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Decarbonized heat and power cheaper than fossil fuels
We build engines that have the potential to slash 33% or worldwide CO2 emissions - cost-effectively. First, we help food and mining companies cut both their heat costs *and* CO2 emissions by replacing gas-fired steam boilers with our proprietary high temperature heat pumps. Our heat pumps make up to 3x more heat with the same amount of electricity, even at up to 1000°F. Once the heat pump market is mature, we will address the seasonal energy storage market. Our storage units are based on the exact same proprietary engine we use for our heat pumps. They work with solar and wind, and replace lithium-ion batteries, fossil-fired power plants, CO2 capture and storage, and fuel procurement, with a cheaper, sustainable and more reliable alternative, which can be sited anywhere. The first opportunity is a high-margin market worth 3% of worldwide CO2. The second is a much bigger market worth 30% of worldwide CO2. By the time all cars become electric, it will be even more. Our key is we are building the first Stirling engine to reach 86% of the Carnot efficiency, compared to 64% for the state of the art. We do all that while significantly decreasing costs, and increasing reliability. Please see Airthium's website for more information.
Airthium offers a hybrid industrial heat solution: a high-temperature heat pump up to 550°C that can run in combination with existing gas boilers to decarbonize process heat while optimizing for cheap and clean electricity in real time.
Airthium provides modular heat pump containers that connect to a facility's steam network or heating equipment. These containers operate alongside gas boilers and automatically switch between electricity-based heat generation and gas, using real-time electricity prices, grid carbon intensity, process demands, and grid flexibility incentives to minimize cost and carbon. The system reaches up to 550°C, uses a reversible engine capable of converting heat to electricity and back for storage, and can scale by adding more containers. It is designed for plug‑and‑play deployment with direct connections to existing steam lines and no factory rework.
Who it’s for: Industrial facilities with process heat requirements in the 150–550°C range seeking decarbonization and cost reduction by leveraging variable electricity prices and grid flexibility programs.
Prototype in development with planned pilots and commercial deployments starting 2027-2028; patents in process; ongoing testing and demonstrations with industry partners.
PhD in Plasma Physics from École Polytechnique (Paris, France), then started Airthium as CEO and CTO in 2015 before going through YC in 2017. This is still my current position.
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