2019’s GCV London Symposium hosted an innovation showcase session on disruptive mobility and energy technology moderated by Tom Whitehouse, senior adviser on energy and mobility for Global Corporate Venturing.
The session consisted of presentations by four corporate-backed businesses from the energy, advanced mobility and travel transition space, each of which were introduced to the audience by the managing director of their respective corporate backer.
Tony Cannestra, director of corporate ventures for automotive component maker Denso introduced Juha Kokkonen, CEO of Finland-based Canatu, which has designed and developed a stretchable, transparent, nano-based material which is conductive of heat and electricity.
Canatu’s technology has various potential applications across industries and facilitates the creation of touch-based 3D consumer electronics and automotive technology. Kokkonen explained how Denso has not only committed capital but also become a partner with which Canatu can co-develop products.
David Gilmour, from BP Ventures oil and gas producer BP’s corporate venturing unit, introduced Tim Reeser, co-founder and CEO of Lightning Systems, an electric powertrain developer and BP Ventures portfolio company which has pivoted since inception.
Castrol InnoVentures, which has since integrated with BP Ventures, invested in Lightning in 2012. It used to manufacture hybrid systems for medium and heavy-duty fleet vehicles that improved fuel efficiency by regenerating braking energy.
The company now produces powertrains for electric vehicles, along with software and analytics technology, targeting the medium-duty vehicle space. It has recruited a customer base that includes Amazon, Google, DHL and Pepsi, which are testing its product for their commercial fleets.
Brian Schettler, managing director of Boeing HorizonX, the corporate VC subsidiary of aircraft manufacturer Boeing, introduced Mark Thomas, CEO of UK-based airplane engine developer Reaction Engines.
Reaction Engines’ Sabre engine would facilitate supersonic flights that could reach a speed five times the speed of sound, which would make four-hour flights from London to Sydney a possibility. It is also developing cooling and thermal management technology to tackle technical challenges in engines reaching that velocity.
Schettler also introduced John Finney, founder of another UK-based portfolio company, low-profile antenna developer Isotropic Systems.
Isotropic’s terminals enable satellites to communicate with each other, providing unlimited low-cost bandwidth to customers in the aerospace, transportation, commercial maritime, railway and military defence spaces, as well for consumer terminals in rural and underserved areas.