The SWAN Impact Network is pleased to announce an investment in Bodhi.
Bodhi empowers residential solar companies to deliver amazing customer experiences while improving their operations 25%.
Bodhi’s software platform automates communication and personalizes the solar experience, improving operational efficiency & increasing sales volumes.
SWAN portfolio company Clear Flame Engine Technology is in the news.
Diesel-powered trucks can run on renewables, thanks to this new Gates-backed tech. The fuel isn’t emissions free, but startup ClearFlame Engine’s retrofits could drastically cut the footprint of trucking right away.
The diesel big rig is starting to move into the carbon-free future: Electric semi trucks are already beginning to make deliveries around the country. But although they can work well for short trips—and Volvo’s newest electric semi will be able to travel up to 275 miles before charging—they still aren’t yet a viable alternative for the trucks that have to cross the country, which is how so much freight is moved. That’s why one startup is working on technology that can be put in use now: It tweaks diesel engines so they can use 100% renewable fuel, with no change in how the trucks run.
“Rather than trying to design an entirely new engine from the ground up, we said, okay, what is the minimum subset of parts and components we could swap inside this engine to make it fundamentally fuel agnostic, and to switch to something cleaner?” says BJ Johnson, CEO of the startup, called ClearFlame Engine Technologies, which recently raised $17 million from investors including Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
In a new pilot test, the company converted the engine in a Class 8 truck—the largest class of trucks, weighing a minimum of 33,000 pounds—and tried driving it on 100% plant-based ethanol on a test track. There was “no loss of efficiency, no loss of power,” says cofounder Julie Blumreiter, who began developing the technology with Johnson when both were studying at Stanford University. “It sounds the same. It is a diesel engine in every sense of the word besides the fuel you use.” The key difference is the lack of pollution: Instead of black diesel smoke belching out of the tailpipe, the exhaust looks clear, and air pollution and climate emissions dramatically shrink.
Ethanol, which is typically made from corn, still has a carbon footprint, including the climate impact of fertilizer used to grow the crop. But current lifecycle data suggests that pure ethanol emits around 45-50% less greenhouse gases than diesel. And because the electric grid is still shifting to renewable electricity, the startup claims that a truck running on 100% ethanol is actually cleaner, at the moment, than an electric truck.
The SWAN Impact Network is pleased to announce an investment in Psyonics.
Psyonics is redefining what it means to be human through advances in biointegrated technologies, and has developed the world’s first touch sensing bionic prosthetic hand. With sensors in the fingertips, you can feel what you’re doing with the Ability Hand and use it with even the most delicate objects. It’s the first bionic hand with multi-touch feedback on the market.
The bottom line:
The SWAN Impact Network is pleased to announce an investment in Vartega.
Vartega creates recycled carbon fiber. Using reclaimed and recycled carbon fiber is a low-cost alternative to virgin material for automotive and industrial applications. Vartega sources carbon fiber from various dry fiber and prepreg scrap sources. This material exhibits the same mechanical properties as virgin carbon fiber. Vartega’s carbon fiber is available in semi-continuous, chopped, and milled formats. It is ideally suited for use in thermoplastics, non-wovens, and molding compounds.
Recycled carbon fiber can be used to reduce vehicle weight – increasing range and fuel economy while reducing emissions. Recycled carbon fiber has been used extensively in consumer goods as well as the oil and gas industry. Vartega’s recycled carbon fiber features virgin mechanical properties as well as minimal thermal expansion and high electrical conductivity.
By utilizing the Vartega process, thousands of tons of waste will be diverted from landfill each year. The economic impact of reduced waste disposal fees is significant, but the most substantial economic benefit of using low-cost recycled carbon fiber comes from reduced fuel consumption due to vehicle lightweighting.
The SWAN Impact Network is pleased to announce a follow-on investment in Advanced Ionics.
Advanced Ionics is designing a new generation of electrolyzers specifically for industrial users, such as ammonia/fertilizer production, hydrogenation, metal fabrication, glass, methanol, synthetic fuels/chemicals, and power plants, among others. Their purpose-built technology platform produces the lowest-cost onsite industrial green hydrogen of any electrolyzer company. Advanced Ionics is working hard to bring systems to market.
SWAN made its first investment in Advanced Ionics in 2020.
The SWAN Impact Network made its initial investment in Skyven Technology in 2019, and is pleased to also participate in the company’s recent $4 million institutional seed funding round. The round was oversubscribed and was led by VoLo Earth Ventures, along with Global Founders Capital and the SWAN Impact Network. Skyven also received California Energy Commission grant awards which brought its new capital total to $6.5 million.
Skyven is based in Richardson, Texas. Their energy services fund and de-risk capital projects that reduce carbon emissions and protect our communities. The process takes a holistic view of the entire plant’s energy balance and flows to bring to life attractive, low-risk opportunities that deliver a strong ROI. Skyven participates as a thermal energy partner, they help companies focus all their resources on what they do best.
Skyven is solving this problem with an innovative business model that allows us to implement decarbonization measures with zero CapEx and savings from day one. The model is enabled by proprietary cloud-based software, which allows Skyven to measure and verify customers’ savings in real-time.
The SWAN Impact Network is pleased to announce an investment in woman-led Hubly Surgical.
Hubly Surgical’s mission is to improve patient outcomes and increase quality of care for surgical procedures, inclusively, across standard and underserved settings.
Hubly Surgical is a cranial and orthopedic platform drilling solution. They are focused on modernizing three verticals: bedside intracranial access, elective neurosurgeries, and elective orthopedic surgeries. Targeting neurosurgeons, their first product utilizing this technology is an integrated electric drill system designed to streamline bedside intracranial access, decrease operating room reliance, and facilitate treatment for emerging indications.
Acadeum helps colleges and universities create course-sharing partnerships with like minded-institutions to boost student success, broaden access to educational opportunities, promote curricular innovation and operational efficiencies, and support institution success.
Their impact is driven by their impressive revenue and net income results.
The SWAN Impact Network is pleased to announce a follow-on investment in Binary Bridge.
Binary Bridge is a Public Benefit Company with the mission to improve access to healthcare and increase the quality of care in underserved locations. They accomplish this by providing software solutions for mobile clinics in remote, low-resource areas. BackpackEMR targets medical teams working in rural areas and is fully supported by Binary Bridge. Binary Bridge understands that medical teams are not experts in technology, therefore Binary Bridge continues the support for medical teams to spend their time and resources on the people they are serving.
SWAN made its initial investment in Binary Bridge in 2018.