Description of venture idea
Advanced alloys possess superior heat resistance and other properties desirable in turbine blades and engines. A company commercializing these metals could ultimately serve the fusion industry.
Market needs this venture would address
- Higher-performance power generation turbines
- Longer-lasting engines
Technical capabilities this venture might leverage
- Know-how in Short Lab (MIT): oxide dispersion-strengthened steels, vanadium & tungsten heavy alloys
- Advanced alloys include ODS steels, Va alloys, tungsten heavy, high-strength copper… first commercialized in the power generation market but ultimately could be relevant for fusion
Business model
TBD
Team
None
Outstanding risks
- Is there enough MIT know-how and IP around these alloys?
- According to the 2023-11-30 Proto Ventures Channel Forum participants, industry may not want someone new to do this, but may instead want to work with large established players who work at scale already. Dozens of startups looking at new materials. You have to make the materials at large scale, a startup won’t play a meaningful role in that process.