Kuafu founders are chasing the sun

entrepreneurship
19-12-2024
This year’s Bench2Biz entrepreneurship workshop is just one of the channels being drawn on to support a promising energy management project. The founders are determined to enter the business world well prepared.
A woman and a man smile confidently at the camera, shoulder to shoulder.
CEO Federica Bellizio and CTO Hanmin Cai are making sure that not just their technology, but their business skills, are well polished to give their venture the best possible start.

Getting science out of the lab and into industrial applications can be the most exciting part of a researcher’s career – but it can also be terrifying. The challenges of academia are quite different to those of business, and many scientists feel utterly unprepared. But there is plenty of support available, if you know where to look, and the founders of Empa spin-off Kuafu are energetically pursuing all options. 

Kuafu (taking its name from a mythical Chinese giant who chased the sun) is one of a number of projects springing up to solve problems in the energy transition. Renewable energy sources, being dependent on uncontrollable factors such as weather, are far more unpredictable than conventional energy production; at the same time, demand is rising thanks to the growth in electric vehicles, heat pumps and so on. Together, this sets up big challenges for grid operators.

We’ve shown how a number of NCCR Automation researchers are developing diverse solutions to the challenges this throws up, from supply-side innovations such as smart grid management to demand-side flexibility markets. Kuafu bridges the two sides through an automated flexibility management platform that connects grid operators and energy management system providers (EMS). The platform’s proprietary technology provides intelligent forecasting of both demand and flexibility (combining statistics with predictive control), as well as a communications interface between the grid and EMS. 

The benefits are many. Better connection at this level enables operators to manage their supply more efficiently, rather than having to add power lines; it contributes to a more resilient and sustainable energy system; and for end users, optimising their consumption and production (through solar panels) can even put money in their pockets. 

Illustration of networked energy users and producers: a factory, office building, house, power plant, electricity pylons, solar panels and wind turbines are all connected. The Kuafu logo appears alongside.

Founders Federica Bellizio and Hanmin Cai met at Empa and found common ground in their backgrounds in energy systems and digitalisation of the grid. Together, they looked for ideas that promised to have a real impact in the energy industry, and Kuafu was the result. But they are very conscious that the technology is just the start – building a business adds entirely new challenges. From leadership training to market analysis, here’s what they are doing to prepare for launch. 

  1. Get non-dilutive funding 

You need money to start a business, especially in tech, but getting venture capital means handing over a substantial chunk of equity (and control) to your investors. That may not be a bad thing; besides the financial support, your investors will be motivated to help you succeed and could form a crucial part of your network. But in the early stages, it’s often advisable to retain as much control as possible. 

Federica and Hanmin between them have won an Empa Entrepreneur Fellowship and an NCCR Automation industry collaboration grant, as well as Innovation Booster funding from Energy Lab and second prize in the ClimateLaunchPad cleantech competition, and are applying for several further programmes.

  1. Get start-up coaching

Switzerland has a rich start-up ecosystem, full of organisations that are dedicated to helping new businesses get off the ground. Federica and Hanmin have joined Bluelion’s accelerator programme and taken Innosuisse coaching, as well as taking part in the NCCR-run Bench2Biz, which is designed specifically to help scientists make the transition to entrepreneurship. And Federica, as the CEO, is also taking a CAS in leadership and entrepreneurship. 

Federica explains that all these programmes have addressed different aspects of business, from management to pitching to investors. The most interesting part of Bench2Biz, she says, is working with MBA students to define their business model, including performing market analysis, identifying competitors, customer discovery, pricing and branding. 

Hanmin adds: “There’s no lecturer teaching. We’re working with these students in a co-creation process. You give others the opportunity to help you improve – it’s unique. And this is more friendly to early stage start-ups; you’re really shaping the project together.”

  1. Limit your risks

Getting this solid a grounding at the start of your start-up journey is an excellent way to manage the risks associated with forming a business. Kuafu’s founders are taking care to limit those risks every way they can. 

“We are using advisers, not hiring,” says Federica. “And we are working on building our investor network, but without taking on any big funding.” 

It’s clear that chasing the sun isn’t just about photovoltaic energy – it is a good description of the ambition shown by these two budding entrepreneurs. Their determination to plot a business course with the best chance of success provides a model for any researcher looking to turn their idea into an enterprise.

Getting science out of the lab and into the real world is a key goal of the NCCR Automation, and we have many ways of helping our researchers. If you’re inspired to follow Kuafu’s lead, talk to our knowledge and technology transfer team, Ben Sawicki and Claudia Fischer, about the support available. And be sure to read the internal newsletter, where opportunities are often shared.