Innovation Deep Dives
Our team is committed to driving innovation in climate technology by collaborating with startups exploring transformative solutions. This “Deep Dive” page offers a window into this mission and features interviews with startup CEOs and founders as well as analyses of critical investment domains. These resources reflect our dedication to advancing sustainable technologies and fostering impactful partnerships.
In this episode, Shai Albaranes, Orbia’s VP of Innovation, speaks with Mo Alkhadra, Co-Founder and CEO of Lithios. They explore how Lithios unlocks low-grade brine resources to meet soaring demand, using a water- and energy-efficient process to produce low-cost, high-purity lithium for EVs and clean energy storage.
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In this Deep Dive, Shai Albaranes, Orbia VP of Innovation & Ventures, speaks with Christofer Mowry, CEO of Type One Energy, about Type One’s work to commercialize fusion energy, the advancements enabling this breakthrough and the potential to deliver sustainable, carbon-free power.
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Direct Air Capture is a vital technology for removing CO2 from the atmosphere to mitigate climate change, but its scalability faces two key challenges: clean energy availability and cost. Early VC investments could yield returns through acquisitions, but significant risks include high costs, regulatory uncertainty and potential for superior emerging technologies.
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In this episode, Shai Albaranes, Orbia VP of Innovation & Ventures, talks with Sharon Handelman-Gotlib, Co-Founder & CEO of Shela Health, about the opportunities in precision healthcare. They discuss how Shela Health is advancing women’s health equity by harnessing multiomics for personalized, proactive and predictive maternal care and lifelong health management.
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Orbia VP of Innovation & Ventures Shai Albaranes sits down with Eric Adamson, CEO of Tortuga, to explore how the startup’s innovative platform is transforming agriculture. Whether harvesting strawberries or applying UV treatments, Tortuga’s technology leverages robotics and AI to boost efficiency, reduce environmental impact and tackle global labor shortages.
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In this episode, Orbia VP of Innovation & Ventures Shai Albaranes talks to Silvec Biologics Co-Founder & CTO Dr. Anne Simon about the devastating effects of citrus greening from Huanglongbing (HLB), a bacterial disease threatening citrus trees worldwide. Dr. Simon explains how Silvec Biologics is developing a novel approach using RNA technology to combat this disease and provide a lifeline for affected orchards.
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Orbia VP of Innovation & Ventures Shai Albaranes talks to Orbillion Bio CEO & Co-Founder Patricia Bubner about the future of food and how Orbillion Bio is producing premium cell-cultured meat. Bubner explains how their technology allows them to efficiently grow premium and exotic meat from animal cells to provide a sustainable and ethical alternative to traditional meat production.
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This Deep Dive features Orbia VP of Innovation & Ventures Shai Albaranes and LanzaTech CEO Dr. Jennifer Holmgren discussing how LanzaTech is transforming waste carbon into valuable everyday products. Dr. Holmgren details how LanzaTech’s innovative gas fermentation process uses naturally occurring bacteria to convert waste gases from industrial processes (like those used in steel mills) and other sources into ethanol. This ethanol then serves as a building block for producing sustainable materials including fuels, plastics and fabrics.
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InnerPlant Co-Founder & CEO Shely Aronov joins Orbia VP of Innovation & Ventures Shai Albaranes for our latest Deep Dive to discuss how InnerPlant uses biotechnology to enable plants to signal their needs (such as those for water and nutrients for defense against pathogens) through fluorescent proteins, which can be detected remotely via satellite imagery. This technology allows for precise and timely agricultural interventions that optimize resource use and minimize environmental impact.
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Chloris Geospatial Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer Alessandro Baccini speaks with Shai Albaranes, Orbia VP of Innovation & Ventures about exploring the zero carbon measurement and a net-zero world by 2050. Chloris Geospatial is a leading technology company that provides data for the measurement and tracking of forest carbon anywhere on Earth. Comprehensive conservation and restoration of forests are needed to prevent the loss of natural capital that underpins healthy economies in support of goals to achieve a net-zero carbon world by 2050.
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In this episode, Shai Albaranes speaks with Daisuke Sakai, Co-Founder of teamLab, about how the collective uses immersive art and cutting-edge technology to connect people with nature and each other. Sakai delves into the innovative ways teamLab integrates engineering, robotics and digital design to create awe-inspiring, interactive installations. These unique works redefine the traditional museum experience, dissolving boundaries between the viewer and the art, encouraging collaboration and a deeper understanding of humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
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Dive Deeper...
We are always looking for investment opportunities and leadership perspectives corresponding to Orbia Ventures’ focus areas.
Please reach out via the button below if you are a founder with a technology to scale or a story to tell. In 2025, we are looking particularly for climate tech founders who can share perspectives on their technologies and value propositions for the “Innovation Deep Dives” series.