Hydrobee Accepted into Cleantech Open Accelerator

by | Jun 14, 2018 | Blog | 0 comments

The Cleantech Open is the world’s oldest and largest business accelerator for Cleantech startups.   Its target is the founders of new cleantech companies.  Now in its tenth year, the program provides these founders with three months of mentoring, workshops, training, investor introductions, and prizes of cash, services and investment. 

At the program final Gala in January 2019 in Los Angeles, the best plans, pitches and teams will receive awards and of course media – it’s in LA after all. Over one thousand startup founders have graduated from the CTO program and many have become successful.  The CTO is managed by the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) which offers Southern California companies help with their cleantech ambitions.  LACI bought the CTO program from its founders, as well as its 10-year data history.  That should interest those studying cleantech programs! Hydrobee SPC has been accepted into the 2018 Cleantech Open. 

I’m delighted to have two “official” mentors for the program:   Dr. John Foggiato, and Joe Heaney.  John got his PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford and has over thirty years of technical and marketing experience in the Silicon Valley region.  Joe has been CEO of 6 companies with sales up to $100M by his food industry firms and is an active leader at Harvard Business School Angels of Northern California.  This group makes 4-6 investments a year in early-stage companies. John and Joe are great examples of why startup founders should enter every affordable contest/program they can!   It’s the people you meet.  The organizers, volunteers and funders of these programs have the smarts and money anyone needs to have a better chance of success.   When the odds are about ten-to-one against success for startups, every person who helps is critical.  If you also win a contest, hooray!   Try like hell to win so you impress the mentors and judges.  If they like you, they might invest even if you don’t win an award. Meanwhile, they’ll give you all the advice you can absorb.

We’re looking forward to meeting lots of people in this year’s Cleantech Open in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.  I’m happy to help connect any friends in the Pacific Northwest to the CTO leadership and the LA Cleantech Incubator team in LA.

 

Batteries and Sustainability

Batteries and Sustainability

by | Oct 5, 2017 | Blog | 0 comments

We are thinking hard about the problem of dead batteries polluting the world.   Our GenerBee has Lithium-Ion batteries, just like phone batteries.  When they finally die after about 500 recharges, what happens to them?   This problem is being addressed by a relatively new initiative.   The Global Battery Alliance Aims to Eliminate Human and Environmental Toll of the Global Battery Supply Chain.  They are getting started and I’m hopeful they will make progress connecting the many other initiatives already out there.

 

Hydrobee at Seattle Startup Week

Hydrobee at Seattle Startup Week

by | Sep 20, 2017 | Blog | 0 comments

On Oct. 4, Seattle Startup Week is featuring Hydrobee founder Burt Hamner sharing lessons on “The Evolution of How Things Get Made” based on his journey making renewable energy products. It’s free and if you are thinking of making a product,you’ll learn from from someone who started totally innocent about it 10 years ago, then raised over $3 million and founded two companies to make renewable energy products. We hope to see you there.

Below is a link to the event:

https://seattlestartupweek2017.sched.com/event/C7mK?iframe=no

 

 

National Geographic Honors the Firebee Charger

National Geographic Honors the Firebee Charger

by | Sep 5, 2017 | Blog | 0 comments

National Geographic Partners has honored clean energy startup Hydrobee as a Finalist in their global Chasing Genius contest.  Hydrobee’s Firebee Stove-Top Power System turns the heat of cooking into USB charging power for phones, LED lights, fans and more.  The fans can blow air into existing stoves to improve their combustion to reduce air pollution and save wood and forests.  Over 2 billion people who cook with wood or charcoal fires can benefit from Firebee’s charging power and saving fuel.

The Chasing Genius Contest recognizes great ideas for a Sustainable Planet, Global Health, and Feeding 9 Billion.   This summer, thousands of people around the world made one-minute videos about their ideas and submitted them online.  45 Finalists have been selected and are now seeking votes from the public.   The top four vote-getters will each win $25,000 and great visibility.

“Now every fire can generate electricity,” says Hydrobee’s President, Burt Hamner.  His company has already won several awards for his inventions of off-grid personal power products.  “Recognition by National Geographic really stands out,” says Hamner.  “They are so well known around the world, and they have the experience to recognize great ideas that are ready to implement, not just talk about.  Please vote for our Firebee personal power system so National Geographic helps us succeed!”

See the Firebee and power from cooking at http://www.natgeochasinggenius.com/video/1137. Registration to vote just takes a few seconds. Browse the other entries to see great ideas for big solutions.

 

The Clean Cooking Challenge, in National Geographic Magazine

The Clean Cooking Challenge, in National Geographic Magazine

by | Aug 28, 2017 | Blog | 0 comments

National Geographic Magazine has published an excellent article about the challenges of clean cooking solutions. Three Billion People Cook Over Open Fires ― With Deadly Consequences shows real world examples and potential solutions. The Firebee Charger from Hydrobee is the solution! The Firebee sits over a stove or fire the cook already has – they don’t have to change the way they make fire. The heat and smoke go around the cooking pot and up the chimney, away from the cook. See it in action at FirebeeCharger.Com