UW project that recycles forest slash piles selected for NSF commercialization grant

Students at the University of Washington have teamed up on a startup that promises to turn slash piles of forest refuse into biochar, a crumbly charcoal-like product for farmers that helps their soil hold water and nutrients. The National Science Foundation chose the project for an Innovation Corps grant in October. I-Corps is a new NSF program launched this fall to support commercialization of technologies developed at universities. With the help of former C4C Entrepreneur-in-Residence Jeffry Canin, the student-led team developed a business plan that brought together people from across the UW campus – from forestry, chemical engineering and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.