This interview is the fourth in a series spotlighting the ten winners of the WeXchange Women STEMpreneurs Competition 2024. WeXchange is an initiative of the IDB Lab, the innovation and venture arm of the Inter-American Development Bank, to unlock growth opportunities for women entrepreneurs in STEM in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Eolic Wall is revolutionizing small-scale wind energy with its innovative Eolic Cell technology. Founded by Natalia Cardenas and Alfredo Calle, Eolic Wall aims to make wind power accessible and efficient for businesses and communities.
In this conversation, Natalia shares her journey from banking to climate tech, the challenges of building a hardware startup in Latin America, and how Eolic Wall is shaping a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Addressing the gap in distributed wind energy generation
I started my career as a banker specializing in international business. After stepping away from the corporate world to raise my children, I transitioned into running home-based ventures. This period allowed me to balance family responsibilities while pursuing entrepreneurial ambitions. Later, an opportunity arose to work at a climate tech company, which sparked my passion for sustainability. That experience, combined with my concern for climate change, became the foundation for my journey with Eolic Wall.
At Eolic Wall, we tackle a significant challenge: the lack of efficient small-scale wind energy solutions. While solar energy has seen tremendous growth in distributed generation, distributed wind energy lags, accounting for less than 1% of global capacity. The reason is simple—traditional wind turbines must be massive to achieve efficiency, making them impractical for homes, businesses, and communities.
The Eolic Cell: A game changer in wind energy
At the heart of our solution is the Eolic Cell. This proprietary technology achieves efficiency levels comparable to large wind turbines but in a smaller, adaptable design. Our goal is to decentralize and democratize access to wind energy, making it as accessible and scalable as solar panels.
Key Features of the Eolic Cell
- Wind Speed Acceleration: The design accelerates wind speed, capturing more energy from the same wind resource.
- Frictionless Design: A magnetic levitation wind turbine and a direct modular generation system minimize friction and wear, ensuring efficiency and durability.
- Modularity and Space Efficiency: The modular design allows users to scale the energy system as needed, with vertical stacking optimizing space, especially in urban settings.
- Lower Wind Speed Requirements: Wind speed acceleration ensures efficiency even in areas with average wind speeds.
We adopted an Energy-as-a-Service model, where users pay for the energy generated instead of purchasing the equipment outright. This approach lowers barriers to entry, making wind energy more accessible to individuals and businesses.
Our initial focus is on businesses actively pursuing decarbonization goals. Companies today face growing pressure from governments, stakeholders, and consumers to adopt sustainable practices. Eolic Wall offers a practical and innovative solution to meet these objectives. In the future, we plan to expand into residential and industrial applications.
Challenges and funding in the deep tech landscape
Building a deep tech startup in Latin America is challenging, especially regarding funding. The regional investment ecosystem often favors software and digital solutions over hardware and deep-tech projects like ours. Despite these hurdles, we secured support through government grants, angel investors, and top global accelerator programs such as Techstars and Third Derivative.
Thanks to our team and supporters, we secured funding to develop prototypes and collect critical data. Our commitment to innovation earned us recognition at the IDB Lab Forum, providing invaluable exposure and validation. This platform connected us with potential investors and customers, further solidifying our position in the renewable energy innovation space.
The Path Forward: Pilot Projects and Expansion
We are preparing to launch our first product, which includes advanced features like cloud connectivity for remote monitoring, seamless integration with behind-the-meter connection, and a cutting-edge arc flux generation system. The next step involves deploying these beta units in pilot projects with partner companies focused on decarbonization. These real-world pilots will demonstrate the Eolic Cell’s capabilities and pave the way for broader adoption.
At Eolic Wall, we are driven by the vision of a world where wind energy is as widespread and accessible as solar power. Our journey reflects innovation, resilience, and a clear purpose: to create a more sustainable future for everyone.
Connecting with Eolic Wall
For more information on adopting this technology, visit eolicwall.com. If you are interested in investing, connect with Natalia and Alfredo on LinkedIn.