The Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator is in its third year with 10 startups from Alabama, other states and even other countries. Alabama NewsCenter is putting a spotlight on all the companies in the 2022 class.

In this Startup Spotlight, we look at Rivalia Chemical.

Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator 2022: Rivalia Chemical Co. from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

Company: Rivalia Chemical Co.

Company hometown: New York, New York

Leadership: Dr. Laura Stoy, CEO and founder

Alabama NewsCenter: What is your company’s overall focus and mission?

Laura Stoy: Rivalia Chemical Co. is a new champion in resource recovery. We are producing valuable rare earth elements from wastes for use in green technologies like electric cars and wind turbines. Currently, we are primarily focused on coal fly ash, a waste produced from burning coal for power, but we are expanding into other waste materials as well.

ANC: What inspired you to start this company? How do you want to contribute to the future of energy and tech?

Stoy: I first began investigating rare earth-element extraction from coal ash as a graduate student at Georgia Tech. I’ve always been interested in recycling on large scales – just looking at ash ponds on a map, you can see their giant footprint. I was captured by the idea that we could treat this waste as a resource – one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, after all. Extracting rare earth elements seemed like a perfect way to recycle the ash – we need rare earths for all kinds of technologies, and the U.S. currently imports about 100% of the rare earths we need. It also poses a fascinating chemistry question, which I loved. As I neared the end of my time at Georgia Tech, I realized I wanted to bring the solution I developed out of the lab and into the world. I’m grateful for Techstars for their support in helping me launch this company!

Dr. Laura Stoy is CEO and founder of Rivalia Chemical Co. (Michael Tomberlin / Alabama NewsCenter)

ANC: What attracted you to the Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator?

Stoy: Given my focus on coal fly ash, I was tremendously excited to be able to work with Alabama Power. Developing our technology alongside the largest utility in the South is an amazing opportunity. This partnership is incredibly special among Techstars, even among accelerators in general.

ANC: What is the No. 1 thing you would like potential investors to understand about your company?

Stoy: The green energy transition is here, and we need rare earth elements to make it happen. We have plenty of rare earths right here at home, but it will take investment to get them. We also have a unique opportunity to clean up waste sites and develop them into something new – there are more than 700 ash ponds alone in the United States.

ANC: What takeaways do you hope to gain for your company by taking part in the Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator?

Stoy: It takes a lot for a hard-tech startup to be successful. The wealth of knowledge coming from Techstars is immense, and I’m absolutely delighted with the mentors I’ve been connected with thus far. I think I’m most excited about building out our hiring roadmap and fundraising strategy.

ANC: What is your opinion of Birmingham so far?

Stoy: Birmingham has been wonderful so far – the entrepreneurship community is really special, and I’m really impressed with how generous folks are with their time and knowledge. Birmingham also has some amazing sunsets, which is a personal favorite for me!

You can find Rivalia Chemical online at rivaliachemical.com and on LinkedIn.

Alabama NewsCenter is highlighting the 2022 Class of startups participating in the Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator. Learn more about Techstars here.