About Turntide
Turntide Technologies was founded in 2014, developing a novel electric motor design, sometimes called a "switched reluctance" motor, that the company argues can achieve significantly better energy efficiency than conventional electric motors widely used in commercial building HVAC systems, industrial equipment, and various other applications, an important consideration given that electric motors collectively consume a very substantial share of global electricity usage, particularly in commercial and industrial applications such as building ventilation and air conditioning systems, making even modest efficiency improvements in motor technology potentially significant at scale for both energy costs and broader climate impact given electricity generation's ongoing, if declining, association with fossil fuel combustion in many regions.
The company's motor technology avoids the rare earth magnets and certain other materials used in some conventional high-efficiency motor designs, an important consideration given both the cost and, in some cases, environmentally and geopolitically sensitive sourcing considerations associated with rare earth material supply chains, which are geographically concentrated in a small number of countries and mining regions globally. Turntide has particularly focused on retrofitting its more efficient motor technology into existing commercial building HVAC systems, a market opportunity given the very large existing installed base of less efficient motors in commercial buildings that could potentially achieve meaningful energy savings through motor replacement without requiring a building's entire HVAC system to be replaced, letting building owners capture efficiency improvements through a more targeted, lower-cost intervention than replacing an entire HVAC system. The company has positioned its technology as addressing both direct energy cost savings for building owners and broader corporate sustainability and emissions reduction goals, an increasingly significant consideration for many commercial building owners and corporate tenants facing growing pressure to demonstrate progress on climate and sustainability commitments. Turntide's customers span commercial building owners and operators, as well as industrial equipment manufacturers incorporating its motor technology into their own products. The company has raised substantial venture funding from investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures and BMW i Ventures, reflecting significant investor interest in energy efficiency technology relevant to broader decarbonization goals.
