The US Department of Energy has just announced that scientists have for the first time produced a successful nuclear fusion reaction resulting in a net energy gain. This reaction was previously possible for uncontrolled hydrogen bombs, but this is the first time experiments have been able to control the reaction and contain the energy produced, which…
Canada could be getting a 1,000 kph vacuum tube train. The new proposal for a FluxJet was unveiled recently the Canadian startup TransPod. This is a levitating plane-train hybrid that gets sucked along a vacuum pipe guideway to link distant cities in under an hour. EuroNews reported that the technology is based on a new…
A newer pitch competition is trying to help Michigan’s economy and environment at the same time. The Michigan Department of the Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has awarded $2 million in EGLE grants to companies in clean tech, energy, and recycling for their innovative pitches on how to help the environment and companies in the…
Infrastructure in Michigan is famously old as it was all built during and just after the industrial revolution. That makes it a great state to study as power companies make plans to green the grid and update infrastructure. During Ann Arbor, Michigan, tech week a2tech360, Tony Tomczak, vice president of Electric Sales and Marketing for…
A new heat-resistant nanophotonic material has broken records for stability at high temperatures, and shows promise for use to turn heat into electricity. Research at the University of Michigan might be used for more efficient electricity production from thermal radiation. A team of chemical and materials science engineers developed the material, which can control flow…
According to a new report out from IDTechEx, electric car sales have hit new records as governments double down on support for the sustainable energy future. “While 2022 continues to add to the challenges electric vehicle (EV) makers face, markets are still growing,” the report states. “Indeed, electric car sales for the first half of…
A new study from the University of Michigan shows that local wind and solar jobs can fully replace the coal plant jobs that will be lost as the nation shifts from coal to clean energy for power generation over the next few decades. In 2019, 80,000 workers at more than 250 plants in 43 U.S. states…
North American EV charging company FLO has just announced plans to open its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Michigan in 2022. This is part of a plan to accelerate execution of its U.S. market strategy to support electric vehicle charging infrastructure. FLO’s new facility will be located in the north Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills, and expects the new location will make a major contribution to Michigan’s electrification future.
Ann Arbor-based renewable energy O&M solutions startup SkySpecs has just announced an $80 million strategic capital raise led by the Sustainable Investing business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management with additional participation from a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources and other existing SkySpecs investors including Statkraft Ventures, Equinor Ventures, Evergy Ventures, UL Ventures and Huron River Ventures. This is one of the biggest startup raises in Michigan history.
Evergreen Climate Innovation’s 501vc Investment Fund now invests $200k – $300k in early-stage climate tech startups in the Greater Midwest. This climate tech-focused investment fund is looking to support climate startups specifically in the tech space that are headquartered in places like Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and the surrounding states, a location that is historically under-funded for climate tech.
