Exxon Mobil's Designed 2 Scale Challenge DEADLINE: November 15, 2019

September 03, 2019

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(Designed 2 Scale Challenge) Algae-based feedstocks have shown tremendous potential in providing a safe, secure and locally available source of drop-in liquid fuels for the transportation sector. These feedstocks have the potential to not compete with conventional food crops and fresh water resources, and use marginal land for cultivation.

Once cultivated, microalgae must be removed from the aqueous water media and processed to remove the internal constituent, such as lipids, carbohydrates and proteins. These products can be converted into usable biofuels through a variety of chemical, mechanical and biological mechanisms. To date, many of these mechanisms have shown to be cost prohibitive, energy intensive, and/or require large amounts of solvents or caustic agents.

The Designed2Scale Challenge is seeking innovations, solutions and startup technologies that decrease energy and chemical intensity for 3rd generation biofuels, mainly the downstream processing components. This challenge is set up in partnership with ExxonMobil, aiding their technology team to integrate various solutions to minimize energy usage, and thereby CO2 footprint, through technological innovation in key energy intensive areas at scale.

SOLUTIONS OF INTEREST TO EXXONMOBIL INCLUDE:

Technologies and strategies to aid in algal separation, cell disruption and pretreatment of microalgal cells, prior to lipid extraction
Technologies, strategies and processes to efficiently extract intracellular lipids from microalgae
New capabilities in microalgal downstream processing that minimize energy usage, chemical intensity and/or complexity

PRIZE DETAILS

This program offers unparalleled collaboration opportunities with a major go-to-market partner, ExxonMobil, with the upside potential of collaborative projects, pilots of mutual business interest. Furthermore, one selected winner will be awarded the Fraunhofer Technical Validation Prize, up to $50,000 in technical services to de-risk market entry.

CHALLENGE PRIZE DETAILS:

Up to $50,000 in startup technology validation, demonstration and piloting services from the Fraunhofer USA or Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Institutes to demonstrate their value to investors and industry parties. A number of different types of services up to $50,000 in value may be rendered during a project, including: modeling, testing, prototyping, and demonstration. Applicants appropriate for this offering will be developing a product or service that could benefit from targeted technical acceleration.
The opportunity to build close relationships with ExxonMobil which may, upon program conclusion, result in an investment, joint development agreement, technical project, pilot and/or additional partnership format(s).

Proposals are due by November 15, 2019 at: www.designed2scalechallenge.com. Applicants and awardees' intellectual property will be fully protected throughout the review process.

About Fraunhofer USA TechBridge Program

The TechBridge Program is led by Fraunhofer USA Inc. in the United States. Fraunhofer has established itself as a leading industry-driven International laboratory accelerating the adoption of energy technologies through scientific research and engineering innovation. The core offering of TechBridge is applied, industry-focused projects performed for entrepreneurs by the Fraunhofer Network with the express goal of de-risking novel technologies for the private sector. Projects may take the form of developing and testing prototypes, deploying field demonstrations, performing third-party validation, generating test data in an industry context, or manufacturability studies. These projects bring promising technologies closer to market and make them more attractive for private sector investment, industry adoption, and scale-up funding, ultimately leading to the accelerated success of high growth entrepreneurs and businesses. For more information on Fraunhofer TechBridge, please visit the TechBridge Webpage

Fraunhofer USA, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization incorporated in Rhode Island that is dedicated to the advancement of applied research. Fraunhofer USA was founded in 1994 to conduct applied R & D for customers from industry and state governments and the federal government in the United States. Partnering with Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Europe’s largest application- oriented research and development organization, Fraunhofer USA can offer both domestic and international resources to enhance its portfolio of R & D services. READ MORE/ MORE

THE DESIGN2SCALE CHALLENGE SEEKS INNOVATIONS IN 3RD GENERATION BIOFUELS (Algae Biomass Organization)