Professor Bu Wang and Professor Robert Anex have given an incomprehensible problem of trying to reverse global warming a more tangible answer with their company, Alithic. Combining their research thrusts, they have developed a groundbreaking solution to one of the most pressing global challenges – capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transforming the captured CO2 permanently into a sustainable building material. Alithic provides a new way to address and neutralize carbon emissions, turning a problem into a useful product that can benefit both the environment and industry.
With 25 years of experience, including 13 years at UW-Madison, Anex’s research focuses on systems for producing energy, fuels, and food with minimal climate impacts. He collaborates with Wang, an associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering whose expertise in carbon removal and sustainable materials led to the discovery that forms the core of Alithic’s technology. Their idea came in Wang’s lab while experimenting with carbonizing coal fly ash, unlocking a path to creating low-carbon cement.
Supported by Discovery to Product and mentor Dr. Amar Anumakonda, Professors Anex and Wang are focused on scaling up their technology. “Bu Wang and Robert Anex embody the entrepreneurial mindset, transforming complex scientific challenges into practical and scalable solutions that pave the way for a more sustainable world,” said Anumakonda. “Their commitment to continuous improvement is positioning Alithic as a leader in sustainable construction as well as in the burgeoning industry of carbon capture.” They’re currently securing funding, completing licensing, and developing a pilot plant, hoping to become a leader in the carbon removal and sustainable concrete industry. Both researchers are driven by the urgency of the climate crisis and determined to create solutions that leave a positive legacy for future generations.
We asked Professors Bu Wang and Robert Anex to share their insights on their work with Alithic:
Where did the idea for your company come from initially?
Anex: An “Aha!” moment in the laboratory of Dr. Bu Wang while conducting experiments on carbonizing coal fly ash.
Wang: The idea came from a discovery made in my lab by a former postdoc, Dr. Raghavendra Ragipani, who is now a faculty member at IIT-Kanpur.
How has D2P helped you, and what have you learned along the way?
Anex: D2P has helped us by connecting us with resources designed to help transition our ideas to products. For example, the Morgridge Entrepreneurial Bootcamp has trained students and researchers in technology strategy and entrepreneurship. D2P also helped a group of students working with us to develop a winning submission to the XPRIZE for Carbon Removal.
Wang: D2P has helped our startup’s development since the very beginning. D2P mentored our student entrepreneurs going through customer discovery and early business development, through which Alithic was founded. When building the prototype for our technology, we leveraged the equipment and know-how developed in a previous project supported by a Draper-TIF grant from D2P.
What other entrepreneurial resources/programs have provided guidance to you?
Anex: The Technology Entrepreneurship Office (TEO), and the Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic of the Wisconsin Law School.
Wang: The commercialization of the technology was supported by WARF’s accelerator program, which not only provided funding but also a variety of support for building the startup. Our student entrepreneurs also participated in the national I-Corps program.
What’s your current focus with the company?
Anex: We are currently working to complete the licensing of our technology, secure pre-seed funding, and develop a pilot plant demonstration.
Wang: Scaling up the technology is our current focus.
What are your hopes for the company moving forward?
Anex: We expect to demonstrate that we are the low-cost solution to direct air capture of carbon dioxide and low-carbon concrete. We will develop and operate facilities that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce a low-carbon cement replacement.
What drives you/why is this project important to you personally?
Anex: My primary motivation for this work is the urgency of the climate crisis and the desire to contribute to its solution.
Wang: We have so far largely reaped the benefits of low-cost, high-emission energy and are leaving the burden of climate change to future generations. I don’t think we can ever make it fair, but at least we can try to make some meaningful contributions.
What advice would you give to other campus innovators that are just starting out with exploring the potential for their ideas?
Anex: Be patient – the commercialization process can be very slow – but be determined. There will be many who doubt your vision, but the developers know their work better than anyone. Also, be willing to accept help and build a team that doesn’t rely on you and eventually won’t need you.
Wang: Leverage the resources and support offered by D2P, WARF, and other on- or off-campus programs. Connecting with other innovators who have experience in commercialization can also help tremendously.
Campus is full of bright minds and amazing ideas, but many people do not self-identify with the term entrepreneur. Do you connect with that term, and why or why not? Is there another term you’d use to describe what you’re doing with your project?
Anex: I do think of myself as an entrepreneur. Successful academics today must be entrepreneurial. The entrepreneurial tasks involved in starting a business differ somewhat from those involved in building a research program, but the underlying ethos is the same. Both pursuits require passion, drive, and focus of energies to turn a concept into reality.
Wang: I like the term “innovator” better for describing myself because a faculty member is usually not the lead person in building a startup. While I enjoy focusing on technology innovation, I strongly encourage students to think about and explore entrepreneurship.