Learn how eight startups are striving to change carbon emissions for the better
By Kasey Aydogan, Early Engagement Director, Fluor Corporation
Building materials. Sustainable aviation fuel. Ethanol. What do these three products have in common? Thanks to startup companies developing cutting-edge new technologies, they can be developed by capturing and converting carbon dioxide, helping to reduce global emissions.
As a global engineering, procurement, construction and technical services firm with clients seeking clean energy solutions, Fluor serves as the cohort champion for the 2022 Carbon to Value (C2V) Initiative, which helps innovators develop solutions to capture and convert carbon dioxide into valuable products or services.
In June, Fluor, along with C2V’s partners, selected eight startups for the 2022 program, out of nearly 100 applicants from across the globe. All of the startups have had their technology proven in a laboratory environment, at a minimum, and are aiming to scale up. Each one is also striving to solve the world’s carbon challenges in a unique way, creating comradery among the companies as they share challenges and collaborate on a low-carbon future.
More than 25 Fluor professionals spent the last year supporting the program application process and then mentoring the selected eight startups. Each startup has three Fluor mentors that meet with them bi-weekly to help accelerate technology and commercialization goals.
The result is a win for Fluor, the startups and the program stakeholders, which include the Urban Future Lab, Greentown Labs, Fraunhofer USA, NYSERDA and the Carbontech Leadership Council. Through this early engagement, Fluor is developing strong relationships with cutting-edge innovators that share the company’s goals for a sustainable tomorrow. While Fluor is striving to be their trusted engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) partner as the startups scale up, Fluor is also driving safe, technically and commercially viable solutions.
As startups scale up, Fluor is right there beside them. The company worked with the 2021 cohort startups including CarbonFree, Cemvita Factory, Mars Materials, CERT Systems, Made of Air, Carbfix and Air Company with grant application endorsements, economic and capex analyses, technical deep dives, execution strategy mentorship and front-end engineering. Support continues for some of the 2021 participants, all while mentoring the current cohort.
These innovative technologies are helping create an economically viable future for carbontech, and in the process, support the world’s sustainability goals. The future is bright for the 2022 C2V participants. On Thursday, December 1, the eight startups will present their disruptive solutions, the progress they have made over the past six months through the C2V program and their next steps. The event, sponsored by the C2V Initiative, is an in-person event and will also be available on livestream here.