Embedding Circularity from Day One - example of Thermo Power

At BXVentures, we back deeptech ventures that are designed to solve industrial-scale problems with measurable positive outcomes, both economically and environmentally.

One of our portfolio companies, Thermo Power Systems, illustrates how this vision translates into practice.

The Challenge: Industrial Waste Heat

Thermo Power Systems develops systems to convert low-temperature industrial waste heat into electricity. This addresses a massive untapped energy resource across heavy industries, while reducing dependency on fossil fuels.

But the team didn’t stop at energy efficiency. From the outset, they wanted to understand and optimize the environmental footprint of their solution.

The Approach: Lifecycle Thinking, Early

Through the Proof of Circularity program, led by the Walloon competitiveness cluster Mecatech, Thermo Power Systems received support to carry out a lifecycle assessment (LCA), not at the end of product development, but during the earliest design stages.

This shift in timing made a major difference.

Rather than validating impact after-the-fact, the LCA helped quantify trade-offs between materials, components, and architectures before final decisions were locked in. The result: a more informed, lower-impact design process.

As Geoffrey Roy, R&D Manager at Thermo Power Systems, puts it:
"This was a unique opportunity to factor environmental impact into our decision-making much earlier than usual. It pushed us to make better choices, faster."

The Outcome: Smarter Design, Stronger Impact

The RECYTP system now being developed is built not only for technical performance, but for circularity:

• Modular components designed for repair and reuse
• Lower embedded carbon footprint
• Competitive cost structure aligned with industrial ROI expectations

The Proof of Circularity project also helped the team prepare for future sustainability reporting requirements and position their product as an environmentally credible alternative, on par with renewable electricity sources like wind.

Why This Matters

This is precisely the kind of thinking we encourage at BXVentures. We believe deeptech solutions must not only work, they must prove their value in real-world, systemic terms.

Programs like Proof of Circularity are essential to help startups bridge the gap between ambition and execution when it comes to environmental performance.

We’re proud to support Thermo Power Systems as they scale this technology, with circularity at the core.

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