Bison Underground, an OU-affiliated startup, is one of only 23 winners worldwide, who will split XPRIZE, a $5M Carbon Removal Student Competition. The award program is part of the $100 Million XPRIZE for Carbon Removal supported by the Musk Foundation. XPRIZE awards funding to entrepreneurs, scientists and researchers who are developing disruptive technologies that will shake the current market.
Selected from 195 university-affiliated proposals, Bison Underground, led by Steven Adams, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and current Ph.D. student at the University of Oklahoma, submitted a blueprint for an invention that will remove carbon from the atmosphere and repurpose it to support agricultural yield. The proposed technology will eliminate atmospheric carbon while rehabilitating agricultural conditions to strengthen global food security.
Launched just over three months ago, the Bison Underground team is made of geologists, engineers, microbiologists and environmental scientists who represent women, immigrants, veterans and reserve military members. The team is one of only five all-American teams who were chosen.
Bison Underground's mission is to tackle climate change using carbon sequestration processes that not only remove carbon from the atmosphere, but restore agricultural soil quality to bolster global food security, encourage sustainable farming practices, provide economic opportunities for farmers, and limit harmful soil additives.
Leading up to the launch of Bison Underground, the team utilized Tom Love Innovation Hub resources including OU Startup programs and the Fabrication Lab. More recently, Bison Underground was invited to attend OK Catalyst's inaugural Roadmap Weekend that guides researchers through the process of commercializing their technology. Bison Underground was one of 30 participants chosen for the Fall '21 cohort who received training and mentorship from OK Catalyst and ecosystem partners.
Moving forward, Bison Underground will be partnering with OK Catalyst to identify and apply for seed funding from varying agencies including the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation. OK Catalyst is focused on seeking out and partnering with visionaries, like Bison Underground, that are producing technologies that will provide solutions to the global climate crisis.
To get on the Spring 2022 waiting list for Roadmap Weekend, follow this link. Have questions about SBIR funding? Schedule a consultation with Director, Sarah Hamby to see if you're a good fit.
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