Researchers making real-world impact

MGA Thermal Founder and Chief Scientist, Professor Erich Kisi is a two-time ON Program participant. Completing both the ON Prime and ON Accelerate programs, Erich worked closely with the ON Program's network of industry experts, mentors and facilitators to commercialise his research and bring a much-needed solution to market. 

Now, MGA Thermal’s breakthrough technology is providing an entirely new form of LDES. Its cutting-edge Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system makes 24/7 renewable energy a reality. But the company’s origins trace back to an early research project at the University of Newcastle converting temperatures directly into electricity. 

It was here that Erich and his team made their first change in direction, recognising the missing piece of the puzzle was energy storage. This realisation spurred a change in approach to create a solid material capable of storing heat at scale. They spent over eight years developing and refining a method where metals were blended into a modular form capable of storing energy when heated. This extensive research ultimately gave life to the technology behind MGA Thermal. 

With their revamped idea and technology ready, Erich and his team began validating their idea first in the ON Prime program before moving into ON Accelerate. 

It was here they received intensive coaching, pitching practice, networking and mentorship opportunities to develop their business plan.

“ON Prime gave us the confidence that we had a product the market wanted, and it helped us refine our problem-solution fit,” Erich said.

“ON Accelerate provided a feasibility decision gate for us to help build confidence that we had the right business model in place.”

“Going through the ON programs will very quickly help you work out if you have a realistic product and the appetite to commercialise it,” he said. 

MGA Thermal's incredible growth journey

Originally a team comprised of engineers, making the decision to take the plunge and start a company was rather intimidating. Erich credits the ON programs for providing the commercialisation and entrepreneurship skills, industry connections and confidence needed to launch MGA Thermal.

That’s not to say the challenges or the journey ended there.

Since wrapping with the ON programs in 2015, MGA Thermal has been on an incredible growth journey. Learning how to scale a small product to commercial quantities was crucial for MGA Thermal. Expanding beyond the University of Newcastle to its own facility, the advice, global connections and input from the ON programs also proved critical to building the foundation blocks for their future success. 

MGA Thermal completed its pre-Series B funding raise in April 2024, securing $5.7 million. This takes total funds secured to date to over $31.28 million. With its first demonstration unit set to go live in the coming months, MGA Thermal will showcase its commercial capabilities with its world-first TES technology in operation, paving the path to deploying larger systems. 

It’s been a long, very different path from Erich’s initial research project, but MGA Thermal now has the opportunity to revolutionise clean energy storage.

Nourish Ingredients: innovating with precision fermentation

Another company paving the way for Australian innovation is Nourish Ingredients. Founded by lipid engineers Dr James Petrie and Dr Ben Leita in 2019, it is now revolutionising the food industry. By identifying and replicating the most potent fats found in meat and dairy through precision fermentation, Nourish Ingredients is creating climate-resilient and sustainable animal-free alternatives.

However, before the success of Nourish Ingredients, James and Ben entered the ON Program with their company Folear. This was their agricultural biotechnology company creating new crops for plant oil production. The original idea they developed throughout the ON Accelerate journey involved turning leaves and stems into oil production factories to make oil in a new, highly efficient way. 

Despite their extensive research and work to gain capital funding, Folear ultimately didn’t eventuate. But for James and Ben, this moment marked the catalyst for their new innovation. By engaging with industry experts and investors, they quickly understood why Folear couldn’t succeed long-term.

How startups can learn from failure

Understanding why an idea has failed is a critical component of the research translation pathway. If you don’t understand what the market doesn’t need, you can’t develop a clear vision of what they do need. This is exactly what Ben and James discovered.

“Having failures against your name in the startup or commercial world is a good thing, because it shows you’re learning, and not afraid to try again,” James said.

“Our first approach didn’t work out, but our second one did and today our company is stronger for it.”

James’s other main takeaway is the art of storytelling. By his own admission, scientists generally struggle to present their story in a digestible, straightforward way for non-experts to understand. But being able to frame the story in the right way to the right audience is critically important. James argues it’s almost more important than the underlying technology. 

What story you tell will make or break the pitch. By illustrating a future with their technology to investors and their broader network, James and the Nourish Ingredients team have accelerated their advancement and market growth significantly.

With their network expanding exponentially through the ON Program, the Nourish Ingredient team were able to build on their initial connections to tell this new story. 

So where has their new technology and storytelling capabilities bought them now?

Nourish Ingredients raised $45 million in a Series A funding round in late 2022, and has launched two core products, Tastilux™ and Creamilux™. These are some of the world’s first animal-free fats derived from nature and scaled through precision fermentation. Tastilux™ creates an authentic meat taste and aroma, while Creamilux™ creates a full-cream dairy taste, mouthfeel, and function.

The journeys of MGA Thermal and Nourish Ingredients exemplify the complex and often unpredictable path from research to market. These companies have demonstrated the resilience and adaptability required to overcome challenges and achieve success. 

Could this be you? Whether you're a researcher, start-up, small or medium sized enterprise, CSIRO’s programs and funding streams are available to help you translate your research into impact.