Introduction:
TechCrunch recently visited HAX’s Newark offices, which serve as a reflection of their Shenzhen space. The Newark office is funded by $25 million from the state of New Jersey and offers ample space for startups. While the Shenzhen office had proximity to the global supply chain, the Newark office compensates with on-site equipment, including metal fab, 3D printing, and chemistry labs. HAX will be hosting its first demo day in four years, showcasing more than 30 companies across various sectors.
HAX’s Notable Companies:
1. CocoonCarbon: CocoonCarbon has developed a small factory inside a shipping container that converts steel runoff into sustainable cement. This innovative approach helps decarbonize the steel and cement industries, reducing carbon emissions.
2. PureLi: Based in Princeton University, PureLi has designed a system to accelerate lithium extraction in brine lakes. Their technology aims to double or triple the evaporation rate, making lithium production more efficient and cost-effective.
3. Renovate Robotics: Renovate Robotics automates roofing and solar installation using winch-based robots. This technology improves productivity, safety, and speed in the roofing industry, which is traditionally dangerous and labor-intensive.
4. Silana: Silana is working on a robotic system that automates the sewing process, increasing production speeds by four times while reducing costs and CO2 emissions. This technology has the potential to revolutionize the apparel manufacturing industry.
5. Swap Robotics: Swap Robotics competed in TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield and specializes in landscaping solar farms. Their robotic system can perform tasks like grass cutting and snow removal, reducing costs and increasing efficiency in solar farm maintenance.
HAX’s Demo Day:
HAX’s upcoming demo day will feature a diverse range of companies across various sectors such as energy, manufacturing, computing, health, and climate. These companies aim to address pressing challenges and offer innovative solutions. Altiro Energy, for example, provides carbon-free high-temperature industrial heat using iron as a rechargeable CO2-free fuel. Amatec has developed a sustainable alternative to concrete for low-cost and low-carbon residential construction.
Arculus upgrades gas pipelines to carry hydrogen through a unique coating process. AtoMe enables advanced additive manufacturing with improved physical properties for industries like aviation and aerospace. Aurasense quantifies neurological conditions through point-of-care devices that analyze motor function.
CarbonBridge converts waste greenhouse gas into methanol using a biological process, contributing to the decarbonization of methanol production. Cool Amps has developed a distributed process for battery recycling that recovers all battery components without the need for black mass collection.
DIA focuses on improving human health by measuring chemical threats daily through wearable devices. 3DK Tech enables local advanced manufacturing by bringing forging-level durability and reliability to metal additive manufacturing.
Hyperlume AI builds energy-efficient optical interconnects for data centers, reducing energy consumption. LightHearted has developed a medical device that can diagnose heart diseases quickly and accurately, enabling preventative care.
Lura Health creates sensors that monitor health through saliva, providing critical data for managing chronic diseases. Material enables 3D-printed batteries, allowing for better design engineering and flexible production.
Mazlite improves coating processes in the automotive industry, making them more sustainable and profitable. MesaQuantum develops grain-sized atomic clocks for applications in defense, underwater, and secure wireless communications.
Metal Light replaces industrial diesel generators with cost-competitive, clean electricity using metal and air. MIMiC offers a refrigerant-free HVAC system that reduces operating costs and eliminates harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
Mitico has developed a point-source carbon capture system that purifies CO2 at an affordable price. OLI builds portable hemodialysis devices for convenient kidney care. PDS provides a toxicology lab solution for streamlined analytical testing.
Qnetic is developing a flywheel energy storage device as a reliable and cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion storage. Q5D combines robotics and AI to automate the wiring and electronics manufacturing process, reducing costs and improving quality.
Terran Robotics automates home construction, making it more affordable and addressing the housing crisis. TrelliSense has built a methane intelligence platform for detecting and quantifying emissions in industries like oil and gas.
Unicorn Bio creates machines for scalable biomanufacturing processes, enabling affordable and reliable production in industries like cell and gene therapies. Vandrax Technologies aims to solve the housing crisis with a fully automated building construction system.
Verdex offers a scalable and eco-friendly nanofiber manufacturing process for advanced filtration materials used in HVAC, CO2 capture, and green battery components.
Conclusion:
HAX’s Newark office provides startups with ample space and on-site equipment to overcome the challenges of not having immediate access to the global supply chain. The upcoming demo day will showcase more than 30 companies across various sectors, each offering innovative solutions to pressing challenges. From decarbonizing industries to automating processes, these startups are poised to make a significant impact in their respective fields. HAX’s commitment to supporting and nurturing hardware startups demonstrates their dedication to fostering innovation and driving technological advancements.
