SAFCell, Inc., a Caltech start-up fuel cell company based in Pasadena, CA, received the Los Angeles Business Journal's 2013 Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Award. SAFCell was one of five companies in the Los Angeles area to be recognized on November 14 with the coveted award for its leadership in technology innovation and for fostering the "economic competitiveness of the region."
Speaking at the awards ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles Business Journal Publisher and CEO Matt Toledo said, "Los Angeles is home to many of the most exciting and groundbreaking companies in the world, each striving to become a 'game-changer' through ingenuity and innovation."
“It is a great honor to be among this distinguished group of companies and to have the Journal and Dr. Soon-Shiong recognize our fuel cell innovation, not to mention our determination to bring it to market," remarked SAFCell CEO and Founder Calum Chisholm, who accepted the award.
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong is an internationally recognized inventor and entrepreneur in the field of medical nanotechnology and drug development. He also ranks among Forbes' wealthiest Americans. The Innovation Award that bears his name was established in 2010 as a way to honor other entrepreneurs who also strive to be in the vanguard of successful new technologies.
SAFCell, Inc. develops solid acid fuel cell stacks that are scalable from tens to thousands of watts and can tolerate commercially available fuels (e.g., propane, natural gas, or diesel). Operating at mid-range temperatures around 250°C, SAFCell’s stacks are rugged and fuel flexible, which reduces system complexity and cost and opens up a range of possible commercial applications. SAFCell was recently awarded a $1MM Army grant to develop man-portable power systems.