Homeostasis Takes Another Step Forward

Homeostasis, an advanced materials startup in Washington State, was founded in 2022 to make waste CO2 useful. The company’s novel process creates graphite, a ‘critical mineral’, out of CO2 pulled from the air or emission sources. The carbon materials are produced by a plant Homeostasis operates in the Port of Tacoma. Homeostasis conducts original research at the City College of New York through a partnership with the ASRC CAT program.

Recently Homeostasis successfully raised $1.2 million through a Pre-Seed fundraise of $600,000 plus matching funds from the Washington Department of Commerce. Investments came from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Kayak Ventures and angel investors

The U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy have both designated graphite a critical mineral.  “CO2 doesn’t have to be waste,” said Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer Dr. Julien Lombardi. “We can strengthen our energy infrastructure by transforming excess carbon into an abundant feedstock.”

Homeostasis flips the challenge of damaging CO2 levels into an opportunity by converting waste CO2 streams into graphite, and other sellable carbon materials. “We are creating a domestic, fast-to-deploy and low-cost solution to the carbon materials bottleneck,” said Co-Founder and CEO Makoto Eyre, formerly of Blue Origin.

Homeostasis is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at https://climate.wa.gov/washington-climate-action-work

Homeostasis is addressing a critical vulnerability in America’s industrial supply chain: our nation’s dependence on foreign sources for high purity engineered graphite.  Learn more at www.homeostasis.earth.

Wane + Flitch

“We utilize trees that are storm damaged, diseased or cut down to make way for new building projects, basically materials that would otherwise be firewood, and turn them into green jobs, art, and tax revenue,” said co-owner and Sales Manager of Wane + Flitch, Brett Johnson.

Since the company was founded in 2015, they have completed hundreds of custom projects for residential and commercial clients alike.  With skilled craftsmen, their work is their passion.  The breadth of their work incorporates live-edged furniture, a sawmill and a wood shop.  “The combination of operating a sawmill and a woodshop together gives us a lot of latitude and flexibility to be creative,” said Johnson.  “We can work with someone else’s materials or create our own.”

Wane + Flitch’s urban sawmill, with services including slab milling, vacuum kiln drying, woodshop services, and wood slabs for sale to residential and commercial customers sets it apart for other mills.  According to Johnson, “We are ever evolving, and urban logging is becoming a bigger part of what we do every day.”

The business location on 72^nd Street in Tacoma that once housed Johnson’s grandfather’s kitchen and bath showroom has grown into a business that sells products around the country including Las Vegas, New York City, San Diego and throughout the Pacific Northwest.  From a 30’ x 6’ spruce slab sent to the Oakland Coliseum to their current local project at Meadow Park Golf Course utilizing their own downed logs to create tee-markers, Wane + Flitch continues to work with locally sourced and salvaged wood.

With a curated collection of tools and supplies, the Wood Shop at Wane + Flitch provides an all-in-one resource to help move client’s projects forward. Another plus in working with Wane + Flitch is that since they work with urban trees locally sourced and salvaged from homeowners, tree services, land clearings, and other projects, clients have the chance to learn about each tree’s origin, life, and reasons why it was felled, highlighting the personality of each piece they create.

From their woodshop, Wane + Flitch offers products and woodshop services to assist woodworkers, hobbyists, and contractors of all levels to browse and learn about woodworking essentials.  For more information, visit https://www.waneandflitch.com/

Maritime Blue Incubator Program

Washington Maritime Blue is a strategic alliance dedicated to accelerating innovation in the Blue Economy.  The Alliance is committed to the development of maritime business, technology, and practices that promote a sustainable future contributing to economic growth, ecological health, and thriving communities. Washington State’s maritime sector is uniquely poised to become a global leader in innovation and sustainability, ensuring that the state’s maritime industry thrives in the increasingly competitive national and international marketplace for maritime services.  Through the Maritime Blues Innovation Cluster Model, the Alliance activates Industry, Research, Capital, Government and Community to drive innovation, overcome barriers, access new market opportunities, and attract talent and capital.

Then, Maritime Blue Ventures supports maritime and ocean-focused startups through unique, purpose-driven accelerator and incubator programs, all within Maritime Blue’s leading Pacific Northwest innovation cluster.

Maritime Blue Ventures is currently recruiting and coordinating the next class of sustainable ocean, maritime and fisheries tech. If you’re a startup in those fields or if you are Interested in mentoring ocean-based solution founders, visit maritimeblue.org/blue-ventures