Activate Fellow Achievements: July 2025
As we celebrate a decade of impact, our fellows are doing more than just hitting milestones—they are redefining what's possible for science entrepreneurs. They are securing the funding, winning the grants, and leading the conversations that will build the next decade of early-stage innovation. Here's a full roundup of the latest accomplishments Activate Fellows are making:
MAJOR FELLOW MILESTONES
Allium Engineering (Steve Jepeal, Cohort 2023) has installed 70,000 lbs of their stainless-clad rebar in the Long Valley Creek Bridge on U.S. Route 101 in Mendocino County, California. This upgrade to the bridge’s deck will keep the structure going strong for the next 100 years.
Juno Propulsion Inc. (Alexis Harroun, Ph.D., Cohort 2023) was selected as a winner of the NASA TechLeap Prize and plans to fly the first-ever rotating detonation combustion (RDC) propulsion system on an orbital mission.
Astral Materials (Jessica Frick & Jiya Janowitz, Cohort 2025, Cyclotron Road) has announced the plans for the first-ever silicon crystal growth experiment on-orbit. Through their partnership with another awardee of the NASA TechLeap Prize, they plan to launch in 2026 and will become the first company in history to achieve this feat.
Andrew Hsieh (Cohort 2016, Cyclotron Road) and the Liminal team were featured in the premiere episode of Tech Dreamers, a new TaiwanPlus series, hosted by Victoria Slivkoff, highlighting trailblazing deeptech founders of Taiwanese heritage.
FELLOW FUNDING & PARTNERSHIPS
Still Bright (Jon Vardner, Cohort 2022) has raised an oversubscribed $18.7M seed round led by Material Impact and Breakthrough Energy Ventures.
Solidec (Ryan DuChanois & Yang Xia, Cohort 2024) raised a $2M+ pre-seed round to reinvent how critical industrial chemicals are made.
Electrified Thermal Solutions (Joey Kabel & Dan Stack, Cohort 2021) has partnered with HWI to scale its Joule Hive Thermal Battery.
FELLOW AWARDS
Solidec (Ryan DuChanois & Yang Xia, Cohort 2024) has been selected for a NASA SBIR Phase I award to support NASA’s goals for onboard disinfection and water treatment during long-duration space missions.
Feon Energy (Wenxiao Huang & Zhiao Yu, Cohort 2023) won the $100k Silver prize at the fourth TERA-Award ceremony.
Wave Lumina (Vernon LaLone, Cohort 2025) has been awarded a NSF SBIR Phase I grant to support the development of their PFAS sensor, a field-ready tool for rapid, quantitative detection of PFAS in water.
Praio (Advait Holkar, Cohort 2024) & Anew Material (Jiye Son, Cohort 2024) have been selected to join The Biomimicry Institute’s 2025 Ray of Hope Accelerator Cohort.
Coflux Purification (Alec Ajnsztajn, Cohort 2024), EELI Technology (Mert Akin, Cohort 2024), Inlyte Energy (Antonio Baclig, Cohort 2023), Prospect Growth (Wyatt Arnold, Cohort 2024), Rapid Radicals (Paige Peters, Cohort 2024), Standard Potential (Richard May & Andrew Wang, Cohort 2024), and Sunchem (Daniel Sun, Cohort 2022) have all been selected for the 2025 C2M Cohort.
Ian Goodine (rStream Recycling, Cohort 2024) was listed as a 2025 Modern Maker by Manufacturing USA.
FELLOW FEATURES
Brimstone (Cody Finke, Cohort 2019) was featured in an article by the San Francisco Examiner to highlight the company's innovative, cost-efficient process for producing low-carbon cement. Co-founder and CEO, Cody Finke, was also featured in the Watt It Takes podcast with Emily Kirsch.
Tim Latimer (Fervo Energy, Cohort 2018) joined an event with members of Congress and spoke about the crucial role of next-generation geothermal in powering America's future.
Leah Ellis (Sublime Systems, Cohort 2020) was featured in Nature to share her journey from a PhD researcher to a hard-tech founder and explain the combustion-free technology Sublime Systems is developing to decarbonize the cement industry.
Zanskar (Joel Edwards, Cohort 2020) celebrated a ribbon cutting at the Lightning Dock Geothermal facility in southwest New Mexico, officially making LDG 44-7 the most productive pumped geothermal well in the United States.
Qunnect (Mael Flament, Cohort 2021) has officially launched Carina, which is the first quantum networking system ready for real-world use.
Ioana Knopf (Arrakis Materials, Cohort 2023) has joined the team at Radical Catalyst as Chief Science Officer (part-time) to help lead the next chapter of R&D.
Each milestone is a testament to the power of supporting scientists and engineers in their transformation to become entrepreneurial leaders. As we look to our next decade, we are inspired by the progress of our community and the world they are building.
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