Introduced by Tulsa Innovation Labs
Tulsa was as soon as known as "the oil capital of the world,” and since its launch in 2022, Rose Rock Bridge (RRB), a Tulsa-based non-profit startup incubator led by Tulsa Innovation Labs, has been capitalizing on this heritage, aiming to supply and assist rising applied sciences focusing on the vitality sector. To create a tech economic system that turns into foundational to the way forward for the sustainable vitality trade, and competes on the world stage, they're marrying the experience and trade that already exists in Tulsa with promising entrepreneurial expertise.
"Locations like Tulsa, we’re tailored for tech excellence," says Jennifer Hankins, managing director, Tulsa Innovation Labs. "Our legacy as an oil and gasoline chief means we all know how one can construct issues, and we all know how one can seize huge industries, and we're positioned to be a pacesetter in vitality innovation."
RRB, in partnership with main stakeholders, helps put the area's sturdy company, educational, and workforce assets within the fingers of revolutionary, early-stage startups creating the next-generation options which might be fixing urgent vitality trade issues and opening up new markets.
"We're constructing the following era of huge vitality corporations that deal with world challenges in a manner that's genuine to Tulsa's native experience, and never one which feels extra extractive to it," she provides. "
RRB has already accelerated 33 corporations, initiated 22 energetic pilots with trade companions, and secured 11 buyer contracts, leading to over $50 million in funding raised by its member corporations.
What units the Rose Rock Bridge Showcase aside
RRB's Rose Rock Bridge Showcase is a showcase and pitch competitors introduced in partnership with 4 native vitality trade companions: Williams, ONEOK, Devon Vitality, and Helmerich and Payne. These companions determine white area issues they're aiming to unravel — this yr, low carbon pure gasoline options — and RRB finds the startups that may resolve them.
From a aggressive pool of greater than 50 purposes, fourteen corporations are chosen to pitch for pilot alternatives and potential funding from main Oklahoma vitality corporations. Whereas most pitch competitions are seen as pathways to enterprise capital, the RRB mannequin is designed to speed up commercialization; as an alternative of vying for funding alone, these corporations are competing for the possibility to place their expertise into observe, Hankins explains.
"What units the winners aside is the best way they're fixing huge challenges with game-changing concepts within the vitality area," Hankins says. "However above and past only a nice concept, it must be an concept that’s business. We are able to say that our corporations have already demonstrated the expertise. They’ve already validated it. They’ve secured a giant buyer, gained traction, are on the trail to safe follow-on funding. These are issues that maintain again most startups, and our program brings all of these three issues collectively to speed up commercialization."
Every startup receives $100,000 in non-dilutive funding to develop their enterprise in Tulsa, together with assist providers and pilot alternatives by trade companions, equipping them with each the assets and real-world expertise wanted for long-term market integration — and a strong foothold in Tulsa.
This yr's cohort is comprised of corporations which might be driving innovation in low carbon pure gasoline by applied sciences that improve operations, management and cut back emissions, and switch waste from vitality manufacturing into precious supplies:
Eigen Management
Creating synthetic intelligence/machine learning-assisted Raman Spectroscopy for real-time chemical evaluation, which helps vitality suppliers course of their product extra effectively.
Erdin Guma, Eigen Management
Kinitics Automation
Rising the reliability of apparatus whereas decreasing methane emissions with spring-loaded electrical valve actuators
Dean Choose, Kinitics Automation
Lukera Vitality
Changing wastewater and stranded gasoline into clear methanol
Brian Worfolk, Lukera Vitality
Pike Robotics
Making hazardous, high-risk environments safer with robotic inspection platforms.
Connor Crawford, Pike Robotics
Embedding world innovation within the Tulsa market
"We discuss so much about stickiness," Hankins says. "Tulsa Innovation Labs, along with the Rose Rock Bridge initiative, is admittedly targeted on creating that supportive ecosystem within the area."
For instance, guaranteeing these corporations have lab area if needed, connecting them to school companions to sharpen analysis and improvement, and serving to them set up relationships and follow-on funding with different energy-related funds, and embedding them into the Tulsa vitality tech panorama. The RRB entrepreneur in residence and government in residence provide in-depth mentoring as effectively.
"I name it sharpening the startups," Hankins explains. "You undergo our program, get a pilot, get perception from the company perspective. That’s most likely the best worth. However alongside the best way, all of the assist that will help you operationalize your organization and your concept quicker. We’re going to discover a manner that you simply’ll depart our program extra able to get to market, whether or not that be by a few of these auxiliary helps, or we’re going to ensure that direct connection to the client occurs."
Sponsored articles are content material produced by an organization that’s both paying for the publish or has a enterprise relationship with VentureBeat, they usually’re at all times clearly marked. For extra data, contact gross sales@venturebeat.com.
