Creating eco-friendly refrigeration and cooling technology is one of the top concerns when it comes to fighting climate change. Thanks to resources and knowledge at Wichita State University, a Wichita company is one step closer to finding a solution to that problem.
HyperBorean announced today that it closed its pre-seed angel round of financing totaling $2.1 million. HyperBorean is a cleantech company based at Wichita State and founded in 2013 by Winfield-native Todd Gentry.
“WSU and GoCreate have been an absolute game changer in our ability to get to this stage,” says Gentry. “Without these resources, the cost of prototyping and testing would have been 10-20 times more than what we’ve invested. It’s just been incredible to have these resources available.”
WSU President Jay Golden says: “WSU is one of our nation’s most innovative universities, and the support we’ve provided to HyperBorean is a great example of our commitment to driving economic growth in Kansas. It’s at the heart of what we do and one of the reasons I came to Wichita State.”
Gentry has spent over five years doing research and development to invent an air conditioning compressor that converts waste heat into a power source for cooling. By using a heat source like concentrated solar power, the technology can be used to cool structures without the need for grid power.
HyperBorean’s product is 100% built and designed in Kansas. The product was assembled at WSU’s makerspace -- GoCreate, a Koch collaborative. HyperBorean’s headquarters location at WSU puts it in designated Federal Opportunity Zone.
"GoCreate gave Todd a platform and venue in which he could develop his invention, lower start-up costs, make connections and shorten the distance to the finish line for his concept and design," says GoCreate Director Ty Masterson. "We are so proud. Todd is the 'poster child' of what GoCreate is all about."
Gentry and Patrick Hosty, HyperBorean's business developer, are also working with WSU Ventures, WSU’s Small Business Development Center and Wichita funders like Josh Oeding, president and CEO of e2e Accelerator and founder and managing member of Accelerate Venture Partners.
Gentry says he’s excited to emerge out of the research and development phase and into commercialization of his product. The next step for HyperBorean is displaying their prototype next month at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.
With demand for air conditioning expected to rise exponentially worldwide, there is a need for sustainable power sources. Because HyperBorean’s product runs without grid power, it could dramatically reduce the environmental impact and cost of cooling, Gentry says.
Read a feature story from 2018 on how GoCreate is helping accelerate innovation in the community.
