Hi, climate friends 👋 

Get ready for another great week of innovate climate startups!

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Today at a glance:

• Introducing Powerblocks

• Detailing their business model, tech, traction and team

• Why do we need this now?

• How you can help them!

-  Angelica 💜

Featured Startup: Powerblocks

📍 Headquarters

London, England

⚙️ Technology

Powerblocks captures methane before it is vented into the atmosphere, which is then used to drive engines and power generators which in turn is used to power data centers which are a vital component of our digital economy of the future. The aim is to produce a mobile and modular gas capture, generator and data center system that can be collocated at the remote landfill site.

Powerblocks provides an opportunity to provide internet based computational resources with a much lower carbon emission footprint than conventionally power data centers. By using the captured methane to power computers, the emissions will be reduced while also generating revenue from the digital computing being powered.

Apart from generating revenue, Powerblocks unlocks additional value through potential cost savings by avoiding the costs associated with flaring (practice of purposely burning off the gas in a large flare stack).

By efficiently capturing and combusting the methane emissions from landfills, the project will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere, helping landfill owners meet regulatory requirements and avoid potential fines for exceeding emission limits.

💲 Business Model

Powerblocks’ primary revenue stream stems from selling computing power to clients in various industries, such as research, finance, and software development. By providing clients with on-demand access to our data center resources, we enable them to leverage our state-of-the-art infrastructure without the need for significant upfront investments in equipment and facilities. Our flexible, scalable offerings cater to a diverse range of computing needs, ensuring a steady and reliable source of income.

Powerblocks’ initial revenue stream is derived from cryptography network validation operations, which involve the use of our data center resources to validate and secure transactions on various cryptographic networks. By participating in network validation activities, we can generate new cryptography rewards, which can be sold on the open market or held as an investment. The profitability of our network validation operations will be influenced by factors such as market conditions, network validation difficulty, and the performance of the underlying cryptography rewards.

🚀 Traction

• Total funding: 40,000 (bootstrapped)

• Part of Carbon13 Venture Builder 

• Received a UNDP grant

• Appointed a set of advisors to provide Powerblocks with access to a diverse range of expertise needed to drive the development of the business:

  • Enrique Arquiaga - a veteran in the Waste Management industry

  • Jacobo Moreno - a waste management consultant who develops state of the art tailor made engineering solutions for environmental problems

  • Daniel Batten - a climate activist, climatetech investor and CEO advisor, currently the co-founder and managing partner of Ch4-Capital 

  • Arthur Jacquiau Chamski - Tech Advisor with 15 years of experience in utility and Mini-grid spaces, scaling Sparkmeter to 25 countries

  • Nico Peterschmidt - Advisor Energy Management Technology & Co-Financier

  • David Hatherill - chartered engineer and manager with over 25 years of experience in the IC engine and power generation markets

  • Nick Palmer - Director of Landfill Systems UK

  • Chris Parry - Specializes in landfill gas and biogas utilization projects

🙏 Founders

• Andreas Lehner, Co-Founder & CEO: Serial entrepreneur & co-founder of Trine, an impact investment platform financing solar energy projects.

• Anshul Patel, Co-Founder & COO: A seasoned commercial professional with a technical background and extensive experience in developing, operating and scaling distributed energy businesses

• Rahul Rajani, Co-Founder & CIO: An engineering, operations and investing experience across India and South East Asia

💁🏻‍♀️ Why Now?

Methane is responsible for approximately 30% of global warming, and it is now widely accepted that methane is 24-80 times more potent than CO2.

In 2022, more than 2,000 MMTCO2e (50% of Global Methane emissions) came from landfills and the flaring on oil and gas sites. Many sites are still emitting methane through either venting or flaring as they do not have a business case (yet) to capture and utilise these gas emissions.

This results in missed opportunities for additional revenues and creates a liability regarding future regulation on methane abatement for the site owner and operator, representing an opportunity for new solutions and innovation.

Powerblocks reduces costs of methane mitigation to zero, while creating revenue and removing liability towards future regulation.

How Can the Community Help?

💸 Fundraising

Powerblocks is looking to raise a pre-seed round 🎉

 💼 Hiring

Powerblocks is currently looking for a few roles as they build towards their first fully operational site:

• Project Engineer

• Non-Executive Director, (Fractional) CFO

• Business Developer

💡 How Can I Help?

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