A Goleta-based startup with a knack for turning plant waste into fuel has been selected to join Shell’s GameChanger program, a global accelerator for early-stage energy innovation.
Spero Renewables, located just two miles from the UC Santa Barbara campus, announced on November 5 that its proprietary SPERLU technology will now be vetted and supported by the energy behemoth. The partnership marks a pivotal moment for the six-year-old company, which has spent the better part of a decade tinkering with one of the most stubborn molecules in the biomass world: lignin.
“Working with Shell GameChanger is a major step forward,” said Mahdi Abu-Omar, Spero’s CEO and a UCSB chemistry professor. “This partnership provides a unique opportunity to validate our approach and explore its potential across a range of applications.”…