Cyclotron Road is an important Berkeley Lab service that offers expertise and capabilities from across the Lab to science entrepreneurs, to help them accelerate the commercialization of their game-changing energy technologies. The first of the DOE’s four Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Programs (LEEP), it has been housed in the Energy Technologies Area (ETA) for the past seven years, with Tom Kirchstetter most recently serving as its interim director.
A few months ago, ETA and Lab Directorate leadership began discussions about the best way to continue evolving the program. The decision was made to move management of the program to the Strategic Partnerships Office (SPO), to become an integral part of the Deputy Lab Director for Research’s organization, and to reflect the Lab-wide nature of Cyclotron Road. The move will be effective October 1.
“We believe that this move will help Cyclotron Road be more widely subscribed to by all of our areas and divisions: they will have broader awareness of and ability to interact with the program, be better able to provide input on Cyclotron Road’s direction, strategy, and focus areas, and have increased opportunities for researchers and staff to work with Cyclotron Road fellows,” said Carol Burns, the Lab’s deputy director for research.
“The move also will elevate to the Lab Directorate our interactions and communications with DOE about the program,” added Ravi Prasher, Energy Technologies Area’s associate lab director. “The DOE continues to emphasize the value of the national labs’ LEEP programs, and we believe additional funding opportunities may be available to further strengthen the program.”
Cyclotron Road has already generated significant value for the DOE. To date, in partnership with the nonprofit Activate, it has supported 86 entrepreneurs who have generated almost a billion dollars in additional public and private funding, and who have hired more than 900 employees as they have begun to scale their companies for broad societal impact. Among its successes: a company that offers wireless charging for medical devices implanted in the human body; a company that makes plant-based bacon from seaweed; and a company, recently purchased by Volkswagen partner Northvolt, that makes lithium metal batteries that offers dramatic improvements in performance, safety, and thermal durability.
Under Todd Pray’s leadership at SPO, Cyclotron Road will be able to work closely with SPO to support technology development and commercialization through public-private partnerships. Said Todd, “The SPO team already manages Cyclotron Road members’ Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, and is already deeply familiar with Activate and the Cyclotron Road member companies and fellows. We are looking forward to working with our new Cyclotron Road team members to maximize synergies across our work.”
As part of this move, Melanie Sonsteng, who will continue to be Cyclotron Road’s program manager, will transfer to SPO. Tom Kirchstetter will continue to be closely involved with the program as its chief science advisor.
Said Tom, “I continue to be inspired by the entrepreneurs who are dedicated to helping us realize a cleaner, brighter future, and look forward to more amazing accomplishments from the new fellows in our 2022 cohort and beyond.”
