Harvard spin-off Pascal secured $8.5 million in follow-on seed funding to manufacture refrigerators and heat pumps using solid-state refrigerants instead of greenhouse gases. Sazze Partners and LB Investment co-led the financing round, with participation from KDB Silicon Valley.
Standard refrigerators and heat pumps depend on chemical gases for heat transfer. Older substances like Freon harmed the ozone layer, while modern alternatives like R-134a function as powerful greenhouse gases. Consequently, the sector has rotated through various substitutes for decades without resolving the emissions issue.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems generate about 2% of all greenhouse gas emissions entirely through refrigerant leaks. Concurrently, worldwide energy demand for air conditioning systems might triple by 2050, based on industry projections, heightening the urgency for cleaner options.
Pascal uses an alternate method by compressing carbon dioxide gas inside cartridges packed with a specialized porous substance. When gas enters the microscopic spaces, molecules strike the walls and move energy as thermal heat. A heat exchanger then expels this heat, and reversing the direction allows the material to absorb heat. Because the solid compound remains enclosed inside its cartridges, it avoids leaking into the air.
The business reports that its refrigerators operate about 20% more efficiently than current units. Additionally, Pascal states the material endured 300,000 operational cycles, matching approximately one year of operation. Co-founder and chief executive officer Adam Slavney noted that the material demonstrates high durability during continuous stress.
Pascal additionally employs standard system parts, which the firm expects will maintain expenses low enough for broad commercial use. Slavney and co-founder Jinyoung Seo created the foundational technology inside Harvard University's Mason Group. The group constructed its initial prototype cooling apparatus at Harvard in August 2022. The enterprise earlier collected $8 million from Engine Ventures and Khosla Ventures in May 2024.
The recent investment materialized ahead of schedule following an agreement between Pascal and a global beverage corporation for a trial initiative. The enterprise intends to ship its initial prototype in early 2027, followed by a production run of refined refrigerators in 2028. Based in Boston, Pascal employs a staff consisting of mechanical engineers, chemists, and materials scientists.
