Techstars

Techstars Central LLC, founded in 2006 and based in Boulder, Colorado, operates as a startup accelerator and venture capital firm focused on supporting early-stage technology-oriented companies. It specializes in a mentorship-driven accelerator program, selecting ten startups each summer to participate in a three-month incubation period, offering funding of $120,000 in exchange for equity. Techstars invests primarily in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, blockchain, augmented reality, and IoT, while avoiding investments in medical devices, healthcare technology, and local service-oriented businesses. In addition to its primary accelerator, Techstars has various specialized programs, including those focused on music, retail, mobility, and social impact, with global reach extending to regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The firm prefers taking minority stakes, typically between six and ten percent, without seeking board representation or investor rights. Techstars has built a robust network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and corporate partners to foster innovation and growth within its portfolio, which includes over 1,000 companies with a significant collective market capitalization.

Ethan Austin

MD of the Techstars Western Union Accelerator

Mark Tortorella

Advisor

Nathanial Zola

MD

Past deals in Fuel Cell

Ecolectro

Seed Round in 2022
Ecolectro makes materials that make clean fuels and chemicals. The company is commercializing a proprietary platform of novel polymers that are best in class, allowing its customers to produce devices that last longer and cost less. Ecolectro has defensible IP, state-of-the-art facilities, experienced personnel, and strong customer traction.

Cancrie

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Cancrie produces sustainable advanced material for energy storage devices. It transforms waste into quality advanced battery material that increases the efficiency of energy storage devices through a simple drop-in solution.

Khepra

Seed Round in 2021
Khepra uses proprietary technology and excess renewable electricity to break down plastics and agricultural waste. The company applies ultrasonic technology to breaking waste streams into drop-in fuels in a novel, completely electrified process. This process is used as a method to use excess solar and wind energy during curtailment and provide clean energy generation during times of low generation. The company is operating in San Francisco, California.

Flux Hybrids

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Flux Hybrids is a developer of a hybrid conversion technology to enhance a vehicle's fuel efficiency. Its technology provides a significant uplift in fuel economy and reduction in fuel expense, making the kits cost-neutral also the conversion kits integrates into the vehicle's drivetrain, reducing it's carbon footprint, and enable customers to get access to a universal conversion kit for retrofitting gas vehicles to hybrids. The company was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.

AlgenAir

Non Equity Assistance in 2021
AlgenAir is a company focused on improving indoor air quality through the development of natural air purifiers that utilize algae. Their innovative filters are designed to effectively remove carbon dioxide from the environment while simultaneously producing oxygen, creating a healthier atmosphere for occupants. By harnessing the natural processes of algae, AlgenAir offers an organic solution for air purification, catering to those seeking sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives for enhancing air quality indoors.

Hyperion Global Energy

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Hyperion Global Energy is developing modular carbon capture & recycling technology at a breakthrough industrial scale.

Ecolectro

Funding Round in 2021
Ecolectro makes materials that make clean fuels and chemicals. The company is commercializing a proprietary platform of novel polymers that are best in class, allowing its customers to produce devices that last longer and cost less. Ecolectro has defensible IP, state-of-the-art facilities, experienced personnel, and strong customer traction.

Falcon Technologies

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Falcon Technologies is an economic solution for reusing & recycling produced and flow back water at the wellsite.

Cnergreen

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Cnergreen is an enhanced oil recovery and CO2 storage efficiency via resilient nanoparticle-based foam technology.
TruSpin uses a breakthrough A/C electrospinning process to affordably mass-produce compositions of nanofibers that are difficult or impossible to make using pre-existing methods. Right now, TruSpin is using these nanofibers as an additive to the chemicals that go inside batteries for a tremendous increase in energy density.

Mesodyne

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Mesodyne's solution is a novel ultra-high energy density, multi-fuel, silent, compact power generator. Our generators convert fuel to electricity with heat and light as intermediaries: a small micro combustor heats a photonic crystal to incandescence and the resulting light is tailored to the bandgap of an infrared cell resulting in unprecedented high efficiencies.

GO TO-U

Pre Seed Round in 2020
We deliver a seamless EV charging experience with comfort, confidence and simplicity.

Hydro Wind Energy

Seed Round in 2020
Hydro Wind Energy is focused on becoming a leading sustainable energy provider, dedicated to addressing the environmental crisis through the development of zero carbon emission technologies. The company aims to deliver low-cost clean electricity and grid-scale energy storage solutions. Additionally, Hydro Wind Energy is engaged in creating handheld seawater desalination devices intended for humanitarian use and the marine sector, thereby enhancing access to essential resources. Through these initiatives, the company seeks to make a significant positive impact on the global environment, economy, and overall welfare of humanity.

GamY

Seed Round in 2019
GamY is a company focused on developing an artificial intelligence-driven battery management system aimed at enhancing the longevity of battery-operated devices. Utilizing a digital twin management platform, GamY monitors and optimizes battery performance across a variety of applications, including e-bikes, electric vehicles, home appliances, e-scooters, drones, electric boats, airplanes, and energy storage systems. By improving battery efficiency, GamY helps users maximize the lifespan and performance of their products.

SeeO2 Energy

Seed Round in 2019
SeeO2 Energy is a company focused on efficiently converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into marketable and clean value-added fuels and chemicals using reversible fuel-cell technology. SeeO2 Energy is converting carbon dioxide into marketable and clean value-added fuels and chemicals using reversible fuel technology. Its electrolyzers can efficiently generate gases on-site such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, or oxygen in a reliable way. The company is developing an efficient and high performance reversible solid oxide cells (RSOFCs). Its technology, which involves the use of a high-performance catalyst material, allows the electrochemical conversion of water to hydrogen, carbon dioxide (CO2) to carbon monoxide (CO), and CO2 and water to produce syngas, a mixture of CO and H2.

FuelSave

Pre Seed Round in 2019
FuelSave is a disruptive energy efficiency enhancement company with a strong R&D and engineering background, that combines its own patented innovations and core technologies with components from industry-leading providers to provide highly innovative and efficient turnkey energy solutions in a variety of sectors. FuelSave was founded in 2012, in order to enhance the fuel efficiencies & reduce emissions for trucks and utility vehicles in an innovative & sustainable way. The focus in R&D quickly widened up for various use cases in other markets where the technology can be adapted and deployed to bring measurable benefits to the users that make economical sense while reducing the impact in the environment.

Salient Energy

Seed Round in 2019
Salient Energy is focused on the commercialization of a novel zinc-ion battery developed from research at the University of Waterloo. This innovative battery technology is designed for electricity storage in the grid, offering a safer and more sustainable alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries. Salient Energy's proprietary cathode materials uniquely incorporate zinc into their crystal lattice, resulting in a relatively high energy density. This advancement allows for the use of traditional battery designs compatible with existing manufacturing processes, making it feasible to produce these batteries in current facilities worldwide. Consequently, Salient Energy's products provide a cost-effective, long-lasting solution for energy storage, catering to the needs of electric industry stakeholders.

Twelve

Seed Round in 2019
Opus 12 captures carbon emissions where pollution is generated and turns the CO2 into chemicals like methane, ethylene, and ethanol. Their technology bolts onto any source of CO₂ emissions, and with only water and electricity as inputs, transforms that CO₂ into some of the world's most critical chemical products. The company plans to recycle CO2 emissions into liquid fuels and chemical precursors cost-competitively with petroleum-sourced products. It also develops a profitable solution to carbon emissions by recycling CO₂ into cost-competitive chemicals and fuels. It is based in Berkeley, California.

Zeno Power

Pre Seed Round in 2019
They are developing a next-generation radioisotope power system that converts the heat from recycled nuclear waste into electricity.Their novel fuel and shielding design results in a system that is lightweight, cost-effective, and provides always-on, resilient power for years at a time.

Flextrapower

Seed Round in 2019
Flextrapower is a remote monitoring company powered by graphene technology, a disruptive material with unique properties that allow for ground-breaking biomedical applications. Graphene is stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. It’s one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair. Our team has developed and patented a method to seamlessly embed graphene sensors into flexible materials, like clothing. This method enables us to develop state-of-the-art remote monitoring products that advance health outcomes and improve patient care. Currently, Flextrapower has developed a smart insole that detects diabetic foot ulcers, an EMG-integrated smart shirt, and a COVID-19 mask featuring a layer of graphene.

FLITE Material Sciences Corp.

Pre Seed Round in 2019
FLITE has a laser-based technology that changes the surface topology of familiar materials (glass, plastic, metal, ceramics and semiconductors) to make them attract or repel water and oil - without the use of chemical coatings.

Element 16 Technologies

Seed Round in 2019
Element 16 Technologies operates in the energy industry. The company uses high-temperature heat energy storage to improve efficiency and save money for commercial and industrial facilities. Founded in 2016, Element 16 Technologies is based in Glendale, California.

WATTMORE

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Backed by Techstars, Nikola Power is building a software infrastructure which seamlessly integrates and manages millions of distributed energy resources. We combine our technology with extensive experience in renewable energy development and project finance to help customers easily access and optimize the benefits of energy storage.

SparkCharge

Seed Round in 2018
SparkCharge is an automotive company based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in the development and manufacturing of charging stations for electric vehicles. Established in 2014, the company focuses on creating portable and fast-charging solutions with a modular design. By addressing the growing demand for electric vehicle infrastructure, SparkCharge aims to provide efficient charging options for consumers and businesses alike.

OffGridBox

Funding Round in 2017
OffGridBox is a modular and compact unit that provides renewable energy and clean water in remote areas and developing countries. Their OffGridBox™, an all-in-one system, fits entirely inside a 6x6x6 feet shipping container and is equipped with all the hardware needed to produce electricity and clean water. This innovative technology is a solution for more than 2 billion people worldwide that need energy and clean water on a daily basis. One unit potentially managed by a local women co-op in a Rwandese village can impact up to 300 families (circa 1500 people) providing Tier 1 electricity and sterilized water. They deployed 38 units in 9 Countries (Italy, South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, Philippines, Madagascar, US and Colombia) for different segments: humanitarian, household retail, service to industry. These units have operated more than 400,000 working hours.

OffGridBox

Seed Round in 2017
OffGridBox is a modular and compact unit that provides renewable energy and clean water in remote areas and developing countries. Their OffGridBox™, an all-in-one system, fits entirely inside a 6x6x6 feet shipping container and is equipped with all the hardware needed to produce electricity and clean water. This innovative technology is a solution for more than 2 billion people worldwide that need energy and clean water on a daily basis. One unit potentially managed by a local women co-op in a Rwandese village can impact up to 300 families (circa 1500 people) providing Tier 1 electricity and sterilized water. They deployed 38 units in 9 Countries (Italy, South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, Philippines, Madagascar, US and Colombia) for different segments: humanitarian, household retail, service to industry. These units have operated more than 400,000 working hours.

OffGridBox

Pre Seed Round in 2017
OffGridBox is a modular and compact unit that provides renewable energy and clean water in remote areas and developing countries. Their OffGridBox™, an all-in-one system, fits entirely inside a 6x6x6 feet shipping container and is equipped with all the hardware needed to produce electricity and clean water. This innovative technology is a solution for more than 2 billion people worldwide that need energy and clean water on a daily basis. One unit potentially managed by a local women co-op in a Rwandese village can impact up to 300 families (circa 1500 people) providing Tier 1 electricity and sterilized water. They deployed 38 units in 9 Countries (Italy, South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, Philippines, Madagascar, US and Colombia) for different segments: humanitarian, household retail, service to industry. These units have operated more than 400,000 working hours.

Fueloyal

Convertible Note in 2016
Fueloyal, Inc. specializes in manufacturing GPS fleet tracking devices and fuel management equipment, with a focus on addressing issues in the trucking industry. Founded in 2015 and based in Bloomingdale, Illinois, the company offers innovative products, including the patented Smart Fuel Cap, which prevents fuel theft and card misuse. This device integrates smart hardware and software to provide trucking companies with comprehensive protection against fuel-related losses. Additionally, the Smart Fuel Cap collects and analyzes data from sensors on trucks, enabling companies to optimize fuel purchases and potentially save up to $950 per truck each month. Fueloyal's solutions encompass GPS tracking and asset tracking, ensuring real-time location monitoring, alerts, and enhanced asset security for fleet operators.

Elegus Technologies

Seed Round in 2015
Elegus Technologies, Inc. develops and commercializes separator membranes made from nanoscale fibers. It membranes satisfy the requirements of multiple energy storage technologies, including lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, lithium-air batteries, and more. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Detroit, Michigan.

General Atomics

Seed Round in 2015
General Atomics develops technology solutions for defense, energy, and transportation applications worldwide. The company’s defense solutions comprise aircraft launch and recovery systems; energy solutions include nuclear energy, nuclear fuel, and alternative energy; transportation solutions comprise magnetic levitation (maglev) systems, including urban maglev systems, electromagnetic cargo conveyors, and high-speed maglev systems as well as linear motor systems for civil transportation applications. General Atomics also offers unmanned aircraft systems and sensors as well as training and support services. In addition, the company offers various commercial products, including capacitors, terminal automation products, radiation monitoring systems, deicing products, diagnostic enzymes, electrostatic oil separator systems, nirvana storage products, fusion technology products, research reactor control systems, products for cleanroom services, and algae for aquaculture as well as integrated drive systems, power inverters, and permanent magnet motors. Further, it offers education outreach programs, which include elements that support fusion energy research and development as well as general science education. General Atomics was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in San Diego, California with additional offices in Newport News, Virginia; Lakehurst, New Jersey; and Washington, D.C. It also has operations in Berlin and Dresden, Germany; Adelaide, Australia; Denver, Colorado; Los Alamos, New Mexico; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Tupelo, Mississippi; Ogden, Utah; and Washington, District of Columbia.