Energy Harvesters LLC is developing the patented Walking Charger™, a footwear-integrated personal power source that uses the motion of walking to recharge mobile devices off the grid. Co-founded by Lawrence C. Grumer and Sherry S. Handel, the Boston- and Rochester-linked startup has built footwear-integrated engineering demonstrators and is pursuing applications spanning everyday wear, work boots, recreation and military use. Its technology can also provide power for footwear heaters, GPS locators and health-monitoring devices.
GemnsGemns, the new name for WePower Technologies, develops patented electromagnetic energy-harvesting generators that turn everyday motion into battery-free power for connected devices. Its technology began with industrial wireless switches and now supports applications such as smart-home controls, lighting and remote sensors, delivering up to 40 times the output of earlier kinetic harvesters. Led by founder and CEO Larry Richenstein, Gemns holds more than 15 patents across multiple countries.SAGAPONACK, NY
Shift RoboticsBorn from work on Pittsburgh’s rough, crumbling sidewalks, Shift Robotics makes AI-powered wheeled footwear that lets people walk faster without learning to skate. Its Moonwalkers use gait-based control and overlapping powered wheels to handle everyday urban terrain, while the Austin-based company’s motion-capture lab studies human movement for current and next-generation mobility devices. Shift also vertically integrates manufacturing from machining through surface treatment in-house.PITTSBURGH, PA
GenerEnGenerEn develops patent-protected magnetic-flux and vibrational energy harvesters that power battery-free wireless transmitters and remote-control systems. Led by inventor David Deak, the St. James, New York company also makes a batteryless water-leak detection system designed to trigger wireless alarms and shut off water supplies. Its generators are offered through licence-to-manufacture agreements and are compatible with EnOcean and Ezuria transmitter modules.ST JAMES, NY
Mode Wearables, IncFounded in 2019 in an East Palo Alto hacker house, Mode Wearables develops flexible wearable-energy systems and integrates them into tech-enabled clothing, including a bomber jacket that can power devices and support electronic heating. The company brings together materials science, power electronics, software engineering, and fashion design to make wearable technology less bulky and more natural to wear.NEW YORK, NY