Worried about tense family conversations about climate issues over the holidays, given the election and more? Our recent demo night has some good facts and talking points for you, no matter the political leanings around the dinner table 🍽️
🏡 🌪️ There were $450B+ in damages to the homes in the US last year due to severe storms, with the vast majority of damage to middle- and lower-income households. And, the relationship between individuals and insurance companies has never been more tense (notable for another insurance sector in NYC the last week). Faura helps households know how to best prepare their homes to minimize damages, from clearing vegetation and tree branches to materials to fortify roofs, windows, and more. $1 invested now can save homeowners up to $15 in the future.
⚡EVs reduce cost of car ownership and can act as back-up batteries for homes, adding resiliency to power outages (not increasingly common across the US). But, installing the 1.2M curb-side EV chargers that we need across the US has been stymied by the expense - each trench costs $100K on average, and the average cost of chargers installed today in NYC is $200K. Voltpost flips that script - installing chargers at 10% of the cost through lampposts, and upgrading existing infrastructure in cities with added benefits like 5G (so great for your wifi speeds too :).
🏗️ The price of electricity went up 6% last year alone, and we need cheap baseload power. But, expanding our current approaches (gas, coal) is bad for our families’ health both near- and long-term - leading to respiratory illnesses, heart problems, and even cancer. Nuclear fusion provides a great alternative with no waste product (an upgrade from its cousin, fission), and Thea Energy is creating a practical approach to commercialize this power source in the next 10 years.
🏢 Insulation has a difficult past, including the continued prevalence of toxic asbestos in our walls, leading to even worse family health issues like lung cancer. NANOPLUME offers an alternative - a super thin bio-based material that is good for health, wealth (better insulates heat, so bills are lower), and your home’s overall square footage (outdoor wall insulation can be inches rather than feet).
Thanks to our terrific founders for presenting Valkyrie Holmes, Jeff Prosserman, Theresa Hoffmann, and Brian Berzin (who may have set the highest bar for future creativity, with donuts as part of the demo). And, to the ongoing Streetlife Ventures, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Urban Future Lab collaboration with Lisbeth Kaufman, Craig Wilson, Evan Korth, and of course Sonam Velani.
