Whether you’ve contemplated buying a Tesla every time you drive by a gas station, or you’re just wondering how to lower your electric bill, it’s no surprise that these days energy is on everyone’s mind.  

This quarter, we’re jumping in and taking a look at how hardware startups are keeping up with the ever-changing energy landscape. We’ll learn about informal members who are working on the forefront of power and electronics, and we’ll get a glimpse at companies around the wold developing creative solutions for tackle energy efficiency and usage. 

But first, we’ll start with Lodge Outdoor, maker's of a truly wireless, solar-powered speaker that we recently launched on Kickstarter.

Client Feature

Two years ago, informal was approached by the founder of Lodge Outdoor. This audio-enthusiast was looking for a way to create high-quality outdoor speakers. The catch was that they needed to be completely wireless while still providing impeccable audio. 

Eighteen informal freelancers took on the challenge and collectively spent over 1,700 hours bringing the idea to life. In its final form, Lodge is powered by 180 square inches of solar panels, allowing it to charge throughout the day, no cords required. Gone are the days of needing to plug your speakers in at the end of the night. Lodge is always charged and ready to play your favorite tunes on a moment’s notice. 

We launched Lodge Outdoor on Kickstarter in early May and raised over $254,000 from nearly 700 backers. We’re excited to see how Lodge will level up everyone’s outdoor listening experiences. 

This month on our blog, co-founder Sam Holland outlines the pros and cons of cost and scale for different manufacturing methods. If you’re looking to understand which method is best for your cleantech product, or you’re curious about how to scale up its production, be sure to give it a read. Sam breaks down a variety of manufacturing methods, from injection molding to CNC machining.

Member Feature

Sophi Kravitz has been working with power and electronics for over a decade. As the Head of Hardware Verification for informal client, the Helium Foundation, Sophi works with manufacturers around the world to build and distribute hardware that enables the Helium blockchain.

if you aren't familiar with the Helium Foundation, they maintain the aforementioned blockchain on top of which the Helium Network is built. Individuals install Helium internet gateways that blanket cities and towns in low power wireless internet while mining Helium tokens that provide the monetary incentive to expand the network. Mining these tokens uses less energy than traditional Bitcoin and Etherium mining, meaning less environmental impact–a big win for Mother Earth.  

If being an electrical engineer wasn’t enough, Sophi is also a business development specialist and an artist. She’s a true powerhouse!

Gatherings & Community

Industry News & Trends

Humble Bee Bio is a New Zealand startup using Australian solitary masked bees to combat plastic pollution. Instead of honey, these bees produce a bioplastic used to help protect their home and larvae. Humble Bee Bio is working on scaling and sourcing this in a sustainable way, which is definitely something that we can get bee-hind.

Singularity Energy is a platform that provides detailed information about the carbon intensity on the electricity grid. What really impressed us is that it allows customers to time their energy usage so that they can trim their carbon footprints.

Sila, a startup that produces lithium-silicon batteries, recently announced that its silicone anode material will be appearing in the Mercedes-Benz electric G-Class vehicle in 2025. Looks like the SUV will soon be getting an energy efficient facelift. 

When it comes to funding climate resiliency and alternative energy projects, Perl Street is doing a top-notch job. Their mission is to help hardware companies finance their projects in a way that has previously only been viable for multi-billion dollar projects.