Renowned inventor and engineer Dr. Lonnie Johnson surprised with a $50K investment for his “Waste Heat to Water to Energy” technology.
By Joyce Thorne, Contributing Writer
March 19, 2024 – New Orleans, LA – They answered the call from around the world, founders full of innovative ideas vying for a sizable investment in their companies.
The OHUB X NOLA New Energy Technology Incubator (NETI) kicked off its inaugural Climate Tech Bootcamp in 2023 with 48 teams that were narrowed down to an elite group of five finalists to give the pitches of their lives March 13 at the 2024 NOEW (New Orleans Entrepreneur Week) Demo Day for a share of $250,000.
The Batch 1.0 cohort’s finalists are all about sustainability in new ways that turn convention upside down.
Driven by the need to attract climate tech and new energy companies to South Louisiana, the 10-week pre-accelerator program was powered by Dave Parker’s Trajectory: High Growth Company Building Certificate, Climate Tech Bootcamp, OHUB and Greater New Orleans (GNO) Inc., part of H2TheFuture, a Build Back Better Regional Challenge of The Economic Development Administration. Cohort members had the benefit of expert mentors, including Darrel Frater, MBA, venture capitalist in residence, OHUB X NOLA and Jamil Wyne, founder of Climate Tech Bootcamp.
Founded by innovator, entrepreneur and investor Rodney Sampson, OHUB, the platform for inclusive existential innovation, high-growth entrepreneurship and early-stage investment, has been at the forefront of supporting new energy entrepreneurial endeavors in the South. One year ago, OHUB launched NETI in New Orleans, promoting the benefits of companies doing business in the area with an educated, eager workforce.
“OHUB is excited to continue the work on the ground in South Louisiana to develop and accelerate high-growth hydrogen, new energy and climate technology founders,” said Sampson.
The cohort is open to startups interested in establishing or expanding their ventures in South Louisiana and each finalist is required to open an office there. Building a sustainable workforce has never been more important in the state; with the transition to smart energy solutions, companies can make a real difference in the quality of life.
Each finalist presented a five-minute pitch, followed by Q&A with local venture funders and OHUB ecosystem partners:
ECGO / Atlanta, Georgia and Baton Rouge, Louisiana / Nicole Toole, CEO & Co-Founder
“A Zero Waste platform that uses AI to help universities, municipalities and corporations reach their waste diversion goals.”
“Winning this competition means a lot to me and my team. I had a wonderful experience participating in this program and am excited to see how it continues to impact more founders of color.”
Gro Enterprises / New Orleans, Louisiana / Joel Holton, Founder
“High-performance, plant-based building materials for healthier, more sustainable housing units in low-and moderate-income communities in New Orleans and South Louisiana.”
“The cohort unlocked the opportunity to work with extremely experienced business development professionals who truly understand the support and information that early-stage startups need to scale their vision.”
Maiven Energy / Boulder, Colorado / Jacqueline Hall, Founder & CEO
“A personal, AI-driven home energy assistant empowers homeowners and renters to quickly adopt the best cost and carbon-saving solutions for their homes.”
“Winning this pitch competition would be transformative, enabling us to profoundly benefit residents across New Orleans and the Gulf States sooner.”
OGA Street Tech / Boston, Massachusetts / Chimadika Okoye, Founder
“A net zero concrete specifically for non-structural purposes. Our ultra-low carbon concrete, SustainaStone, hardens temporarily upon impact and is reusable for years.”
“We had not found our ‘tribe’ within the sustainability space. We have now found many other startups and innovations within the decarbonized concrete space.”
Tikal Industries / Chicago, Illinois / Tayyaba Ali, CEO & Co-Founder
“Tikal’s INTI is a smart water management platform for energy plants and heavy industries using Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to simplify water management, supply chain and carbon reduction efforts.”
“We have gained so much insight from the mentors, guest speakers and OHUB’s leadership.”
Each finalist received $50,000; Toole was also awarded an additional $25,000 investment.
Aerospace engineer and inventor Dr. Lonnie Johnson inspired Batch 1.0 Demo Day attendees during his fireside chat with OHUB Founder Rodney Sampson. Johnson holds over 100 patents and is renowned for inventing the wildly successful Super Soaker® water gun that has generated more than $1 billion in sales.
Johnson is developing a new generation of rechargeable battery technology and the Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter (JTEC), which efficiently converts waste heat to electrical energy and can be run in reverse as a cooling device.
Sampson surprised Johnson with a $50,000 investment for his new water technology startup that converts waste heat to usable water and energy.
Demo Day was emceed by Darryl Forges, anchor at WDSU/6 News and Desiree Young, MBA, Founder & CEO of VentureWalk and Founder of WinFISH in New Orleans.
OHUB’s Climate Technology Bootcamp Batch 2.0 will begin on April 1. The cohort is free to participating founders. To register, complete the online applications by March 22. For more information on the boot camp and OHUB, contact Michelle Jackson at michelle@ohub.at.
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