We are happy to announce the selection of the 10 finalists and participants in the inaugural AWS Clean Energy Accelerator...
Problem
We are solving three of the biggest challenges of the 21st century:
Low cost clean electricity
Grid-scale energy storage
Access to fresh water
Solution 1
Solving the world's
energy crisis
Electrical power generation and energy storage, combining wind, pressure, and gravity
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Problem: 80% of the world's wind
resource is offshore in deep waters
How can humanity access and harness wind
offshore in deep waters cost effectively today?
There is a global need for clean, affordable and secure energy. The global energy market is currently sized at $6 trillion, and energy demand is expected to grow by one-third by 2040. The world still sources 87% of its energy from fossil fuels.
Many of the environmental problems the world faces today—including climate change, ocean acidification, droughts, extreme weather, carbon emissions, and air pollution—are all a direct result of our dependence on fossil fuels.
The world needs to transition to renewables; but, the main problem with conventional renewables is that they have failed to outcompete with fossil fuels on cost, scalability, power and energy density. In addition, they are either intermittent, variable or both and no cost effective energy storage solution has been found to absorb the volatility of renewables or to dispatch them on demand.
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An innovative technology that harnesses offshore wind,
combined with a gravity-based energy storage solution;
Providing reliable, low-cost clean electrical energy and energy storage.
*Based on internal assessments
This technology opens up the ability to exploit offshore wind power in deep waters at significantly reduced cost, compared to conventional wind turbines, offshore floating wind, or evolving marine and kite energy technologies.
Solution 2
Solving the world's
water crisis
Combining the power of subsea oceanic pressure and altitude wind to solve one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century
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Problem: The world needs a solution
to the water crisis
Currently, 40% of the world’s population live in water-stressed areas. This number is expected to increase to 50% by 2025, with 1.8 billion people living with absolute water scarcity. The world population is expected to grow from 7.9 billion in 2022 to 9.9 billion in 2050, adding tremendous risks of water stress.
Along with other megatrends, such as urbanization, modern agriculture and industrialization, human activities have multiplied demands for water consumption. Water contamination from industrial production, and extreme weather (droughts and floods) due to climate change, also put our very limited water resources in danger.
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A highly innovative technology that combines the power of altitude wind, reverse osmosis membranes, and subsea pressure to desalinate seawater into freshwater in unprecedented volumes.
Solution 3
The world's only low-cost portable seawater desalination device
QuenchSea is a groundbreaking, low-cost, portable, manually-powered device that instantly turns seawater into drinkable freshwater.
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Problem: Fresh water access will impact
1 billion people globally by 2027
"Quite simply, water is a matter of life and death. Our bodies are 60% water. Our cities, our industries, and our agriculture all depend on it. Yet today, 40% of the world's people are affected by water scarcity; 80% of wastewater is discharged untreated into the environment; and more than 90% of disasters are water-related."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
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An innovative technology that combines a hydraulic system and a small reverse osmosis membrane to desalinate seawater into fresh water using human power.
Traction
World Economic Forum —
"Top 100 Startups"
Funding
Backed by TechStars, Shell, AWS, WEF & more
Founders
Lee King, co-founder and CEO. He is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen holding an MA and MSc International Business. He has over 10 years of experience in business management, business development, investment funds, project finance, investment and technology strategies, as well as within projects focusing on water desalination, water security and energy.
Hayk Vasilyan, co-founder and CTO, is a renowned researcher in manufacturing technologies and materials. He holds a Mechanical Engineering BSc, MSc from the University of Turin, Italy, and a PhD in the field of Computational Engineering and Design at the Rolls-Royce Technology Centre from the University of Southampton. He has a wide range of experience in product design, systems integration, manufacturing technologies, robotics, materials science and renewable energy.
Abdulla Ghaly, co-founder and IT Systems Integrator and IT Director. He is a graduate of Queens Mary University and UCL with an MSc in Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering. He has over 10 years experience as a Telecoms Engineer and IT systems integrator for one of the largest utility companies in the UK.
Our values
Summary
Why invest
in Hydro Wind Energy
Every year, global energy demand continues to rise. Driven by emerging economies and developing nations, total worldwide energy usage is expected to grow by nearly 50% by 2050 and the water market globally will be worth over $500 billion.
At the same time, scientists are sounding the alarms about rising temperature levels, caused by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses. With temperatures likely to increase by well over two degrees Celsius, many nations are seeking ways to replace fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy. This provides a market opportunity to invest in game changing technologies that will play a major part in the global transition. We have practical solutions to 3 of the biggest challenges of the 21st century, low cost clean electricity, grid scale energy storage and freshwater. Solutions that can be developed and commercialized in the shortest possible time with the greatest impact.
- Raised $2 million to date
- Reached TRL 6 (Technology Readiness Level) in 2 years and moving into TRL 7
- Generating revenues now from QuenchSea $600,000 plus in sales
- 5,000+ customers
- $57 million signed commitment from an institutional investor for an IPO
- We have 3 innovative solutions!
- 3 granted patents
- 40+ team members and backed by Techstars, Shell Startup Engine, AWS Clean Energy Accelerator, Innovate Masdar City
- Climate change represents an existential threat to human civilization, with many nations seeking to reach zero net carbon emissions by 2050
- As the world transitions away from fossil fuels, there is a market opportunity to invest in clean or renewable energy sources
- Global investment in transitional technologies reached $755 billion in 2021
- Wind, solar, hydropower, energy storage and water represent immense future needs and opportunities
- Investments in renewables will need to triple in the coming years in order to reach net-zero carbon emissions