Three 91社区 students didn鈥檛 just learn about clean tech 鈥攖hey launched their own startup to market a new technology developed during their graduate studies.
鈥淲e arrived on the scene at the right time and place,鈥� says Samson Bowen-Bronet (BEng鈥�17, MEng鈥�21).
While an undergraduate, he took two thermodynamics courses with Prof. Jeffrey Bergthorson in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a really good teacher, really engaging,鈥� says Bowen-Bronet. The courses examined energy systems within the context of the climate crisis. 鈥淲e could see what we were learning was going to have a real impact on the world.鈥�
Bowen-Bronet continued to the graduate level, supervised by Bergthorson, who runs 91社区鈥檚 . For more than a decade, the lab has explored the potential of metals as a clean energy alternative to fossil fuels. Metal powders, famously used in solid rocket boosters, are zero-emission, infinitely recyclable energy carriers that can be stored and transported at large scales, the lab鈥檚 researchers say.
While working on his master鈥檚, Bowen-Bronet met fellow student Martin Aralov (BEng鈥�17, MEng鈥�21). They began to work on a functioning prototype that uses iron-based powder as an energy storage medium. Combining scientific and engineering perspectives, each contributed their own part in the process, making design choices reviewed by Bergthorson.
鈥淚t was a fun process,鈥� says Bowen-Bronet, 鈥渁nd we were pretty successful right off the bat.鈥� They invented the first energy system that can burn pure iron fuel with air. Since both the fuel and the recycling process have no carbon emissions, their system is carbon-free.
鈥淣obody鈥檚 going to do it for you鈥�
After graduation, it was time to decide on next steps. Pursue further graduate work or start a company? 鈥淭o get something out of the lab and into the real world, you have to do it through a company,鈥� says Bowen-Bronet. 鈥淵ou have to push it yourself. Nobody鈥檚 going to do it for you.鈥�
Aralov, Bergthorson and Bowen-Bronet filed an international patent application in September 2022, and was formally launched in December 2022. Their goal is 鈥渞evolutionizing clean energy storage,鈥� according to their website. They chose the name Altiro as a mash-up of 鈥渁lternative鈥� and 鈥渋ron鈥�.
Nic Pinkerton (BEng鈥�20, MEng鈥�23) joined them as Chief Operating Officer, while Aralov is Chief Technology Officer and Bowen-Bronet is CEO 鈥� although he鈥檚 quick to point out their titles are 鈥渇luid. We make most of our decisions together by consensus.鈥� Bergthorson is Chief Scientific Advisor for the fledgling company.
With its iron-based fuel, Altiro鈥檚 technology offers a clean energy solution that鈥檚 safe, circular, and potentially cost-competitive. It鈥檚 also 鈥渆nergy dense鈥� (to replace fossil fuels, a viable alternative must have high energy densities for convenient trade and storage). So far, during their time at 91社区 the team has worked with Hydro-Qu茅bec and three iron powder producers, Tata Steel, Hoeganaes Corporation and Rio Tinto.
The team won Montreal鈥檚 first 鈥淭ech Shuk鈥� pitch event in April 2022, followed by a win in January 2023 in the clean tech competition organized by the 91社区 Innovation Fund. Altiro is also one of 15 companies selected for the winter 2023 cohort of the . A non-profit that supports high-tech companies and projects, Centech provides grants, mentorship, workshops, office space, and networking opportunities.
And in May 2023, Altiro nabbed the People鈥檚 Choice award at the in Montreal. 鈥淥ur goal is to make a big impact,鈥� says Bowen-Bronet, 鈥渢o make a change on the energy system and the climate crisis.鈥�
A solution for large-scale energy storage
Altiro鈥檚 technology has been devised for applications in large-scale energy storage. The team is aiming to target systems that can power thousands of homes at a time. So, the task now is to get a foot in the door with large utilities, private power companies, and industrial players.
鈥淲e sit on Technology Readiness Level 4,鈥� says Bowen-Brunet. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking to scale up to TRL 6 or 7. Obviously, that takes funding.鈥� (He鈥檚 referring to benchmarks used by the Government of Canada to assess the stage of a technology鈥檚 development. TRL level 1 measures technology that is only starting to be translated into applied research and development, while level 9 refers to technology already in use in real-life conditions.)
He notes that corporations generally look for more mature technology that they can immediately implement at scale. So, his days are spent preparing presentations, running numbers, and meeting with venture capitalists and potential partners.
A key value that Altiro鈥檚 technology offers is reliable long-term storage. This is crucial, in particular, for the switch to solar and wind power, not only for the times when the sun isn鈥檛 shining or there鈥檚 no wind, but also when there鈥檚 too much sun or wind. Without a system to store it for hours, days, and weeks, the energy is lost.
鈥淚f people are serious about getting off oil, natural gas and coal, we鈥檙e going to need big-scale storage, more than what batteries can provide,鈥� says Bowen-Bronet. Due to the energy density that metals can store by volume and mass, they could surpass batteries by huge orders of magnitude and hydrogen storage systems by many times.
Better, greener, cheaper 鈥� the elusive trifecta
Currently, the main hurdle when approaching potential clients is cost.
鈥淎nything that鈥檚 truly green carries a premium,鈥� says Bowen-Bronet, who notes that the private sector is still reluctant to switch to green technology if it鈥檚 more expensive. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 better, greener, and cheaper, they鈥檒l buy it. But it鈥檚 hard to have all three!鈥�
As more renewables are put on the energy grid and their prices continue to drop through economies of scale, however, Altiro aims to position itself in the coming few years as an essential technology that can compete on cost.
For now, Bowen-Bronet is focused on convincing potential clients, partners, and investors that 鈥渨e鈥檙e the solution to the problems that are coming.鈥�
鈥淭here is no solution until you figure it out鈥�
The biggest learning curve for the team has been how to explain their work to non-specialists such as venture capitalists, politicians, and policymakers 鈥� as opposed to talking with colleagues in their lab or in the scientific community. 鈥淚 think we鈥檝e come a long way in framing how our solution fits,鈥� says Bowen-Bronet.
He credits 91社区 with helping to prepare him for this new venture.
鈥淚t was definitely worth it,鈥� he says of his time at 91社区. He notes that being a graduate student is a lot like running your own business. You manage your own time, set your own deadlines, and motivate yourself.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e working on groundbreaking stuff, there is no solution until you figure it out.鈥�
Read about Professor Jeffrey Bergthorson and the Alternative Fuels Laboratory at 91社区: 鈥�The defining challenge of our time鈥� | Channels 鈥� 91社区
This article was originally published in the .