fresh funding

DOE doles out $80M for Houston superconductor tech manufacturer's new facility

Named Project Arch, the facility will be the first large-scale operation of its kind in the country. It's expected to break ground next year. Photo via Getty Images

Fresh off a recent raise, an energy transition startup has been selected for a U.S. Department of Energy-backed $80 million project.

MetOx International, which develops and manufactures high-temperature superconducting (HTS) wire and announced it closed a $25 million series B extension, will negotiate $80 million in funding from the DOE to stand up an advanced manufacturing facility in the southeastern United States.

Named Project Arch, the facility will be the first large-scale operation of its kind in the country. It's expected to break ground next year.

"We are thrilled to receive this support from the Department of Energy, which allows us to bring cutting-edge manufacturing and over 200 high tech job opportunities to the southeastern United States," Bud Vos, CEO of MetOx, says in a statement. "Project Arch not only represents a transformative milestone for our company, but it establishes the U.S. as a true leader in HTS technology.

"This project will have an immediate and tangible impact on the local economy and the energy sector, powering new technologies that rely on the unmatched power-carrying capacity of superconductors," he continues. "Through Project Arch, we are driving a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy future—for the U.S. and the world."

HTS wire technology is critical for the energy transition, especially amid rising data center growth, and for next generation wind turbines and interconnections.

"The transition to America's clean energy future is being shaped by communities filled with the valuable talent and experience that comes from powering our country for decades," adds U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. "By leveraging the know-how and skillset of the former coal workforce, we are strengthening our national security while helping advance forward-facing technologies and revitalize communities across the nation."

MetOx's technology originated out of the University of Houston and was founded in 1998 by Alex Ignatiev, UH professor emeritus of physics and a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Last year, the company secured $3 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to support the advancement of its proprietary manufacturing technology for its HTS wire.

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A View From HETI

Lawson Gow, founder of The Cannon, will lead Greentown Houston. Photo courtesy Greentown Labs.

Greentown Labs has named Lawson Gow as its Head of Houston.

Gow is the founder of The Cannon, a coworking space with seven locations in the Houston area, with additional partner spaces. He also recently served as managing partner at Houston-based investment and advisory firm Helium Capital. Gow is the son of David Gow, founder of Energy Capital's parent company, Gow Media.

According to Greentown, Gow will "enhance the founder experience, cultivate strategic partnerships, and accelerate climatetech solutions" in his new role.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join Greentown at this critical moment for the energy transition,” Gow said in a news release. “Greentown has a fantastic track record of supporting entrepreneurs in Houston, Boston, and beyond, and I am eager to keep advancing our mission in the energy transition capital of the world.”

Gow has also held analyst, strategy and advising roles since graduating from Rice University.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lawson to our leadership team,” Georgina Campbell Flatter, CEO of Greentown Labs, added in the release. “Lawson has spent his career building community and championing entrepreneurs, and we look forward to him deepening Greentown’s support of climate and energy startups as our Head of Houston.”

Gow is the latest addition to a series of new hires at Greentown Labs following a leadership shakeup.

Flatter was named as the organization's new CEO in February, replacing Kevin Dutt, Greentown’s interim CEO, who replaced Kevin Knobloch after he announced that he would step down in July 2024 after less than a year in the role.

Greentown also named Naheed Malik its new CFO in January.

Timmeko Moore Love was named the first Houston general manager and senior vice president of Greentown Labs. According to LinkedIn, she left the role in January.

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