Vibhu Sharma, founder and CEO of InnoVent Renewables, saw a huge opportunity for cleaner tire waste. Photo via LinkedIn

Vibhu Sharma observed a huge sustainability problem within the automotive industry, and he was tired of no one doing anything about it.

"Globally, humans dispose 1 billion tires every year," Sharma says on the Houston Innovators Podcast. "It's a massive environmental and public health problem because these tires can take hundreds of years to break down, and what they start doing is leaking chemicals into the soil."

Today, 98 percent of all tires end up in landfills, Sharma says, and this waste contributes to a multitude of problems — from mosquito and pest infestation to chemical leaks and fire hazards. That's why he founded InnoVent Renewables, a Houston-based company that uses its proprietary continuous pyrolysis technology to convert waste tires into valuable fuels, steel, and chemicals.

While the process of pyrolysis — decomposing materials using high heat — isn't new, InnoVent's process has a potential to be uniquely impactful. As Sharma explains on the show, he's targeting areas with an existing supply of waste tires. The company's first plant — located in Monterrey, Mexico — is expected to go online early in the new year, an impressive accomplishment considering Sharma started his company just over a year ago and bootstrapped the business with only a friends and family round of funding.

"It's about 16 months or so from start to commercial operations, which is phenomenal when you consider what it takes to build and operate a chemical or petrochemical facility," Sharma says.

Currently, with the facility close to operations, Sharma is looking to secure customers for the plant's products — which includes diesel, steel, and carbon black — and he doesn't have to look too far out of the automotive industry for his potential customer base. Additionally, the plant should be net zero by day one, since Sharma says he will be using the output to fuel operations.

While the first facility is in Mexico, Sharma says they are already looking at potential secondary locations with Texas at the top of his list. Houston, where Sharma has worked for 26 years, has been a strategic headquarters for InnoVent.

"When it came to doing the research and development, we were able to work with experts in the Houston and Texas areas to test out our idea and validate it," Sharma says. "One thing that gets under appreciated about Houston is how well it's connected to the rest of the world. There are so many direct connections between Houston and Latin America, as well as Europe, Middle East, and Asia."

"I also find that the Houston ecosystem is very supportive of new companies and helping them grow," he adds.

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This article originally ran on InnovationMap.

Tired of slow tire decomposition? This Houston company has a solution. Photo via InnoVentRenewables.com

New Houston company launches to turn recycled materials into fuel

renewables

Every year, over a billion tires are disposed of globally, and, while in use, tires are used to reach maximum speed on the road, their decomposition times are inordinately slow.

Houston-based InnoVent Renewables has a solution. The company launched this week to drive renewable energy forward with its proprietary continuous pyrolysis technology that is able to convert waste tires, plastics, and biomass into fuels and chemicals.

“We are thrilled to formally launch InnoVent Renewables and plan to ramp-up operations into early 2024," InnoVent Renewables CEO Vibhu Sharma says in a news release. “Our investors, strategic advisors, and management team are all fully committed to our success as we address the global challenge of waste tires. We firmly believe our proven process, deployed at scale globally, will have a huge positive impact on our climate and fill a clear environment need.”

While InnoVent Renewables has only just launched, Sharma has worked in the space for years with his company InnoVent Technology, a technology and consulting company working with clients on turnkey process technology and asset management solutions within the process and manufacturing industries.

During InnoVent's unique material breakdown process, its pyrolysis technology recovers chemicals from the products, and produces high-quality fuels — in in a net-zero capacity. The company's products include renewable pyrolysis oil, or PyOil; aromatics; recovered carbon black, or rCB; and steel wire. PyOil, according to InnoVent's website, can be sold as fuel oil, off-road diesel, or used as a feedstock to crude blending.

"The InnoVent team conducted product quality analysis in conjunction with a world renowned research facility and results were further validated and scaled up in 2022, using comprehensive process simulation software and pre-engineering design work for scale-up," reads the InnoVent website.

Headquartered in Houston, the company has operations in Pune, India, and Monterrey, Mexico, with plans for aggressive growth across North America and Latin America. Specifically, InnoVent is planning to open a commercial production plant in Monterrey next year. Down the road, the company's team hopes to expand in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

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Rice Alliance names participants in 22th annual energy forum

where to be

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship has named the 100 energy technology ventures that will convene next month at the 22nd annual Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum, as part of the second annual Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week.

Half of the startups, which hail from nine countries and 19 states, will pitch during the event, which culminates in the annual recognition of the “Most Promising Companies." The 12 companies that were named to Class 5 of the Rice Alliance Clean Energy Accelerator will present during Demo Day to wrap up their 10-week program.

In addition to pitches, the event will also host keynotes from Arjun Murti, partner of energy macro and policy at Veriten, and Susan Schofer, partner at HAX and chief science officer at SOSV. Panels will focus on corporate innovation and institutional venture capital. Attendees can also participate in one-on-one office hours with founders and investors.

The forum will take place Sept. 18 at Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business.

The 2025 presenting companies include:

  • Aeromine Technologies
  • AlumaPower
  • Ammobia
  • Aqua-Cell Energy
  • Aquafortus
  • Aquora Biosystems
  • Arculus Solutions
  • Artemis Production Solutions
  • AtmoSpark Technologies
  • AtoMe
  • Badwater Alchemy
  • C+UP
  • Carbon Blade
  • Circul8 Energy & Environment
  • CO2 Lock
  • Direct C
  • DirectH2
  • Ekona Power
  • Exum Instruments
  • Fathom Storage
  • Flyscan Systems
  • Geokiln Energy Innovation
  • Glint Solar
  • Hive Autonomy
  • Horne Technologies
  • Hydrogenious LOHC Maritime
  • Innowind Energy Solutions
  • Iron IQ
  • Kewazo
  • LiNova Energy
  • Lukera Energy
  • Lydian
  • Mcatalysis
  • Metal Light
  • Mithril Minerals
  • Moment Energy
  • Moonshot Hydrogen
  • Muon Vision
  • PolyQor
  • Polystyvert dba UpSolv
  • Precision Additive
  • RapiCure Solutions
  • Resollant
  • SiriNor
  • Skyven Technologies
  • Sperra
  • SpiroPak
  • Sweetch Energy
  • Teverra
  • Utility Global
  • Xplorobot

Companies participating in office hours include:

  • Active Surfaces
  • Advanced Reactor Technologies
  • Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems
  • Ai Driller
  • Airbridge
  • Airworks Compressors
  • Austere Environmental
  • Brint Tech
  • CarbonX Solutions
  • Cavern Energy Storage
  • Celadyne Technologies
  • CERT Systems
  • CubeNexus
  • Deep Anchor Solutions
  • Ellexco
  • Emerald Battery Labs
  • Equipt.ai
  • FAST Metals
  • FieldMesh
  • FlowCellutions
  • Fluidsdata
  • GrapheneTX
  • GS VORTEX SYSTEMS
  • Installer
  • Kanin Energy
  • MacroCycle Technologies
  • Modular MOPU
  • NANOBORNE
  • NetForwards
  • Oxylus Energy
  • PetroBricks
  • PHNXX
  • RASMAG Energy
  • RedShift Energy
  • RENASYS
  • RenewCO2
  • Resonantia Diagnostics
  • Respire Energy
  • Safety Radar
  • SeaStock
  • Secant Fuel
  • SolGrapH
  • Stratos Perception
  • Terraflow Energy
  • Think Energy Holdings
  • Turnover Labs
  • Utiltyx
  • Zenthos Energy

Find information about the full day of events here, or click here to register.

Houston environmental firm makes partnership to deliver low-carbon ship fuel

renewable shipping

Houston-headquartered environmental services firm Anew Climate and Vancouver-based ship-to-ship marine bunkering of liquified natural gas company Seaspan Energy have entered into a first-of-its-kind strategic agreement to offer the delivery of renewable liquefied natural gas (R-LNG) to customers on the North American West Coast.

“We’re proud to collaborate with Anew Climate to forge a new path for lower-carbon marine fuel,” Harly Penner, president of Seaspan Energy, said in a news release. “This partnership supports our goal to provide cleaner energy solutions to the maritime industry and demonstrates our dedication to innovation and environmental leadership.”

Anew will supply renewable natural gas (RNG) certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC). The RNG will comply with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Net-Zero Framework, which recently approved measures to encourage emissions reductions, and the FuelEU Maritime Regulation in the European Union.

Together, the companies aim to identify and develop commercial opportunities to promote the adoption of lower-carbon fuels and deliver ISCC-certified renewable liquified natural gas (R-LNG) to ships throughout the North American West Coast.

The partnership builds upon Anew Climate’s bio-LNG bunkering, which was developed in 2021 when the company was known as Element Markets. It was the first bio-LNG bunkering, or refueling with bio-LNG, in the U.S.

“At a time when global shipping is under pressure to decarbonize, this partnership brings together two innovators committed to advancing sustainable solutions,” Andy Brosnan, president of Anew Climate Low Carbon Fuels, said in a news release. “By combining Anew’s expertise in RNG with Seaspan’s marine logistic capabilities, we’re offering a market-leading approach to help shipowners meet evolving emissions requirements and reduce their environmental impact without compromising performance.”

In July, Anew also extended its agreement with CNX Resources to market remediated mine gas, which is an ultra-low carbon intensity energy source from captured waste methane. It also announced a 10-year agreement earlier this summer with Aurora Sustainable Lands and Microsoft to deliver 4.8 million nature-based carbon removal credits. Anew Climate, founded in 2001, states that its mission is to reduce emissions, environmental restoration and impact the climate in a positive way.

Houston energy firm to develop data center projects in Matagorda County

data center developments

Houston-based Barrio Energy will develop two new projects for 10-megawatt data center sites in Matagorda County.

Located in the ERCOT South Zone, the projects will assist in powering advanced computing operations, modular data centers and cryptocurrency mining, according to a news release.

Barrio Energy is a provider of energy infrastructure solutions for computing and data centers, and its new locations will build on its existing Texas sites in Monahans, George West, Lolita and Tyler. The Tyler location, a 12-megawatt data center connected to the ERCOT grid, opened in 2024.

“The ERCOT South Zone’s strong infrastructure and access to abundant power make it an optimal location for next-generation computing,” Ivan Pinney, CEO of Barrio Energy, said in a news release. “These developments expand our portfolio and contribute to local economic growth through job creation and technological innovation.”

Operations at the first of the two sites are expected to commence in Q4 2025, with the second site following in Q1 2026.

“We are excited to advance these two high-potential 10MW sites in Matagorda County, which perfectly align with our mission to provide scalable, efficient energy solutions for our clients,” Pinney added in the release.