UNM Rainforest Innovations was proud to host the 2024 New Mexico Advanced Energy Awards program at the Lobo Rainforest, in partnership with the New Mexico Economic Development Department’s Officer of Science and Technology. Now in its second year, the state-funded initiative awarded $3.36 million in non-dilutive grants to seven promising startups advancing energy technology.
Awardees included:
- Spiritus – $925,000 for development of direct air capture technology.
- VastVision – $925,000 for asset-tracking technology to support infrastructure management.
- Kilonewton – $550,000 to expand professional technical services for the renewables and manufacturing sectors.
- FireEscape – $500,000 for data-driven wildfire risk mitigation solutions.
- Carbogenics – $440,000 for sustainable carbon adsorbents made from hard-to-recycle organic waste.
- Dash2 Labs – $10,000 for Generative AI solutions aimed at enhancing operational decision-making.
- TrollWorks – $10,000 for biomass conversion technologies focused on biochar and energy generation.
The Advanced Energy Awards program is a competitive, state-funded grant initiative designed to support small businesses in New Mexico that focus on research and development in advanced energy. The program’s goals include helping businesses grow or stay in the state, creating jobs in key industries, expanding the tax base, and promoting overall business development.
Learn more about the program here: https://edd.newmexico.gov/business-development/edd-programs-for-business/office-of-science-technology/nmaea/
See Molly Callaghan’s April 22 article, “NM awards over $3M to 7 advanced energy firms,” on the New Mexico Inno website here: https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/inno/stories/news/2025/04/22/nm-awards-over-3m-to-seven-advanced-energy-firms.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=me&utm_content=AQ&ana=e_AQ_me&j=39543041&senddate=2025-04-23&utm_term=ep8&empos=p8
