ASU-Led Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine Funds Promising Tech Startups
An Arizona State University-led initiative is providing a crucial funding boost to eight innovative companies across the Southwest. The NSF Engines: Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE) announced the award of $1.5 million in its inaugural round of Innovation Grants. These grants are designed to bridge the gap between technological concepts and viable commercial products, a critical stage often referred to as the “valley of death” for tech startups.
Launched in early 2024, SWSIE is one of the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines. This collaborative effort unites academic, community, nonprofit, and industry partners from Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. The goal is to create a regional economic development ecosystem focused on solutions for air quality, water scarcity, and energy security – issues vital to the global economy and national security in the Southwest.
“These startups emerged from a competitive selection process due to the promise of their technologies, which stand to advance new industries and future-proof existing ones,” said Brian Sherman, SWSIE’s CEO. “This series of awards is intended to be the first of many funding cycles that we believe will expand and strengthen our region’s innovation ecosystem.” The initiative received over 220 applications from 16 states, highlighting the strong need for investment in this area.
Katie Pettinger, SWSIE’s chief innovation officer, emphasized the critical need for investment in these technologies, stating, “The overwhelming response to this funding opportunity underscores the dire need for investment in technologies at this stage, as well as the broad interest in new solutions for critical resource management.”
The grant recipients are either based in or conducting pilot projects in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. They are developing innovative solutions across various industries, including semiconductor manufacturing, solar power, mining, and atmospheric water harvesting.
Saving Water in Semiconductor Manufacturing
Semiconductor manufacturing, particularly in Arizona, is a water-intensive industry. Estimates project the daily water usage to reach 8 million gallons by 2030. Purity ReSource, an Arizona-based company, is focusing on reducing the environmental impact of this industry with its new membrane technology. Designed to integrate into existing semiconductor wet cleaning tools, the technology extracts purified water, reducing hazardous disposal costs and water waste. The Innovation Grant will support technology optimization and field testing to move the technology toward commercialization.
Advancements in Solar Technology
With industry-standard silicon-based solar cells nearing their theoretical efficiency limit, Beyond Silicon, an Arizona-based startup, aims to shatter that barrier. They are developing tandem perovskite-silicon solar cells, which could achieve an efficiency of 38% and generate 30% more electricity than conventional solar panels. The technology builds upon innovations pioneered by ASU researchers. The Innovation Grant will cover costs associated with patenting the technology and accelerating the manufacturing process.
Reducing Waste in Semiconductor Manufacturing
Silicon carbide and gallium nitride are replacing silicon as substrate materials for semiconductors. However, these next-generation materials are costly, and up to 75% are wasted during manufacturing. Crystal Sonic, based in Arizona, is addressing this issue with its patented Sonic Lift-off technology, developed at ASU. This technology uses acoustic energy to separate devices from substrates, allowing material reuse. The SWSIE funding will support advances in this technology and further strengthen the growing semiconductor industry in the Southwest.
Harvesting Water from the Atmosphere
Arizona, Nevada, and Utah rely heavily on the Colorado River, which is experiencing its driest conditions in over 1,000 years. WAVR Technologies, a Nevada-based startup, is developing solutions to harvest water directly from the atmosphere. Their patent-pending approach has proven effective even in low-humidity environments. This water distillation process can run continuously, using various energy sources. The SWSIE award will help to move WAVR’s prototype towards commercial applications.
Bio-Based Chemicals for Mineral Reclamation
GlycoSurf, a Salt Lake City-based company, manufactures natural, sugar-based chemicals with various applications. Founded by University of Arizona researchers, the company is developing new, biodegradable extractants for mineral reclamation from industrial waste streams. Their bio-based extractants are designed to make mineral flotation more efficient, allowing companies to reclaim valuable rare earth minerals and improve water purification. The SWSIE support will enable validation of the technology, explore potential applications in extracting gallium and germanium, which are used in semiconductors.
Green Concrete Innovation
Solid Carbon is focused on revolutionizing the concrete industry, which accounts for a significant portion of global CO2 emissions. The company creates concrete admixtures from organic waste streams to sequester biogenic carbon. The SWSIE funding will allow Solid Carbon to explore the use of Arizona’s organic waste, such as biochar, to produce durable, carbon-storing concrete.
Carbon Capture Technology
Carbon Utility, an Arizona-based company, is addressing the challenges of decarbonizing industries such as chemical production and materials manufacturing. Their modular, scalable direct air capture system removes carbon dioxide at a potentially lower cost, with a smaller footprint than competitors. The Innovation Grant will enable scaling their technology and creating pilot programs.
Advancements in Battery Technology
Aeonix, a spinout of Storagenergy Technologies, is focused on developing safe, energy-dense batteries to address emerging gaps in the battery supply chain, particularly in electric transportation. The Salt Lake City-based startup is developing anode-free lithium metal batteries, which have higher power and efficiency. Targeting applications in aviation, Aeonix plans to use the grant to accelerate manufacturing and testing.
Investing in the Future
Katie Pettinger emphasized the broader investment in the Southwest’s future, stating, “These awards are more than just funding for eight startups; they’re an investment in the Southwest’s future… Collectively, they’re testament to our belief that the Southwest can lead the way in resilience, prosperity and next-generation technological advancements.”
The eight awardees will present their companies to potential investors at SWSIE’s upcoming Innovation Summit, scheduled for May 21–22 in Las Vegas.
