Matt Snyder, entrepreneur at Innovatrs and founder of SCIPIO biofuels, tells us about his green project and how he started it. He has a long history finding simple solutions to complicated technical problems.

SCIPIO biofuels, was founded in August 2008, with a vision to become a pre-eminent supplier of algae oils and algae-based biofuels in the US within five years.

Innovatrs: What made you do it? Why did you take the plunge, became an entrepreneur and give up that cosy corporate job opp?

Matt: Many years ago, I had done a project to create as far as I’m aware, the first comprehensive system for the bioremediation of eutrophic fresh water bodies.  One option we studied extensively was the use of a special photobioreactor (PBR) configuration to grow algae to partially correct the nutrient imbalance in the lake water itself. Growing more algae than can be controlled with existing technology causes the option to be dropped. Being a brave and not a chief on the project meant learning about a million things from these particular “executives”.  Golden examples of what not to do, say, or be.  This included watching a perfectly good system created by the project wither on the vine, with my immediate future.

Fast forward to January 2007.  I had a tiny medical issue go awry leaving me with septicemia with MRSA, a fever of 104 degrees and a ton of hallucinating.  At one low point I had “that” conversation with God. You know the one I mean.  The conversation where outrageous promises are made in order to live.  I won’t get into specifics, but “The Universe” must have come to doubt my sincerity.  A week later I took a hard turn for the worse.  A high fever causing visions and revisions of dancing girls, a ham sandwich and fire-trucks.  God was back again with a vibe that gave me the distinct feeling he was not happy at having to do this twice.  Especially since this time, I was so sick I was bargaining in order to die.

I gave myself some time after the second repair surgery to warm up to my idea before starting in earnest.  I figured I wouldn’t get very far before something catastrophic killed the whole thing anyway.

Innovatrs: What was the original @ha Idea?

Matt: An economically feasible and environmentally friendly and helpful method to consume or sequester mass quantities of CO2 to help avert Climate Change while simultaneously using the need to “go green” as the method to fix the economy and give the gift of energy independence to the children I don’t have yet.

To bring it about by using what I knew about growing & harvesting micro-algae along with what I could develop to have under one flag the specific equipment designs capable of supporting a de-centralized, point-of-use (or close to) production infrastructure.  For example: We have designed a multi-application biofuels production concept with our sealed and automated PBR where the solar collector is installed just inside the perimeter fence of a larger-ish facility where significant quantities of liquid transportation fuels are needed with processing of the algae occurring under the parking lot. Airports, truck depots, rail yards and military bases are just a few of the possible applications.

Innovatrs: What was running through your head when you started up? What crises hit you early on?

Matt: I’ve got ¾ of a tank of gas, ½ a pack of cigarettes, and I’m on a mission from God.  This is irrational pie-in-the-sky lunacy.  That’s gotta’ be why it’s going to work.

Besides the perpetual problem of funding, in the very beginning there was a period I call the, “You want what? Gap”. Some potential vendors would say, “You want what?” then would come the belly laugh, and then the hang-up. This was the reaction I got often in the first couple of months calling  pipe extrusion companies and instrumentation companies. Apparently until I showed up, nobody had ever asked for the price and lead-time on 15,000 miles of pipe or 120,000 optical density sensors before. It was difficult to be taken seriously at first.  It comes with the territory when one is an Innovatr.

Innovatrs: Is this your first business? What past experiences helped you take this fast route to masochism?

Matt: Do you mean besides the lemonade stand, car washing, lawn mowing etc., etc., etc., etc., etc. when I had month left over at the end of my money?  This is the first endeavor I’ve attempted that will achieve “escape velocity”.  So, I guess the answer is yes.  But don’t let that make you laugh too hard.  My parents both were successful executives.  I’ve got decades of boring dinner conversation (now called “training”) to put to good use.

What do you mean, “…fast route…”?  I have always felt entrepreneurship was much less masochistic than employment ever was.  Despite my efforts I just could not get far enough from zero as an employee to take a valid shot at doing my own thing.  I’ve learned that having nothing left to lose is so very liberating, “I’m all twitter-pated.” as my Aunt Cindy says.

Innovatrs: What big ol’ failures have you had in the past and how have they helped you get to where   you are?

Matt: All of them.  I fully understand that wisdom isn’t cheap, and growing old ain’t for sissys.