Secrets Behind HEXASpec's Award-Winning Tech
07/16/24 • 52 min
Fresh off their win at the Rice Lily Pitch Competition, Sean and Chen-Yang share their journey from PhD students at Rice University to pioneering entrepreneurs tackling the critical issues of energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In this episode, they discuss how their material science background led to the development of advanced heat management solutions, addressing inefficiencies caused by poor thermal conductivity in traditional semiconductor packaging. With AI and GPU technologies on the rise, HEXASpec is at the forefront of creating next-generation materials to meet the growing demands for efficient heat management. Sean and Chen-Yang also reveal the importance of customer feedback, which prompted them to pivot from HVAC applications to the semiconductor industry, showing how adaptability is key to startup success.
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - What is Heat Management
05:20 - Current Materials in Use
08:15 - Discovering and Developing New Material
10:52 - Market Entry Strategy
16:43 - Pivoting in Business
20:30 - Market Research for Beginners
21:24 - Building a Prototype
23:05 - Fundraising Tips
29:02 - Lessons from Competitions
35:49 - Student Entrepreneurship
39:37 - Houston’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
42:04 - Houston’s Hidden Gems
47:21 - Innovation Ecosystem Gaps
49:40 - Supporting NanoSono
50:13 - Founders' Podcast Thoughts
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Digital Wildcatters brings the energy community together through events, cutting-edge content, and powerful tools. Join our online community at collide.io. Engage with experts, level up your career, and ask Collide AI your toughest technical questions.
Fresh off their win at the Rice Lily Pitch Competition, Sean and Chen-Yang share their journey from PhD students at Rice University to pioneering entrepreneurs tackling the critical issues of energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In this episode, they discuss how their material science background led to the development of advanced heat management solutions, addressing inefficiencies caused by poor thermal conductivity in traditional semiconductor packaging. With AI and GPU technologies on the rise, HEXASpec is at the forefront of creating next-generation materials to meet the growing demands for efficient heat management. Sean and Chen-Yang also reveal the importance of customer feedback, which prompted them to pivot from HVAC applications to the semiconductor industry, showing how adaptability is key to startup success.
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - What is Heat Management
05:20 - Current Materials in Use
08:15 - Discovering and Developing New Material
10:52 - Market Entry Strategy
16:43 - Pivoting in Business
20:30 - Market Research for Beginners
21:24 - Building a Prototype
23:05 - Fundraising Tips
29:02 - Lessons from Competitions
35:49 - Student Entrepreneurship
39:37 - Houston’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
42:04 - Houston’s Hidden Gems
47:21 - Innovation Ecosystem Gaps
49:40 - Supporting NanoSono
50:13 - Founders' Podcast Thoughts
https://www.instagram.com/digitalwildcatters/
https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalwildcatters
https://www.facebook.com/digitalwildcatters
https://twitter.com/DWildcatters
Digital Wildcatters brings the energy community together through events, cutting-edge content, and powerful tools. Join our online community at collide.io. Engage with experts, level up your career, and ask Collide AI your toughest technical questions.
Previous Episode
Sage Geosystems on Energy Tech Startups
Cindy shares how Sage Geosystems is leveraging its oil and gas expertise to develop groundbreaking subsurface pumped hydro storage, a game-changing approach to sustainable energy.
With over 35 years of experience at Shell, Cindy discusses her journey from the oil and gas sector to co-founding Sage Geosystems, driven by a passion to make a meaningful impact in renewable energy. Her leadership and vision are propelling Sage to the forefront of the energy transition, combining cutting-edge geothermal technology with a focus on sustainability.
0:00 - Intro
0:18 - What is Sage Geosystems
1:35 - Traditional vs Next Gen Geothermal
7:14 - Geopressure Geothermal System
19:50 - What does the surface facility look like
25:55 - Why Chesapeake Energy invested
30:42 - Business and technology risks of Eavor
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46:18 - Houston Support Structures for Startups
50:34 - Gaps in the Houston Startup Ecosystem
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Digital Wildcatters brings the energy community together through events, cutting-edge content, and powerful tools. Join our online community at collide.io. Engage with experts, level up your career, and ask Collide AI your toughest technical questions.
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Why Erik Rambech’s CCS Tool is a Game Changer
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00:00 - Welcome back
1:27 - What is CaptureMap
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5:34 - Who are your ideal customers
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7:39 - How do people interact with CaptureMap
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29:32 - What makes entrepreneurs special
31:20 - Importance of learning from mistakes
32:45 - Outsourcing vs doing everything yourself
35:09 - Selling software is hard
40:24 - Building a community around your company
43:15 - Houston
46:57 - Do you need feet on the ground
50:35 - Closing
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1:01:15 - How to support climate tech startups
https://www.instagram.com/digitalwildcatters/
https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalwildcatters
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Digital Wildcatters brings the energy community together through events, cutting-edge content, and powerful tools. Join our online community at collide.io. Engage with experts, level up your career, and ask Collide AI your toughest technical questions.
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