Austin Climate-tech: Electrify Everything Panel and Happy hour
Panel Overview
This is the moment electrons replace hydrocarbons. Centralized power generation from fossil fuels has been eclipsed by cheap, renewable wind and solar. In transportation, electric vehicles are displacing the internal combustion engine in consumer vehicles today and medium and heavy duty fleets tomorrow. In lighting, LEDs have already displaced incandescent lighting. And new technologies – from heat pumps to long duration storage to green steel – promise the electrification of nearly all other aspects of the 21st century economy and way of life.
On the one hand, the promise is profound: a clean, low-carbon grid powered renewable energy feeding every element of 21st century economy. On the other, the challenges are daunting: a 2-3x growth in power demand, massive investments required in transmission infrastructure, and the need to build entirely new supply chains for the battery and storage technologies that will fuel this transition.
In this panel we will bring together leading investors and founders to discuss the challenges associated with the shift to “electrify everything,” the geopolitical role of battery and storage as critical industries, and the general opportunities and investment themes created by this disruption. In addition to the discussion, this event will showcase some of Austin’s brightest start-ups in the global battery and storage supply chain, electric vehicles and more.
Generously sponsored by Pillsbury Law and JPMorgan
Timing and Agenda:
5:30 – 6:15pm: Drinks, apps and snacks, networking
6:15-7:15 pm: Panel discussion
7:15 – 8:30pm: More drinks, apps, snacks and networking
Meet the panelists:
John Stibal, Co-Managing Director, Leap Manufacturing. John has more than 20 years of international experience in high tech industries, creating break through disruptive products from IOT to artificial intelligence and machine learning, and enterprise software. The LEAP Manufacturing consortium is building a research and industry partnership designed to be the leading force for accelerating advanced energy systems (specifically, new sustainable batteries for grid energy storage and transportation systems, including electric vehicles and aerospace)
Zeina el-Azzi , Co-founder & CEO, Gage Zero - Zeina has focused her career on the deployment of capital in infrastructure projects in wind, solar, battery storage and RNG sectors that are at the precipice of commercialization at scale. Passionate about addressing the various challenges of climate change, Zeina co-founded Gage Zero to deploy the infrastructure, technology and software needed to achieve fleet electrification at scale.
Teague Egan, Founder & CEO, EnergyX – EnergyX is a sustainable energy company focused on lithium extraction, separation, recovery, and refinery technology, as well as solid-state battery storage. With their most recent Series B raise, including investment from GM Ventures, EnergyX achieved unicorn status, with a vision to scale membrane-based lithium extraction from otherwise uneconomical lithium brine ponds.