Windworks: The challenge of turning a novel technology into a viable business

In episode seven of Tech for Good, Sébastien Le Fouest, founder and CEO of Windworks, which develops smart wind turbines that operate onsite, explains his company’s breakthrough technology.

“Installing solar PV helps businesses fight rising electricity costs but leaves gaps at nighttime and in winter,” he said. “We fill those gaps with a smart wind turbine, which features our blade control technology that helps deliver electricity onsite at a cost that is competitive in today’s energy market.”

Le Fouest, who from a young age was driven to accelerate the energy transition, achieved a technological breakthrough with vertical-axis wind turbines while completing his PhD at EPFL. Recognizing it as the best and fastest way to make an impact, he and his co-founders established Windworks to empower businesses and communities to cut costs and carbon emissions with clean, affordable, and reliable power.

With its groundbreaking technology now patented, the next step is to build a demonstrator to showcase that the technology works in a relevant field, such as farming, to unlock further funding. He discusses the challenges that businesses at this stage face, including the money, milestone, and time equation, adding, “Money buys you time and helps you reach milestones, but you also need time and milestones to raise money.” It’s this equation that Windworks must now solve to turn a novel technology into a going concern.