Shell-NREL Accelerator Selects Five Startups for Clean Energy Innovation Program
TL;DR
Shell's GCxN program provides startups with $250,000 funding and NREL collaboration to develop competitive advantages in biofuels and carbon conversion technologies.
The GCxN program methodically advances technologies through structured collaboration between startups and NREL researchers, progressing from TRL 4 to 6 with detailed technical analysis.
This initiative supports cleaner energy solutions that reduce atmospheric carbon and transform waste into valuable fuels, contributing to a more sustainable future.
Five innovative startups are converting organic waste and carbon dioxide into aviation fuel and chemicals using cutting-edge biorefineries and electrochemical processes.
Found this article helpful?
Share it with your network and spread the knowledge!
The Shell GameChanger Accelerator Powered by NREL has selected five startups to participate in its seventh cohort, continuing the multimillion-dollar program's mission to advance emerging technologies with potential to transform the global energy landscape. The program, developed in collaboration between Shell GameChanger and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), focuses on technologies aligned with Shell's Powering Progress strategy and NREL's mission to deliver integrated solutions for an affordable, secure energy future.
This year's cohort features companies innovating across two strategic areas: future feedstocks and electrochemical pathways to fuels. Each selected startup will receive $250,000 in nondilutive funding to collaborate with NREL researchers and leverage the laboratory's world-class facilities to accelerate technology development. The program selection reflects Shell's commitment to scaling technologies that transform waste and emissions into valuable fuels, chemicals, and materials, supporting the company's ambition to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050.
Two companies in the cohort are focusing on future feedstocks, including Aquora Biosystems from Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is developing next-generation organic waste biorefineries to produce in-demand biofuels like renewable natural gas and synthetic aviation fuel. The program will support transforming Aquora's wet organic waste into ketones for use in downstream SAF production. Consolidated Carbon from Austin, Texas produces industrial hemp-based materials to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide without impacting food production, with GCxN assisting in optimizing pretreatment of hemp feedstocks.
The electrochemical pathways group includes three innovative companies: RenewCO2 from Somerset, New Jersey develops electrocatalytic conversion technology that transforms carbon dioxide into fuels and chemicals using only water and electricity. SKYRE from East Hartford, Connecticut uses advanced electrochemical processes to convert carbon dioxide into high-value fuels and chemicals such as methanol and synthetic gas. Sora Fuel from Cambridge, Massachusetts produces synthetic jet fuel by converting carbon dioxide from air using a highly efficient electrolyzer that avoids energy-intensive regeneration steps.
According to Johanna Jamison, GCxN program manager at NREL, these companies are tackling complex challenges in waste and fuel production with creative approaches. The technical collaboration through GCxN helps de-risk emerging technologies and clear their path to scale and impact. Shell's GCxN program manager Yesim Jonsson emphasized that these innovations directly support creating more value today while advancing clean energy solutions. For additional information about the program, visit GCxNREL.com.
This seventh cohort brings GCxN's total portfolio to 28 startups, with portfolio companies having collectively raised more than $940 million and hired more than 486 people. The program demonstrates significant effectiveness in accelerating development and commercialization, with startups typically joining at Technology Readiness Level 4 and graduating at Level 6. The selection of these five companies represents continued progress in identifying and supporting technologies that could dramatically alter the future global energy landscape through sustainable solutions.
Curated from citybiz
