Skyven Closer to Decarbonizing Thermal Energy in Manufacturing!
by Alisha Wilson, Communications Student Assistant and Outreach Ambassador for the Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center.
The Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center has been part of the Blue TechValley Initiative since 2011 with the aim of stimulating growth and converting entrepreneurial visions into real-world solutions for managing our finite resources: water and energy. The initiative aided the Valley Ventures Accelerator program that focused on advancing water, energy and technology startups.
In the Fall of 2018, Valley Ventures began its 3rd cohort which included thirteen companies that gained access to mentorship experiences and engagement opportunities with top-tier industry leaders in agriculture and technology. One of the Cohort III companies was Skyven Technologies, a service-based energy company that is pioneering solutions for the food processing industry to reduce fuel use, energy costs, and greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been an issue, not only in California, but across the United States with U.S. greenhouse gas emissions totaling 5,215.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020. There is still much work to be done.
Skyven was founded in 2013 by a team of problem-solvers with a vision to make a shift in climate change and a mission to decarbonize industrial process heat. By merging the core belief that decarbonization can be profitable with the science to back it up, the Skyven team created the company's first product, Intelligent Mirror Array (IMA) – a cutting-edge solar thermal collector, specialized to meet industrial heating demands. In the years since, the company has grown and achieved incredible success.
In January 2022, Skyven announced the closure of an oversubscribed $4M seed round led by VoLo Earth Ventures with participation from Global Founders Capital and the SWAN Impact Network. This brings the company's total capital intake in 2021 to $6.5M. This amazing win for the company opens up conversations about possibilities for the future.
"We know that to make progress on climate change, we have to align financial, operational, and environmental goals. To make that happen, we are pioneering an innovative tech-enabled business model where we only succeed if our customers succeed," said Arun Gupta, founder and CEO of Skyven Technologies, Inc. "As we continue to see this vision through, we are grateful for our new partners and existing investors who are committed to building a resilient and equitable future."
Over the years, the Water, Energy and Technology Center has celebrated the impressive growth of the ventures that have utilized our services. We are proud of Skyven's success and excited to see what the company can achieve in the future.
Connect with Skyven Technologies to learn more.
Let's Talk Entrepreneurial Burnout!
April is National Stress Awareness Month, and the WET Center would like to remind their innovative community to make the changes necessary to lead a healthy life as it leads to a healthy business!
Over the last few years, the terms "burnout" and "mental health" have been mentioned repeatedly, but they are often left out of discussions about startups and entrepreneurs. Burnout can be defined as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. As part of the startup community, it is easy - and often promoted - that entrepreneurs need to "hustle" and "grind" at 100 percent every day to turn rags into riches. Understanding the physical and mental effects of this lifestyle is important in order to take preventative measures or to get support when needed.
The entrepreneurial journey is not an easy one, and more often than not, founders may push themselves to the breaking point. "All we need is the commitment to get enough sleep. Take time to recharge our mental and emotional batteries, put away our phones and laptops and tablets regularly, and try to introduce some stress-reduction tools into our lives," according to Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post founder.
See "Six Tips for Avoiding Entrepreneurial Burnout" for additional information.
Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities – Building Markets and Investing in America's Climate-Smart Farmers, Ranchers & Forest Owners to Strengthen U.S. Rural and Agricultural Communities
Deadline: April 8
Deploying Solar with Wildlife and Ecosystem Services Benefits
Deadline: April 11
US Department of Energy- Carbon Capture Research and Development
National Science Foundation-Signals in the Soil
Organic Transitions Program (ORG)
California Energy Commission-PIER Natural Gas Program
Check out the California State Grants Portal for
more funding opportunities!
House Critical and Emerging Technology List Updates
7 Investors Every Water Technology Start-Up Should Know
USDA Announces American Rescue Plan Technical Assistance Investment to Benefit Underserved Farmers, Ranchers and Forest Landowners
Amazon and U.S. Department of Energy team up to cut plastic waste
PepsiCo Announces New Innovations and Partnerships to Celebrate World Water Day
*Events subject to cancellation/rescheduling as professional recommendations regarding COVID-19 emerge
Innovations to Drive Carbon-Free Power | April 12
Join CleanStart for the Sacramento CleanTech Showcase this April. During this free half-day event, the showcase will feature and spotlight startups, innovators, and industry experts through talks and panels exploring the need for a carbon-free future, opportunities, the current state of climate tech, utility supply and customer demand.
UC Davis Industrial Decarbonization Symposium | April 25
Join UC Davis for an in-person event that will bring together public and private sector stakeholders to discuss near- and medium-term opportunities for decarbonization of California's industry. Conversations will explore ways industry, utilities, regulators, and researchers can partner together to advance cost-effective solutions that reduce GHG emissions and increase resiliency and load flexibility. While the focus of this symposium will be on California, the solutions explored will be relevant nationally and internationally.
Check Startup Monterey Bay Connect Meeting featured our very own, Venture Development Manager, Jeff Macon.
Watch here.
SNEW's Climate and Energy Outlook Series: Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, and Alpine Counties | April 13
Celebrating Women in Agriculture and AgTech | April 16
California Climate Policy Summit | April 18
SSTI Annual Conference | May 2-4
Check out Empower Innovation, a
new BTV partnership,
for more events and funding!
PumpSight | Field Technician, Part-time, Apply by Email
Brimstone Energy | Pyrometallurgy Chemical Engineer
Howe Neat | Backend Web Developer
Check out CalAgJobs
for job posting!
CleanStart built a 5X8 trailer outreach trailer to bring the energy transition to the people. Learn more here.
Bakersfield | Chico | Fresno | Humboldt | Monterey Bay | Sacramento | Truckee
We launched our first FREE Investors ToolKit. Sign Up here!
Be sure to mark your calendars and join the DOE for Earth Day on April 22. Learn more here!
Membrion Named Finalist in SEMI Start-Up Competition Driving Sustainability in the Chip Industry.
BoxPower is thrilled to partner with the Navajo Nation-Kayenta Chapter to provide clean, off-grid energy for 24 homes.
Are you a WET member? Have a success story you want to share? Email us to be featured in the newsletter.