Planned follow-on commercial pilots are targeted in the EU, US, and India to address the growing clean-hydrogen market, which is estimated at EUR 120 billion. SoHHytec is a spin-off from EPFL’s Laboratory of Renewable Energy (LRESE) and was founded by Saurabh Tembhurne (CEO) with Prof. Sophia Haussener as scientific advisor and Meng Lin as Asia head. The startup received CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick to develop its commercial pilot, close partnership deals, and prepare for industrialization and internationalization. SoHHytec develops the "Arb," an artificial tree that produces hydrogen, electricity and heat on-site using only water and sunlight. The system is built around SoHHytec’s patented integrated photo-electrochemical device and a patent-pending system controller aimed at cost-effective, lower-carbon fuel and power production. The company was incorporated in 2020 by Saurabh Tembhurne (CEO), Sophia Haussener (co-founder and scientific advisor) and Meng Lin, with support from team member Daniel Brandenburger. Its first pilot system is under completion at the EPFL Lausanne campus. The newly obtained CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan from FIT will fund long-term validation and automation tests, pilot product hardware and software development, and customer and partner acquisition. SoHHytec has also received R&D support from Venture Kick, BRIDGE PoC, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy and the European Space Agency, and has won multiple entrepreneurship prizes.

Participated · Seed · Jan 2022

Inovues develops retrofittable insulating glass technology (branded Glazing Shield™) that enables building owners to add energy-saving and smart glass features without removing or replacing existing windows. The company began offering its insulating glass retrofits in 2020 after three years of R&D and has since installed its product on buildings throughout the U.S. Inovues is led by founder and CEO Anas Al Kassas and is based in Houston, TX. The product is patented and positioned for commercial rollout and wider adoption across existing building stock. The company intends to use new funding to grow its team, expand commercialization efforts, and scale adoption of its Glazing Shield™ technology.

Participated · Seed · Oct 2021

Waste Labs offers an Artificial Intelligence platform that digitizes, plans, and improves waste collection processes, providing data-driven insights and prescriptive recommendations to map waste flows. The platform is designed to help cities and waste managers design and operate efficient, sustainable, and scalable waste collection systems anywhere in the world. Waste Labs also aims to enable manufacturers to increase the supply of goods produced from recycled materials, supporting circular supply chains. The company serves leading waste management companies and sustainable producers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and the UK. Financially, Waste Labs closed a $500,000 pre-seed funding round in October 2021. The company positions its product to accelerate the transition to a circular economy and expand deployment globally.