Black & Veatch’s IgniteX Start-up Accelerator Announces 2022 Participants

Eight start-ups to speed development of decarbonization, sustainable technology solutions through involvement in the ‘IgniteX Climate Tech Accelerator’

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Recognizing the world needs innovative solutions to counter the ongoing climate crisis, Black & Veatch has selected eight promising start-ups to join its IgniteX Climate Tech Accelerator program, which provides funding and support to companies on the cutting edge of climate technology.

The eight start-ups were selected from a pool of nearly 100 applicants, and are focused on sustainability solutions ranging from carbon capture and resilient distributed infrastructure to textile recycling and fertilizer production. They come from various locations across the United States and Canada. Each company will work closely with Black & Veatch on the further design, development and realization of their proposed climate technology solution.

Participants will be offered opportunities for mentorship, access to the company’s vast network of subject matter experts, product testing, pitch development, investor introductions and funding from Black & Veatch. The 12-week program will culminate in early May with an in-person Demo Day, where the entrepreneurs present their solutions, outlining their value proposition and market opportunity.

“The IgniteX Accelerator strives to foster creative ideas and solutions to the global challenges that are transforming our company, our clients and the world we live in,” said Ryan Pletka, vice president of Innovation at Black & Veatch. “In our third cohort of the IgniteX program, which focuses on the new and growing challenges associated with climate change, we are seeing some of the most intriguing ideas yet. I can’t wait to see how Black & Veatch helps these startups make monumental strides in climate technology.”

The companies joining the 2021-2022 IgniteX Climate Tech Accelerator include:

• Carbon Upcycling Technologies, which converts waste CO₂ into high-performance additives enabling the production of low-carbon concrete.
• Circ, which is on a mission to power the clean closet with patented technology that recycles global fashion waste back into textiles.
• ElectricFish, which develops and deploys energy storage-integrated electric vehicle charging to power a sustainable, resilient and equitable energy future.
• Next Hydrogen, which has revolutionized electrolyzer cell design to maximize current density and dynamic response, effectively providing a path to the lowest levelized cost of green hydrogen.
• Nitricity Inc., which produces nitrogen fertilizer from air, water and renewable electricity.
• Twelve, the carbon transformation company, which is eliminating emissions by transforming CO2 into critical chemicals, materials and fuels.
• ReJoule, which maximizes the value of electric vehicle batteries with its advanced battery diagnostics technology.
• Revterra, whose kinetic battery offers a modular, cost-effective, and highly scalable solution to the increasingly important energy storage market –bringing a new spin to the energy transition.

Editor’s Notes:

• Learn more about Black & Veatch’s IgniteX Climate Tech Accelerator
• The IgniteX program is the external branch of the Black & Veatch’s Growth Accelerator, which has internal and external programs to discover unique opportunities and drive their rapid, profitable growth.
• The Climate Tech Accelerator marks Black & Veatch’s third IgniteX Challenge. Past challenges include the inaugural Clean Tech Accelerator in 2019 and the COVID Response Accelerator in 2020. Since its creation, the IgniteX Challenge has received more than 500 applications, given $1 million in grants and in-kind services, and made 25 investments or partnerships with startup companies.

About Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch is an employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2020 exceeded US$3.0 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.