News

Our Members’ Shining Moments of 2019

2019 was a big year for Greentown Labs’ community of more than 100 cleantech companies. From closing huge fundraising rounds to making a tangible difference in peoples’ lives, we couldn’t be prouder of what our members have accomplished this year. Here are some of our entrepreneurs’ most impressive moments from the past 12 months:

  1. “Form Energy Raises $40M Series B for Super-Long-Duration Grid Storage”

The expert team behind Form Energy raised a whopping $40 million Series B round this year. That funding included an investment from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the group that Bill Gates co-chairs. Form Energy is developing low-cost, months-long grid storage that would revolutionize our ability to power the grid with renewable energy.

  1. “Embr Labs Enters Collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation”

The Embr Labs Wave Bracelet lets wearers adjust their body temperature, which increases thermal wellness and decreases the energy needed to heat or cool a building. In January, Embr Labs announced that it would collaborate with Johnson & Johnson on researching “innovative temperature solutions for menopausal women.” In October, Embr Labs received the AARP Innovator in Aging prize on “Good Morning America.”

  1. “Toyota Introduces SimpleFuel for Fuel Cell Forklift Refueling”

Ivys Energy Solutions can ease society’s shift toward hydrogen vehicles by offering its relatively inexpensive, simple, and quick-to-install SimpleFuel refueling station. The company set up stations at Toyota’s Motomachi plant in Japan in April and outside Greentown Labs in June.

  1. “Cambridge Crops Raises $4M in Funding to Combat Food Waste”

Cambridge Crops’ natural silk coating extends the life of produce, meat, and seafood, which could have a major impact on food waste. Cambridge Crops announced this summer that it raised $4 million in seed funding.

  1. “How Solar ‘Skin’ Helped an Indiana Homeowner Win a Fight for Rooftop Panels”

When an Indianapolis homeowners association told Joey Myles he couldn’t install solar panels—saying they didn’t “fit the aesthetic expectation of the community”—Myles turned to Sistine Solar. The company’s SolarSkin technology can be designed to blend into any roof, and won over Myles’ homeowners association.

  1. “Altaeros Takes Cell Service to New Heights”

Altaeros uses blimps to bring wireless communications to rural areas. Each of the company’s SuperTowers is equivalent to 15 typical cell towers, and slashes costs by 60 percent. In February, Altaeros launched the first commercial aerial cell tower in the world.

  1. “In 2018, Spyce Opened its First Robotic Kitchen in Boston. Now Its Sights Are Set on Cambridge.”

Spyce’s robotic kitchen has been working away in Boston since spring 2018, and now the company’s getting ready to open a second location in Cambridge’s Harvard Square.

  1. “Titan Advanced Energy Solutions Raises $10M in Series A Financing”

Titan Advanced Energy Solutions borrows principles from astrophysics to create a battery management system that is faster, more accurate, and less expensive than the current standard. We’re especially excited about Titan’s $10 million Series A round because it was co-led by Schneider Electric, a Greentown Labs partner. Titan and Schneider Electric first worked together during Greentown Launch’s Bold Ideas Challenge.

  1. “3D Printed Shoe Maker Voxel8 Secures Backing from DSM, HP”

Voxel8 had some impressive investors in its Series B round, including DSM Venturing—a Greentown Labs partner—and HP Tech Ventures. Voxel8 uses 3D-printing to create novel athletic footwear, apparel, and gear.

  1. “Shining the Spotlight on 50 on Fire Winners in Social Impact”

We were blown away to see our members and alumni selected as three of the four 50 on Fire Winners in Social Impact, as chosen by BostInno. Altaeros, Sense, and Form Energy exemplify what the Greentown Labs community is all about: making a tangible, positive impact on people and on the planet.

Greentown Labs is a community of bold, passionate entrepreneurs creating solutions for today’s biggest climate and environmental challenges. Located in Somerville, Mass., the Greentown Labs Global Center for Cleantech Innovation is the largest cleantech incubator in North America, operating a 100,000 sq. ft. campus comprised of prototyping and wet lab space, shared office space, a machine shop, electronics lab, and a curated suite of programs and resources. Greentown Labs is home to more than 100 startups and has supported more than 230 since its inception.