Six forward-thinking entrepreneurs have been selected to join Innovation Crossroads at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a collaborative initiative pushing the boundaries of energy-focused startups. Sponsored by the Department of Energy, this program is a launchpad for innovators looking to transform their groundbreaking ideas into commercial realities, providing fellowships that include living stipends, travel allowances, and access to ORNL's state-of-the-art facilities and expert mentorship, as reported by the ORNL official website.
These entrepreneurs, selected through a meticulous national process, will also partake in the Spark Cleantech Accelerator, a 12-week intensive hosted by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. "Through Innovation Crossroads, ORNL plays a critical role in catalyzing innovation and collaboration and nurturing early-stage startups,” Deputy for Science and Technology at ORNL, Susan Hubbard, said in a statement, obtained by ORNL, describing the effort as a catalyst for both U.S. economic competitiveness and regional development. Each entrepreneur brings to the table a unique solution, ranging from wildfire prevention to next-gen cooling systems for data centers.
Among the cohort is Lance Adler, whose Witching Hour initiative seeks to curtail forest fires by improving power lines with a robotic system that prevents electrical fault-induced ignitions. With a history of entrepreneurial ventures paired with his stint at PG&E, Adler brings practical engineering solutions to pressing environmental issues. Alec Readel brings his experience from a graphene startup to scale up eco-friendly boron nitride coatings, which enhance material durability under challenging conditions – a significant boon for energy and industrial sectors.
Evan Stacy, currently a doctoral candidate, will leverage his academic expertise to revolutionize carbon fiber production with Lumios Materials, making it more sustainable and affordable. Having previously teamed up with the Army Research Laboratory, Brian Washington is developing AluminAiry technology to improve aluminum-air batteries, eliminating the reliance on high-purity aluminum and enabling more efficient energy output. Helen Banner is repurposing algae biomass into sustainable biocomposites for various applications, driven by her previous projects with NASA and managing a major tech venture fund.
Lastly, Viktor Zenkov is taking on energy consumption in novel ways. His IOCOOL technology brings to data centers an efficient liquid cooling system that nullifies the need for water while maintaining a compact footprint, ideal for retrofitting existing structures. Zenkov's interdisciplinary background in computer science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville provides a strategic angle to this technical promise, according to the same news release.
Managed by UT-Battelle for the DOE’s Office of Science, ORNL is at the forefront of research accommodating an array of global challenges.
