Category Archives: News

After a thoughtful search, the SWAN Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Suresh Sundarababu will become SWAN’s Executive Director on November 1st.

Suresh is well qualified for the role. He is one of SWAN’s most active angels and Board members, and in the last year has spearheaded a Board committee that has been charged with planning for the future growth of the Network.

Suresh combines deep experience in growing corporate businesses with leadership of non-profits that focus on supporting underserved communities. He is also one of SWAN’s most frequent leaders of detailed funding due-diligence efforts.

Suresh shared, “I’m honored and privileged to take on this leadership role of a group whose core value is create a positive impact and change the world that we touch. We thank Bob for his passionate leadership and vision of SWAN over the last 9 years, and I am looking forward to working with our Angels, Associates, Partners and Portfolio companies to scale and cement his legacy.”

Retiring Executive Director Bob Bridge reflected on the transition, “I am absolutely thrilled that Suresh has accepted this role. SWAN could not find anyone more qualified. Suresh and I have been working closely for the last few months to insure a smooth transition. And while I personally derive energy from starting organizations, Suresh derives energy from scaling organizations”.

Bob will remain a SWAN angel and a member of the Board of Directors.

Since 2015, SWAN Impact Network has been dedicated to uniting angel investors and visionary entrepreneurs to drive significant change by tackling the world’s most pressing challenges. We invest in innovative companies focusing on sectors such as renewable energy, healthcare, education, and social equity. We are proud to now announce the publication of our first-ever impact report, showcasing our success in supporting companies that are addressing critical United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in addition to also championing founders who are historically underrepresented.

As a 501(c)(3) organization, SWAN continues our mission through education and mentorship for the companies that apply to us. We also engage our members and the general public with informative webinars and speaking engagements, fostering a community of learning and growth.

This report marks an important milestone in our journey, reflecting the tangible impact of our collaborative efforts. Please reach out to us at associate@swanimpact.org if you’d like to learn more about how SWAN is igniting change.

Click here to read the report:

*A special thank you to SWAN Director of Impact Reporting, Meagan Packard, for crafting the report framework; SWAN Dallas Chapter Lead, Heather Gilker, for spearheading its development; SWAN Administrative Director, Jenny Garcia, for coordinating and organizing; and SWAN Second Day intern, Sophia Montoya, for designing the 2023 Impact Report.

SWAN is thrilled to share that Skyven Technologies, an Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) company pioneering steam generating heat pump technology and a company in the SWAN investment portfolio, has been selected for award negotiations up to $145 million from the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). The unprecedented funding will address critical climate challenges by accelerating the installation of cutting-edge Skyven Arcturus industrial steam-generating heat pumps (SGHPs) at manufacturing facilities across the United States.

Skyven’s innovative work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industrial plants will remove 400,000 metric tons (MT) of CO2 annually.

Background:

“The U.S. Department of Energy announced it has selected 33 projects from more than 20 states that will be awarded up to $6 billion to jump-start the elimination of carbon dioxide emissions from industries that are hard to adapt to green technologies. The projects will match federal monies to invest more than $20 billion toward commercial-scale decarbonization solutions for cement and concrete, chemicals and refining, metals including iron and steel, pulp and paper mills, and so on. The projects are funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, and will create tens of thousands of jobs. The Department of Energy estimates that the funded projects will cut carbon emissions by an average of 77%.”

Read the Press Release

Three SWAN portfolio companies were recently named to TIME magazine’s top 250 American companies in the Greentech space.

Vartega (#77), Advanced Ionics (#147), and Yotta Energy (#149) were ranked among 250 of America’s top sustainability-­focused companies based on positive environmental impact, financial strength, and innovation. Analyzed company data points included the value of the company’s intellectual property portfolio, revenue and funding, and environmental data specific to each industry, such as carbon capture, offsets, and renewable energy generated.

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Yotta Energy, an Austin, Texas-based energy storage start-up supported by SWAN investors, has been named to Cleantech Group’s “Global Cleantech 100” for the second straight year. The annual list, now in its 15th year, is a comprehensive showcase of the most promising private companies in the cleantech ecosystem. The list includes companies with innovative technologies, original business models, and bold plans that focus on the ever-increasing climate and environmental crisis.

Selected through a thorough evaluation process, the 100 companies provide sustainable solutions for a wide-ranging array of industry groups: Agriculture & Food; Energy & Power; Materials & Chemicals; Resources & Environmental Management; Transportation & Logistics; and Waste & Recycling.

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