Chief Finance Officer Grant Berman Joins the 2024 HardTech Accelerator Cohort
Indianapolis, IN – July 29, 2024 – The Heritage Group (THG) Accelerator is excited to welcome eight innovative companies into its 2024 HardTech Accelerator cohort. Hosted at The Heritage Group’s innovation campus in Indianapolis, these startups are at the forefront of driving a sustainable future. Their work spans advanced materials, environmental solutions, infrastructure and construction, specialty chemicals, and industrial systems, showcasing a commitment to cutting-edge development in these critical sectors.
In its 5th year, the 13-week program supplies each startup personalized mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs, scientists, industry professionals, and executives. Additionally, startups gain access to THG’s extensive network of over 50 operating companies, providing key industry insights and opportunities for potential pilot projects. The program’s highlight will be the annual HardTech Showcase on October 22, 2024, where the startups will present their technologies and business models to an audience of investors, industry specialists, and corporate leaders.
Arvind Murthy, the General Manager of the Accelerator, highlighted the program’s international reach. “We’re not just showcasing regional talent; we’re building a global community dedicated to HardTech and green technology.” He emphasized the importance of startup accelerators in fostering innovation, adding, “Each startup in our program tackles critical challenges, driving us toward a more sustainable future. In this interconnected network, we’re empowering visionaries and nurturing technological breakthroughs.”
Each participating company was chosen after an intensive application and screening process. This year’s companies include:
- BioMetallica (Singapore) BioMetallica pioneers the precious metal recycling industry with a unique technology that transforms waste into valuable resources while significantly reducing environmental impact through bioleaching and slurry electrolysis for sustainable metal recovery.
- Driven Plastics (Pueblo, Colorado) Driven Plastics innovatively transforms single-use rPE plastic waste, such as grocery bags and shrink-wrap film, into a custom additive for asphalt stabilization and homogenization, utilizing a patented process and a compatibilizer from Dow Chemical’s asphalt division, preventing landfill accumulation.
- Forever Analytical Solutions (South Bend, IN) Forever Analytical Solutions develops methods for detecting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in various samples, offering rapid, field-deployable, and home-test kits to ensure precise and comprehensive PFAS monitoring for environmental and public health protection.
- Hentrac (Antwerp, Belgium) Hentrac offers innovative solutions for sustainable traceability in supply chains, enhancing data management and resource optimization.
- Naki (Kiryat Gat, Israel) Naki specializes in upcycling food industry sludge into sustainable bio-oil using climate transformative technology.
- PFC-X (Philadelphia, PA) PFC-X specializes in PFAS destruction and activated carbon reactivation/recycling using advanced room temperature plasma technology.
- Smartville (Carlsbad, CA) Smartville develops EV battery circularity solutions with unique battery-connect hardware and a data-driven platform. It creates end-to-end solutions for assessing, capturing, and sharing battery data; and streamlining battery qualification, integration, and reuse.
- TDRI Solutions (Auckland, New Zealand) TDRI Solutions is a company that provides high-speed, noninvasive subsurface moisture measurement to pre-emptively fix potholes and increase the longevity of roads.
The Heritage Group Accelerator portfolio includes over 45 startups with a focus on HardTech. The Accelerator’s alumni have conducted over 31 pilots and raised in excess of $40 million in follow-on funding over the past four years.
For more information about The Heritage Group Accelerator, visit https://hgaccelerator.com/.
About HG Ventures: HG Ventures is the corporate venture arm of The Heritage Group, headquartered in Indianapolis. HG Ventures fuels innovation and growth across The Heritage Group by investing in and partnering with innovative, high-growth companies that strive for a sustainable future. For more information, visit www.hgventures.com.
About The Heritage Group: Founded in 1930, The Heritage Group (THG) is a fourth-generation, family-owned business managing a broad portfolio of companies in the fields of heavy construction and materials, environmental services, and specialty chemicals. Companies within the THG portfolio include Heritage Environmental Services, Heritage Construction + Materials, and Monument Chemical. With more than 6,000 employees and 30 operating companies worldwide, THG aims to build a safer, more enriching and sustainable world by harnessing the power of family.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Megan Savage [msavage@thgrp.com]