1. Tell us about your team.

This project is the brainchild of Spencer Hayes, a chemical and biomolecular engineer from the class of 2022, who came up with the idea after having worked with batteries for a long time. Samantha Mitra is a material scientist and engineer from the class of 2022, who wants to help develop said brainchild into fruition with her prior battery research knowledge. The two met in an electrochemical energy storage class.

2. Tell us about your startup.

Tortoise is the next-generation charging assistant that will extend your battery's lifespan without you having to think about it. ARe charging adapter will modulate charging rates based on your lifestyle to use the power of slow-charging to protect your battery's health. 

3. How does it feel to be a part of the summer 2022 cohort of Startup Launch?

We are very excited to embark upon the journey of our very first start-up in hopes to bring a product to the world that will help everyone who uses a battery. We are excited to see how our product will lead society towards a greener earth with lower lithium mining.

4. What made you want to participate in the 12-week summer program?

We had initially taken this up as a class project and upon the professor's advice and our newfound vision and enthusiasm for the project, we decided to apply. 

5. What are you most looking forward to as a Startup Launch participant?

We are looking forward to learning how to create a real company (the legal work and such), learning about the startup market, learning how to market a product and grow it, and learning from mentors and participants. Most importantly, we are looking forward to seeing how our idea evolves.