Nelson Batista (CTO) | Filipe Reina Fernandes (CEO) | António Santos (COO)

Wind power is a reliable source of energy and over the past 50 years there has been enormous growth in installed capacity. A trend that must continue if we are to achieve grid neutrality by 2050. At Windcredible, our mission is to harness the wind and produce green energy on a household scale. Our wind generators allow anyone exposed to the wind to reduce their electricity bill while helping the planet.

01. Describe the problem/the industry that you are trying to  mediate (and precise the UN SDG-s you are solving). 

We all know that mankind needs to shift to green energy as soon as possible, if we want to avoid a climate disaster. Wind is a clean and reliable source of energy and for the last 50 years there has been an enormous growth in the installed capacity. But no one dared to install wind generators in urban areas, in residential and office buildings, for mainly 3 reasons: too big, too loud and too much vibrations. Three problems that you no longer have to worry about with our vertical design.

At Windcredible, we aim to achieve SDG 7 (Affordable Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Decentralised energy production is a step towards energy sovereignty and carbon neutrality. A wind-powered generator is also a good complement to any energy-consuming system - by using the same electrical infrastructure as solar energy, operating costs are significantly reduced. Our micro wind turbines are efficient - the medium-sized model saves you about ⅓ of your energy bill - safe, small enough, make no audible noise and produce only residual vibrations. With them, you can generate energy wherever the wind blows.

02. How did the idea to create the company come to mind? How did your team come to be? 

Coming from a very windy city facing an energy crisis due to the war in Ukraine, Filipe wanted to find a way for the people of this city to benefit from this energy in order to reduce their electricity bills while helping to protect the environment. António and Filipe knew each other and had worked together for a long time in the army. So Filipe asked António to help him find a way to create a wind generator that is cheap, safe and suitable for urban areas. Marvim, an experienced mechanical engineer, was their main resource for design and material issues, and the three of them began testing models for months, using recycled plastic for the rotor and mounting, and a recycled scooter wheel engine as the permanent magnet generator for their prototype. But they were not there yet, in fact they were quite far from it.

During another long night of research, Filipe came across a PHD thesis that presented the model he had imagined. He also discovered that the author of the thesis worked in the same company as his wife, who arranged a meeting. The chemistry between the four of them was instantaneous. With Filipe's leadership and cybersecurity skills, António's electronics and networking knowledge, Marvim's manufacturing experience and Nelson's design and expertise, we knew we could create something good. And so Windcredible was born.

03. Why did you choose to participate in the Techstars Sustainability Paris Accelerator program?  

We knew from the start that the Paris Techstars accelerator program would be one of the best opportunities we could have to find a supportive environment to growth and interested investors and mentors to help us. We felt that the program's focus on sustainability matched our goal of reducing carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels, and helping to mitigate the climate crisis.

Techstars' investment will help us to build the first batch of pilots and move more quickly to the next stage. But more important than the money is the invaluable and extensive network of successful and experienced partners and mentors that Techstars provides. We are confident that this accelerator will provide us with all the tools we need to get VC ready and scale up on an international level. 

04. What are you the most proud of in your initial journey with  your company? 

We are really proud of how our product is being received by everyone - investors, possible clients, expertises in renewable energies, journalists and people in general. It proves that we are not just four crazy people wanting to change the world. It shows us that our idea is valid, that a lot of people really care about carbon neutrality and want to make the shift to decentralized energy production. Knowing this helped us through the tough times and the many challenges that we faced during our journey. We assembled a pretty good, diverse, united team, worked hard and in just a few months we have grown beyond our imagination - from a dream to the TechStars Paris program in less than a year. We could not be more proud.

05. How do you plan to measure the positive impact of your  company in the next 5 years? 

By using renewable energy sources, we are reducing CO2 emissions - impacting the climate and people’s health. And by decentralizing energy production, we will automatically impact people’s wallets. But we want to measure our impact not only on people's bills but also in their lives. We will count key KPIs such as the green energy produced (kWh), CO2 avoided, turbines installed and jobs created. 

Besides the environmental impact, we also will have a social one, by donating wind generators to underdeveloped countries where our turbines can really improve people's lives. Those are the ones more deeply affected by climate change, but are also the ones who will have bigger energy necessities if they want to keep developing. They shouldn’t have to pay the highest price on both fronts. So we hope we can tackle part of the problem.

Follow our page on Linkedin to stay updated on our journey and the innovative ways in which we are promoting more sustainable lifestyles.

For the latest news on our applications, please visit our page.

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