UCSB Startups Awarded CalSEED Grants

UCSB I&E is thrilled to congratulate two affiliated startups on receiving CalSEED grants aimed at clean energy innovation in California. BioZen Batteries and Leeta Materials each received concept awards of $150,000. BioZen Batteries and Leeta Materials are both current CNSI Technology Incubator members.

The program was highly selective, with only 27 out of 153 applicants receiving grants. About the recipients:

BioZen Batteries is developing a low-cost, carbon-based redox-active electrolyte (“redoxloyte”) fluid for redox flow batteries (RFBs). Redoxolytes are green-plant-inspired organic chemistry leveraging modular, single-atom scale molecular modifications to tune solubility (capacity), redox potential (cell voltage), intermolecular interactions (lifetime), and manufacturing efficiency (cost). This technology has the potential to significantly reduce the cost of deploying long-duration RFB energy storage on the grid, thereby dramatically decreasing pollution burdens and increasing energy resilience in underserved communities.

Leeta Materials is developing a scalable, microwave-assisted manufacturing process for battery cathode materials. The manufacturing technology employs microwave-assisted heating for the manufacturing which reduces the energy consumption of the process, a conveyor belt system will continuously feed starting materials through a microwave heating zone and advanced materials characterization tools in-situ to directly probe material quality, and an AI-based feedback loop that continuously monitors the in-situ characterization data and adjusts to process parameters such as microwave power and belt speed.

CalSEED, California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development program, is funded by the California Energy Commission. Each year, the program selects new emerging clean technologies that will help the state meet its climate goal to transition to 100 percent clean energy. More information on the program and all the awarded companies can be found here.