When people think of renewable energy, solar panels or windmills are often the first images that come to mind. Yet half of global renewable energy comes from sustainable bioenergy, according to energy policy think tank REN21…
Javier Farago Escobar, a Harvard postdoctoral fellow in environmental sciences and engineering, founded BiomassTrust, a startup dedicated to removing harmful chlorine from Brazilian eucalyptus wood pellets. The startup aims to combat climate change…
O engenheiro florestal Javier Farago Escobar, 34, de São Paulo, é fundador da startup BiomassTrust, que ele criou estudando em Harvard…
More than 60 percent of that sustainable bioenergy is produced by burning wood pellets, but their potential as a renewable energy source remains limited. Pellets generated from vast, tropical eucalyptus forests are banned in many countries because burning them generates…
TEDx was created in the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading.” It supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community.
Aos 34 anos de idade, o engenheiro florestal Javier Farago Escobar carrega um currículo invejável. Durante seu doutorado em Energia no Instituto de Energia e Ambiente (IEE) da USP…
Javier Escobar, doutor em Energia pelo Instituto de Energia e Ambiente (IEE) da USP, Orientado pelo professor José Goldemberg, sua tese de doutorado foi premiada como Tese Destaque USP de 2017.
Awards






Impressive! – This isn’t likely venture with the capital required. But an exciting project!
Harvard Innovation Lab
Harvard President's Innovation Challenge







The pellet produced by Javier is the pellet that meets the environmental European standards, and can be exported!
José Goldemberg Ph.D.
Brazilian Scientific Leader and Politian







This is a potential game-changing idea. BiomassTrust’s value proposition is strong and positioned well for the push to further climate change goals in the near term.
Harvard Innovation Lab
Harvard President's Innovation Challenge







A major global challenge is setting up a commodity capable of being a green alternative to coal. Doubtless, BiomassTrust’s technological solution represents an outstanding contribution in this direction.
Hudson Mendonça
Champion MIT REAP Brazil







Fascinating transformative technology filling a market need!
Harvard Innovation Lab
Harvard President's Innovation Challenge







This energy solution could have a powerful impact on reducing emissions while providing stable energy to consumers.
Harvard Innovation Lab
Harvard President's Innovation Challenge
Impact
We are aligned to 7 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix is fundamental to achieving higher levels of economic productivity and promoting decent job creation through diversification, technological upgrading, and innovation.
Displacing fossil fuels for BiomassTrus’t wood pellets also delivers carbon emissions savings through restoring degraded land, implementation of sustainable management and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.




























Milestones
BiomassTrust is an academic spin-off founded in spring 2020 at Harvard Innovation Labs. Prior to becoming a company, we build a consistent technology supported by awards and honors, patents, industrial and commercial validation, and the world’s first eucalyptus wood pellets fuel certification.
2015 feb
“Young Researcher Brazilian Project”
Biomass Brazilian project recognized by OÖEnergiesparverband and Intelligent Energy Europe-EU in World Sustainable Energy Days. Austria.
2015 oct
“Brazilian Prize of Innovation and Technology on Biomass”
Supported by World Bioenergy Association. Brazil
2016 oct
Patent Deposit
World: PCT/WIPO; & Brazil: INPI/BR.
2017 SEP
“USP Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award”
First place winner, University of São Paulo. Brazil
2018 APR
PCT/WIPO
Patent Accepted in 198 countries
2018 OCT
Technology Industrial Validation
(MVP – Minimum Value Product) in Bahia State, Brazil.
2018 NOV
TEDx Talk
Worldwide presentation of Intellectual Property solution
2019 APR
INPI/BR
Brazilian Patent Granted
2019 MAI
EPO
European Union Patent Filled
2019 MAI
NOIPV
Vietnamese Patent Filled
2019 OCT
Obtained the world’s first certified eucalyptus wood pellet fuel
(ENplusA1)
2019 NOV
Technology Demand Validation
Our MVP sold 300 containers of chloride-free eucalyptus wood pellet fuel to European Union
2020 FEB
BiomassTrust Founded
Venture Program at Harvard Innovation Labs, Harvard University. USA.
2020 MAR
Spark Grants Award
Harvard Innovation Labs. USA
2021 JAN
BiomassTrust Featured Story
School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard University. USA.
2021 JAN
Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge Semi-Finalist
Harvard University. USA
2021 APR
BiomassTrust LLC.
Massachusetts, USA
Solution
We speed up carbon neutrality from the largest non-intermittent renewable energy worldwide!
Team
Javier Farago Escobar
Javier developed BiomassTrust’s patented process. He is a Harvard Postdoc in Envir. Science and Engineering 22′ at Harvard School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and an expert in bioenergy & air quality. He serves as Lead Brazilian Contributor in REN21/UN Environment; and co-Director at Harvard GSAS Business Club. Javier holds a Ph.D. in Energy with highest honors from University of São Paulo.
Mai Hoang
Mai is a Harvard College 25’, an expert in Southeast Asian Climate Change Strategy. She serves as UNDP Consultant to curate at Climate Hub in Viet Nam, with a focus on Youth & Private sector; also UNDP Consultant to lead the Special Report “Youth for Climate Action in Viet Nam”. Mai is a Director at Harvard Undergraduate Law Review; and Cleantech Sourcing Analyst at Harvard Undergraduate Capital Partners.
Yuanchao Fan
Fan is a Harvard’s Solar Geoengineering Postdoc at Harvard Center for the Environment, and an expert in forests, with experience in vegetation carbon and energy cycles of ecosystems across tropical regions. He received his PhD degrees in Bioclimatology from University of Göttingen; and Functional Ecology & Agricultural Sci. from AgroParisTech.
Diego Rauter de Vasconcellos
Prior to joining BiomassTrust, Diego spent 20 years advising institutional clients on high-value and complex corporate transactions at BR Partners; Credit Suisse; Bank of America Merrill Lynch; and ABN AMRO Bank, with experience structuring project finance greenfield capital. Diego holds a BA in Business Administration from Fundação Getulio Vargas & Tulane University.
Mike Alba Pieracci
Mike has 06 years as an operations manager in the energy sector. He led several technical, strategic and investment operations for infrastructure construction in Latin America. Mike was a Swiss Federal Institute of Technology EPFL Merit’s Fellow and completed his MBA at Miguel de Cervantes European University.
Leandro Augusto Colombo
Colombo spent 17 years advising industrial global companies such as Randon, Marcopolo, Polirim, and many others on business planning and cost management, with experience estimating, allocating, and controlling project costs. He holds a BA and MSc in Manufacturing Engineering from UCS and received his MBA at Unisinos University.