Category: Guest Speaker – Investment Banking

Company representatives from Applied Biorefinery Sciences (or AB Sciences) spoke to potential investors, professionals (accountants, attorneys, and investment bankers), academics, and to our students about their firm’s prospects, current investment need, and of their activity in Allegany County.

Move over, Petroleum. Biomass is about to eat your lunch.

Trees, corn, soy beans, sugar cane, switch grass and other plants are on their ways to replacing petroleum as the source of fuels and chemicals in the 21^st Century.

What petroleum refineries were to the 20^th and 21^st centuries, bio-refineries will be to the 21^st and 22^nd centuries—the sources of valuable fuels and chemicals. But with a monumental difference—they won’t contribute to Climate Change.

Syracuse-based AB Sciences is an emerging leader in bio-refining. Eschewing enzymatic (bio-chemical) and gasification (thermos-chemical) processes that destroy or discard chemical intermediaries generally in favor of a single target product, the company creates multiple products. It starts with wood and produces a variety of high-value products. One is torrified wood—a superior fuel and chemically-modified wood fibers that perform better than wood in combustion, paper making and fiberboard manufacturing.

AB Sciences processes are patented and the company has received support from NYSERDA and NYS economic development grants to construct a demonstration biorefinery in the Adirondacks capable of processing three tons per pay of forest residuals, wringing every bit of economic value from that biomass.

The Greentech Investors Forum (GIF) had a new format for November 11’s meeting. Alfred students heard from four companies (and one Sector Expert) that are creating similar opportunities—raising and employing capital from smaller investors to combat climate change.

The International Energy Association has calculated that investments in clean energy of at least $1 trillion a year are needed to “prevent climate catastrophes”. In 2015, only $330 billion was invested globally and $52 billion in the US. Where will that additional money come from? The big players, eg pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, wealthy family offices and corporation must lead the way. But they can’t do it alone. It is urgent to develop ways to facilitate clean investments from everyone—even small investors.

Representatives from the following companies are developing investments for “the little guy”, and spoke that day:

• CoPower, which streamlines up-front financing for clean energy projects
• Carbon Capital Credit, which allows people and families to offset their footprints by investing in climate friendly changes in developing countries;

Representatives from the following startup companies will speak today:

• Carbon XPrint, which allows people to offset their carbon footprint ton-by-ton of CO2 with minimum or zero risk; and
• Climate-IT, a new crowd-funding equity platform for clean energy companies.

Hillary McMahon, Managing Director of Hazel, will also speak.  Hillary has worked as Director of Intelligence at Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room, and previously as an expert and as a thought leader at the World Resources Institute, the UN, the European Commission and others.

The management of FutureAir spoke to potential investors, academics, attorneys, engineers and other professionals, and telephonically to AU students today about their company and its future prospects. The company is developing the next generation of smart, clean-tech products that will bring awareness and solutions to the serious problem of indoor air pollution and the pressing need to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions. FutureAir’s first product is an indoor air quality (IAQ) device with an embedded sensing platform to measure and improve indoor air quality and thermal comfort.

FutureAir’s sensing platform identifies the presence of toxins and dust causing indoor air pollution, and connects with other devices to improve the indoor air environment and reduce energy consumption. FutureAir’s second product is a revolutionary ceiling fan, designed by Ross Lovegrove, who is well known for his Biomimicry (nature-inspired) inspired designs. Embedded with the same sensing platform, FutureAir’s ceiling fan will improve indoor air quality with a custom filter and by connecting wirelessly with air conditioning and other indoor air devices to improve thermal comfort and energy efficiency.

FutureAir’s products employ low cost sensors paired with algorithms and expert smart Internet of Things (IoT) software engineering.

Features include:

• Lovegrove-design;
• an app to measure and monitor health, quality and comfort of indoor air;
• machine-learning and IoT-enabled connectivity to collect data and improve energy efficiency;
• air quality sensors: PM (particulate matter) 0.1-2.5 micrometers, VOC, CO2;
• thermal comfort sensors: smart aggregation of temperature and humidity; and,
• Cradle-to-Cradle assembly with healthy reusable materials.

FutureAir’s proprietary sensing platform has been actively collecting data at multiple partner pilot locations in NYC with a functioning dashboard and app.

The company is raising seed capital from impact investors, with funds to be used for manufacturing of sensing platform (printed circuit board), IAQ device and ceiling fan prototypes, fluid dynamic studies, completion of mobile app, HR, IP, legal services, operations, marketing and pre-sales.

FutureAir is also exploring early revenue through third-party sales of its sensing platform to luxury design brands such as Italian manufacturer Boffi. Design and development of a fully functional mobile app is underway. The IAQ device is prototyped and in the next stage of development for manufacturing; small-scale 3D printed version of the ceiling fan is ready to prototype full-scale.

FutureAir’s B2B market includes Architects, Interior Designers, Purchasing agents, Property developers on new and retrofit projects, homes, hotels, hospitals, offices and universities, as well as certified LEED, Well, Green, Net Zero Building and Smart cities.

 

 

On September 9, 2016 management of Smart Data Science LLC spoke to potential investors, their advisors, and our students by teleconference about their firm’s business prospects.

The company uses big data analytics for comprehensive risk management. This helps prepare governments, businesses and communities for the increasing number of shocks, stresses and disasters caused by man-made or natural factors. This data is incorporated into the strategic and operational decisions, credit ratings, investors reporting, regulatory filings, budget use and employee and public communications. FEMA now requires all state and local governments to have updated hazard Mitigation Plans. The SEC and EU mandate that companies report more data on ESG (environmental, societal and governance) risks and mitigation.

Currently, risk assessment and resiliency planning is usually done by expensive consulting firms that leave big studies that quickly go out of date. Smart Data Science LLC, based in New York, produces a digital risk management tool that brings continually updated big data analytics, machine learning & intelligent automation to this $5B+ fast-growing global market opportunity.

Its SaaS product offering was developed closely working with the World Bank and its pilot implementations include World Bank internal departments and its clients such as governments of Saudi Arabia and Djibouti.

On July 8, 2016 the management of Leviathan Wind Energizer LLC had a telephone conference with potential investors and their advisors about the firm’s prospects. I arranged for Alfred University to have access to this call.

Leviathan Wind Energizer designs aerodynamically structures for wind turbines. The Wind Energizer^TM can typically  enhance  power  output  by  30%  and,  at times,  at  lower  wind  speeds, by over 100%. The prototype enhanced power output by 156% over the control over a 24 hours period. The company’s  first  patent was granted in the US in May 2012 and the second in April 2016.

 

The Leviathan Energy Wind Energizer^TM is  a  fast  way  to  combat  climate  change  (and  make  profits) because it simply optimizes already  constructed—and often grid-connected—turbines. By increasing the effective velocity in the plane of the blades, it rewrites the world wind map. Current wind  farms  can  increase  their  profits  significantly and previously unprofitable  areas  for  wind  farms—or sites that previously seemed to lack sufficient wind velocity—can now become lucrative sites.

On May 13, 2016 AirGreen LLC management will have a telephone conference with potential investors and their advisors about their firm’s business prospects.  I have arranged for Alfred University to have access to that call.

AirGreen’s (www.airgreenllc.com) new air-conditioning system can fix that and save energy—lots of energy. The company has developed a revolutionary air-conditioning system utilizing a 98% efficient liquid desiccant design to control humidity independent of temperature, saving 50 – 60% of the energy required for air-conditioning in Commercial and Industrial buildings. The breakthrough technology controls temperature and humidity of both outside and recirculated air and cleans the ventilation air, all while producing more comfortable and healthy conditions – and all that without over-cooling. In winter, ventilation air is fully conditioned and 80% of energy and moisture recovered from the exhaust air stream. It can be run either with heat pumps or renewable energy sources, an industry first. Residential products will also be developed.