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Canada’s e-Zn selected for GameChanger Accelerator
December 18, 2018 – Toronto-based e-Zn, which develops energy storage systems to replace costlier diesel generators, has been selected for and invited to the inaugural round of the Shell GameChanger Accelerator, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DoE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
December 18, 2018 By Peter Saunders
Following a global competitive selection process, e-Zn is one of only four startups that will participate in this first round. It will receive up to US$250,000 in non-dilutive funding and other benefits to help test, validate and advance its technology, which aims to reduce the costs of long-duration storage systems.
“On the heels of a successful demonstration project in Toronto, we are excited to benefit from NREL’s resources to accelerate the commercialization of our technology, bringing us one step closer to low-cost clean energy,” said James Larsen, CEO of e-Zn, which was nominated for the GameChanger Accelerator by Toronto’s Medical and Related Sciences (MaRS) Discovery District.
Founded in 2012 by zinc electrochemist and inventor Gregory Zhang (pictured), the company claims its zinc-based technology can reduce capital costs by up to 95% compared to lithium-ion battery systems, is fire-resistant, can cycle without degradation, is made of fully recyclable materials and no precious metals and can operate in temperatures ranging from -30 to 60 C. It is targeting off-grid, micro-grid and other applications requiring more than half a day’s worth of storage capacity, particularly for solar and wind energy.
Launched in September, the GameChanger Accelerator is a multi-year program developed to facilitate the commercialization and adoption of clean energy technologies.
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