The Lundin Foundation is committed to advancing technologies that play a role in combating climate change. Recently selected for the first Katapult Climate Accelerator Program, NXT Grid is a one-stop-shop for solar mini-grids and Hyperion Robotics is developing 3D printing technology for reinforced structures with sustainable concrete. They are two of 8 tech entrepreneurs working to advance zero and low-carbon solutions at scale.
About Katapult
Katapult is a global investment and accelerator vehicle based in Oslo, Norway that aims to fast-track solutions to global problems. Over the last 4 years, they have evaluated more than 12.500 startups and invested in and accelerated 90 startups from 32 different countries through the verticals Katapult Accelerator (general impact tech) and Katapult Ocean (ocean tech).
The Foundation receives an annual financial contribution from Lundin Energy, a key part of their decarbonization strategy, to make impact investments that support high potential, early-stage businesses that advance zero and low-carbon innovations at scale.
Meet NXT Grid
3.5 billion people lack access to reliable electricity; either having no access to electricity at all or being at the mercy of utilities that work for just a few hours a day. Increasingly they are forced to turn to polluting and costly fossil fuel generators to cater to their energy needs. Generators and kerosene are the go-to solutions for reliable energy access, mostly because people do not have a better alternative.
NXT Grid is a one-stop shop for solar mini-grids. It makes it possible for anyone to run a solar mini-grid in their community, just like they would with a generator. NXT Grid provides solar panels and batteries on rental, reducing the cost to start a mini-grid by 80%. The rest is done by its software platform, which makes managing a mini-grid something that anyone can do, as all technical complexity is handled automatically behind the scenes.
NXT Grid plans to connect over 2,500,000 people and deploy more than 250 MW of solar mini-grids in the next ten years.
Our work in Nigeria is the start of a journey to replace generators with solar mini-grids. Mini-grids are a cleaner, more sustainable solution to universal energy access, and making them easy and affordable to deploy is going to be key in the global energy transition effort. – Founder, Fabio De Pascale
Meet Hyperion Robotics
Even though the construction industry constitutes 10% of the world’s GDP, it’s the least automated industry sector. Furthermore, the industry’s most utilized material: concrete, contributes to 8% of all global CO2 emissions.
By developing 3D printing technology for reinforced structures with sustainable concrete, Hyperion Robotics is ushering in a new chapter within the construction industry. Their offering not only brings much-needed automation to the sector but offers a cheaper, faster and more sustainable process of construction.
The adoption of Hyperion Robotics by the construction industry would mark a seismic shift within the sector. Both the high precision of their robotics systems and usage of circular materials will move us closer to a low-carbon and zero-waste society.
“At Hyperion, we believe that the sustainability and automation that come with our 3D printing technology and circular materials, are key aspects that will allow the least automated industry (construction) to become more efficient and significantly reduce the large carbon footprint from concrete production.” Founder – Fernando De los Rios
Want to Learn More About Katapult?
“We work to make impact investing mainstream and mobilize capital and businesses to deliver positive impact. We accelerate and invest in tech companies solving the world’s greatest challenges. This is representing the fastest growing markets and therefore the greatest business opportunities. We have so far invested in 138 companies from 35 different countries.”
Explore Katapults work in Climate, Ocean and newly launched accelerator in Africa.
