Red Ox Technologies

David Cohen and Tom Livingston discuss their entrepreneurial journey at Yale, where they developed an electrochemical desalination cell. Initially targeting desalination plants, they pivoted to the oil and gas industry due to regulatory challenges. They discovered an opportunity with Hydro Recovery, a company seeking salt removal solutions. Excited by the potential, they plan to partner with primary treaters to create a semi-mobile treatment system and scale up their project.

What was the primary focus of David Cohen and Tom Livingston's work at Yale University?

• Developing a new type of battery

• Designing a new type of wind turbine

• Creating an electrochemical desalination cell

• Inventing a solar-powered vehicle

Why did the team decide to move away from treating brine from desalination plants?

• The technology was too expensive

• There was a lack of interest in desalination

• The process was too energy-intensive

• Regulators and customers were slow to adopt new technology

What was the main challenge faced by Hydro Recovery in treating water?

• Reducing energy consumption

• Removing the salt from the water

• Lowering the cost of chemicals

• Finding a reliable water source

What surprising cost did the team discover was significant for their potential partners?

• Research and development costs

• Labor costs

• Water transportation costs

• Equipment maintenance costs

What is the team's next step after identifying potential pilot sites?

• Conducting more market research

• Scaling up their technology in the lab

• Seeking additional funding

• Hiring more staff