A look at three EIT-supported start-ups
EIT CommunityCophenol
Cophenol (now known as Biophenol) is an innovative circular economy project that aims to value agricultural waste using a carbon negative process. Cophenol wants to develop a process to transform, by pyrolysis, coffee waste into 'biochar' (organic charcoal, coal made for agriculture), a compound which can specifically be used for the restructuring or the acidification of soils. Combined with other organic materials, it can also be used as a fertilizer.
The Cophenol founders include Emmanuel Thiéry, a French student in entrepreneurship, and Mariana Bittencourt, a Brazilian architect and a PhD student in Economics Sciences and Eco-innovations. The start-up also includes Anna Suchy, a polish PhD student in chemical processes to convert organic waste into valuable products as with coffee waste.
Emmanuel, Marianna and Anna met during the EIT Climate-KIC Summer School, in August 2014. During this five-week 'Journey', they learned to become entrepreneurs and to create business for climate mitigation or adaptation.
Cophenol was supported by EIT Climate-KIC.
Flue Gas Recovery Sweden
Flue Gas Recovery Sweden AB offers a unique technical solution for recovering energy from exhaust gases by reusing waste energy – the Energy Turbo FGR®. This state of the art technology is used to create a cost efficient system, applicable for heating plants sized 100-1 000kW. It can be used on any heating system regardless of fuel, as long as hot humid smoke (flue gas) is generated.
The story began in the 1980s, when the first generation of energy turbos were introduced to the market. However, as a result of a massive expansion of district heating in Sweden, the technology fell into obscurity. There were technical challenges at the time that can now be handled much more efficiently using new solutions, modern materials and production processes developed by Thomas Gustafsson also a share holder of Flue Gas Recovery Sweden AB.
The continued product development has provided many new opportunities resulting in the development of the Energy Turbo FGR®, a solution with even better efficiency at a lower cost.
Flue Gas Recovery Sweden was supported by EIT InnoEnergy.
KONUX
The IIoT scale-up joined the EIT Digital Accelerator in 2014 after winning the first prize of the Idea Challenge startup contest in the Cyber-Physical Systems category that included a EUR 40,000 cash prize. Within the EIT Digital Accelerator, KONUX benefited from sales training across Europe and expanded their network in the US through the business development team at EIT Digital's Silicon Valley hub.
KONUX has recently achieved several important milestones, including the start of its work with Deutsche Bahn (DB), Europe's largest rail operator. The company has also begun its successful expansion into further European markets. The KONUX founders were also listed on this year's Forbes "Industry 30 Under 30 Europe" list.
Konux was supported by EIT Digital.
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