MEIA Spotlight -- Ryan Powell

(Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator) Ryan Powell is the founder and CEO of Manta Biofuel, an MEIA Startup that produces crude oil from algae at a cost that could be competitive with traditional petroleum. Manta’s team has developed their proprietary magnetic algae harvesting technology and low-cost continuous flow hydrothermal liquefaction system.

“We are so grateful to be a part of MEIA,” says Powell. “MEIA’s staff and our team of EEIRs have given us incredibly useful advice to refine our business model and made countless introductions on our behalf to new potential customers and partners. With the help of MEIA, Manta has made considerable strides to raise capital, explore new industry verticals, accelerate our time to revenue, and scale-up our operations.”

Ryan grew up on his family’s 2,000-acre grain farm in Ohio. His agrarian upbringing taught him the value of pragmatic problem solving. Ryan received his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the Ohio State University. He went on to earn his Ph.D. focused on Algal Biofuels from the University of Maryland College Park and the University of Maryland Center for Environment Science (UMCES).

Ryan developed an interest in algal biofuels while in Dr. Russell Hill’s laboratory at UMCES’s Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET). As a graduate student, Ryan focused on producing algal biofuels at a price point that could compete with crude oil. Ryan developed the initial version of Manta’s low-cost, high-throughput magnetic harvester using proprietary nanoparticles and a low-cost hydrothermal liquefaction reactor while at UMCES.

Instead of continuing in academia after completing his Ph.D., Ryan chose to work on commercializing his innovations. He joined IMET’s Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneur Fellowship (REEF) that led him through key benchmarks for early-stage Startups, including developing a business plan, market assessment, and registering patents.

“Manta Biofuel will democratize the production of liquid fuels by enabling participation from farms all across the USA and around the world. Our approach will allow humanity to keep fossil fuels in the ground while leveraging existing liquid fuel infrastructure and refining resources. Manta’s solution will energize rural communities while providing a durable carbon-neutral solution for hard to decarbonize sectors such as aviation and long-haul trucking.” READ MORE