Tim De Chant, Author at TechCrunch

OpenAI’s crisis will sow the seeds of the next generation of AI startups

Tim De Chant — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 18:42:47 +0000

OpenAI’s meltdown is likely to become the latest installment in what’s becoming a Silicon Valley tradition. It's hard to know how this will end.

Climate tech’s biggest hits and misses in 2023

Tim De Chant — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 15:00:07 +0000

For the broader economy, this was the year of the recession that never arrived. But for climate tech, it was a year of both great hits and big misses.

Why supersize convenience stores might be key to unlocking EV fast charging

Tim De Chant — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 17:00:49 +0000

We got a glimpse of Buc-ee’s possible future on Thursday when Mercedes announced that it would build around 30 fast-charging hubs at Buc-ee’s locations throughout the South.

Another room-temperature superconductor bites the dust

Tim De Chant — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 20:53:15 +0000

Other researchers had discovered numerous problems with the scientific paper describing the material. Now the scientific journal Nature has retracted it.

Congruent starts raising fresh $250M early-stage climate tech fund

Tim De Chant — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 17:18:58 +0000

High interest rates may be stifling some investments in climate tech today, but the new fund suggests that LPs see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Coperniq raises $4M seed round to bring SaaS to solar installers

Tim De Chant — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 18:40:51 +0000

The startup’s solution takes over where project proposal software leaves off, from the first site visit until the solar array is running and on the grid.

The circular economy promises to remake retail. Why is it so hard to trust?

Tim De Chant — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 16:00:47 +0000

Even if sustainability isn’t a key differentiator, brand-owned resale sites can help capture some of the value that would otherwise go to secondhand markets.

AirLoom has a plan to halve the cost of wind power

Tim De Chant — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 13:30:00 +0000

The Wyoming-based startup thinks the traditional three-bladed turbine is played out and has a new design to bring wind energy to more places.

US automakers need to make up their minds already

Tim De Chant — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 16:00:01 +0000

Ford and GM are hedging their bets on EVs. In times of transition, that can be a terrible way to run a business.

Byterat nabs $4M seed round to collect and analyze data for battery labs

Tim De Chant — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 14:00:07 +0000

Like many entrepreneurs, Byterat's founders realized that the challenges they had faced themselves in the lab were a business opportunity.

Inlyte Energy reels in $8M seed round to revive a 50-year-old battery technology

Tim De Chant — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 12:00:24 +0000

With some tweaks, the company believes it can make cells while still maintaining the chemistry’s longevity and energy density.

Harvest Thermal taps $4M seed round to make heat pumps cheaper to run

Tim De Chant — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 13:00:41 +0000

The team came up with a system that integrated a heat pump and a hot water storage tank with a pod that turns the system into a thermal battery.

It’s too late for nuclear to save the climate

Tim De Chant — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:00:30 +0000

Even with the new designs, nuclear power probably won’t be enough to make a difference because its biggest hurdles aren’t technical at all.

Federal hydrogen hub program could give fuel a boost — or the boot

Tim De Chant — Sun, 22 Oct 2023 16:00:26 +0000

The federal government's approach to hydrogen is strikingly similar to the way it promoted biofuels a decade ago. That's not a good thing.

Overstory snags $14M Series A to use AI to help utilities cut their wildfire risk

Tim De Chant — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 12:17:35 +0000

Utilities have long known about the hazards posed by trees growing close to power lines, but the successive disasters have thrown the issue into sharp relief.

Where’s the innovation in induction kitchens?

Tim De Chant — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 16:00:27 +0000

Induction cooking has the potential to liberate us to rethink the kitchen, but new designs have been slow to arrive.

Toyota’s EV strategy hinges on a partnership with a petrochemical company

Tim De Chant — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 17:44:21 +0000

Toyota’s EV progress remains nascent. And a recent announcement about a manufacturing partner suggests that the company is still feeling its way forward.

Bedrock Energy thinks the solution to decarbonizing skyscrapers is 1,500 feet underground

Tim De Chant — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 13:33:14 +0000

Big buildings almost always have big carbon footprints, and getting the carbon out of heating and cooling is especially challenging. Geothermal might be the answer.

Breathe Battery Technologies bets that software will eat batteries too

Tim De Chant — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 11:00:40 +0000

The startup has developed software for lithium-ion batteries to endow them with either faster charging speeds or greater longevity.

Vibrant Planet raises $15M Series A to help PG&E and others trim their wildfire risk

Tim De Chant — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 13:00:02 +0000

Are enough people taking the climate threat seriously that a startup focused on wildfire management could succeed? The answer appears to be yes.