• Molten Industries

  Participated · Series A · Jun 2024

  Molten Industries develops methane pyrolysis technology that converts natural gas into battery‑grade graphite and a clean hydrogen co‑product. The company produces drop‑in lithium‑ion battery grade graphite using renewable electricity and responsibly procured low‑emissions or waste methane feedstocks. Molten says its process creates no carbon dioxide and can deliver carbon‑neutral or carbon‑negative hydrogen and carbon when using certified sources. The company plans to build its first modular commercial reactor in Oakland and is seeking a site for a first commercial plant comprising roughly 20 modular reactors to produce about 15,000 tonnes of graphite and 5,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year. Molten aims to lower costs and enable domestic graphite supply chains to support scaled battery manufacturing while providing hydrogen to decarbonize chemical and steel industries. The company will use recently raised capital to fund reactor construction and advance commercialization. Molten Industries has developed next‑generation methane pyrolysis reactors that split methane with renewable electricity to produce gaseous hydrogen and solid carbon, avoiding CO2 emissions from steam methane reforming. The solid carbon coproduct can be sequestered or sold, enabling a carbon‑neutral or carbon‑negative hydrogen pathway. The company targets decarbonization of ammonia, plastics, steel, and concrete — large industrial markets that together represent a substantial portion of global CO2 emissions and a roughly $100B hydrogen market. Molten says its process can reach cost parity with existing steam methane reforming at under $1.50/kg H2. The team, led by Dr. Kevin Bush and Dr. Caleb Boyd, moved from garage prototypes to scaling efforts and is building a facility in Oakland, California while hiring engineers. Policy tailwinds such as the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (including a $3/kg hydrogen tax credit) and selection to Breakthrough Energy Fellows are cited as financial and commercial enablers.

• Lung Therapeutics

  Led · Series A · Oct 2014

  Lung Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies for orphan pulmonary indications. The company’s lead candidate, LTI-01, is being developed to treat Loculated Pleural Effusions (LPE) and completed a Phase I dose-escalation trial in 14 LPE patients that appeared well tolerated and demonstrated evidence of LPE resolution. Its second candidate, LTI-03, has shown potent antifibrotic activity in multiple preclinical models and is ready to enter clinical development for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). The recently closed $36 million Series C will fund the advancement and completion of multiple clinical trials, including a Phase II trial of LTI-01 and a Phase I trial of LTI-03. The company has raised $53 million in outside funding to date. Lung Therapeutics is headquartered in Austin, Texas and was formed to leverage decades of research in orphan pulmonary indications. Lung Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company based in Austin, Texas, focused on developing novel therapeutics for niche, orphan indications in fibrosis, lung injury and lung disease. The company is advancing two lead programs: LTI-03 for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and LTI-01 for pleural effusion with loculation. Led by CEO Brian Windsor, PhD, Lung Therapeutics pursues non-surgical treatment options where current effective therapies are lacking. The company has raised $17M in total outside funding plus $27M in non-dilutive funding awarded for discovery research and development for its drug candidates. It recently closed a $14.3M Series B to support its pipeline. Proceeds are intended to fund ongoing LTI-01 clinical trials in Australia and New Zealand and development activities to advance LTI-03. Lung Therapeutics is developing LTI-01, an injectable fibrinolytic intended to reduce fibrinous scars (loculation) in the pleural cavity to enable fluid drainage without surgery, positioned as a first-in-class therapy for pleural effusion with loculation. Its pipeline also includes LTI-02 for acute lung injury and LTI-03 for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and the company is seeking orphan drug designations for its clinical programs. The company was formed from research out of Dr. Steven Idell's lab at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler and is led by CEO Brian Windsor. Lung Therapeutics has received significant prior grant funding, including NIH support, to facilitate preclinical development. Financially, LTI closed an initial Series A Preferred Stock financing totaling $1,550,000 (including $550,000 of converted debt) with an additional $1,200,000 committed upon milestone achievement for a total of $2,750,000. The company intends to use the funding to advance LTI-01 toward clinical trials (targeted for 2015 in the press release) and to progress its orphan-drug focused programs.

No current team members are available.