Curtis P. Berlinguette
Curtis P. Berlinguette is a Canadian chemist, materials scientist, and entrepreneur known for his research in materials science and clean energy technologies. He holds a faculty position at the University of British Columbia where he is a Professor of Chemistry and Chemical and Biological Engineering. He serves as a CIFAR Program Co-Director in Accelerated Decarbonization and is a Principal Investigator at the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute. Berlinguette is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Berlinguette is also a founder of several companies, including Miru and Sora Fuel. His academic research group designs and builds electrochemical reactors to accelerate the discovery and translation of decarbonization technologies.
Education and career
Berlinguette earned his BSc at the University of Alberta in 2000, and his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at Texas A&M University in 2004 under the supervision of Professor Kim R. Dunbar. After completing his postdoctoral studies at Harvard University with Professor Richard H. Holm, Berlinguette began his independent academic career at the University of Calgary in the Department of Chemistry in 2006. In 2013, Berlinguette joined the University of British Columbia. Berlinguette is commercializing technologies invented in his labs through Miru and Sora Fuel.Research interests
Berlinguette’s research program designs and develops electrochemical reactors aimed at accelerating decarbonization. His academic group has advanced a range of clean energy applications, including reactive carbon capture, carbon-neutral building materials, electrification of the chemical industry, and nuclear fusion. His team also built a self-driving laboratory to accelerate clean energy materials research.Start-up companies
In 2011 Berlinguette with Simon Trudel co-founded FireWater Fuel Corp. in an attempt to commercialize their patented catalyst technology for green hydrogen production.In 2016 the FireWater Fuel Corp. has been renamed to Click Materials Corp. with a new goal of commercializing technology for production of electrochromic windows. Later, in 2020 the company has been renamed again to Miru Smart Technologies Corp.
In July 2024, Miru Smart Technologies secured US $20 million in Series A financing co-led by BDC Capital, the investment arm of Crown corporation the Business Development Bank of Canada, and Angelo Paletta, president and CEO of Ontario-based TNG Capital Corp.
In 2024, Berlinguette co-founded Sora Fuel, a startup focused on producing sustainable aviation fuel from atmospheric CO2. In July 2024, Sora Fuel secured US $6 million in seed funding, led by Engine Ventures.
Awards and recognitions
Berlinguette has received numerous awards and accolades, including:Canada’s 2023 Clean50 Award
Fellow of the Royal Society Canada
UBC Distinguished University Scholar
CIFAR Program Co-Director for Accelerated Decarbonization
CSC Award for Research Excellence in Materials Chemistry
RSC Alex Rutherford Medal for Chemistry
NSERC E.W.R Steacie Memorial Fellowship
Strem Chemicals Award for Pure and Inorganic Chemistry
Tier II Canada Research Chair in Solar Energy Conversion
Calgary's Top 40 Under 40, Avenue Magazine
Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship