Thought Papers Nuclear Fusion While nuclear fission (what we refer to as nuclear power today) is a carbon-free source of baseload power that is well established, there are several reasons that fusion would be even better. The fuel used by nuclear fission plants, Uranium-235, can be enriched to make bombs, leading to nuclear weapons proliferation concerns. Traditional nuclear plants also generate some radioactive waste, and there is the low probability of an accident leading to release.
Thought Papers Automation of Essential Services In this overview, we discussed why we need more fully automated systems to make our supply chains more robust in the face of labor disruptions; and we outlined some of the concepts that will be helpful for exploring automation across various sectors; the present and future role of automation in our labs and hospitals, along with some insights I have gained from working in this field as a systems engineer and hardware designer.
Thought Papers Agricultural Automation and Food Processing The advent of agriculture in ancient times may have been the fundamental enabler for all known civilizations to flourish. And ready access to food remains a cornerstone to society even today. We all need to eat, and there are more of us every day. Advances in farming technology have been enabling increased crop yields since time immemorial; and nowhere is this more visible than in the last hundred years with the widespread adoption and expansion of agricultural automation.
Thought Papers Graphene and Carbon NanoTubes In this overview, we introduce graphene and other advanced forms of carbon, describing what is amazing about this material and also what is holding it back in the marketplace. We also discuss how graphene is made today, and the companies that are incorporating it into the products of tomorrow.
Blog Founders Are Our Customers: How We Serve Prime Movers Although most investors tout a founder-friendly approach, few follow through on this lofty ambition. This post explains how we at Prime Movers Lab partner with Prime Movers, the creators of breakthrough scientific inventions, to commercialize their technologies and transform billions of lives. Most importantly, we view and treat the founders of our current and potential portfolio companies as customers.
Blog Breakthrough Scientific Startups: Energy, Transportation, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Human Augmentation, and Computing In part one of this piece, we introduced the notion of a breakthrough scientific startup and why now is the time to invest. Below is an overview of the most promising areas (transportation, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation, and computing) to find breakthrough scientific startups and some theses we at Prime Movers Lab anticipate driving value creation in the coming years of inventing the future.
Thought Papers Carbon Capture In this overview, we discuss the conditions that would make carbon capture economically attractive, the status and cost of carbon capture technologies today, and how they are likely to progress. Irrespective of one’s political views, there is likely a substantial investment opportunity in the area of carbon capture.
Thought Papers Lithium Batteries There is an ever-growing need for portable energy storage solutions ranging from cell-phone batteries to electric vehicle batteries, and from microbatteries for tiny disposable sensors to lightweight powerpacks for flying cars. This is an overview of the current state of the lithium battery industry. We explore the future of portable battery technology, and how to evaluate new battery technologies for applications ranging from electric aviation, autonomous vehicles, medical implants, to portable electronics.
Blog Breakthrough Scientific Startups: Inventing the Future Software has already eaten the world. Now, the opportunity to invent the future is in the hands of breakthrough scientific startups that are commercializing inventions that can transform billions of lives.
