Dan Summa and Kris Wood are the founders of Laurel Materials, a green materials startup in Scranton, PA. They are developing a cheaper and more environmentally friendly way of creating graphene, a nanomaterial known for its exceptional strength, electrical conductivity, and thinness. The industrial hemp-based product, known as CleanGraphene, has the potential to revolutionize many industries, including batteries, construction, materials, and healthcare.

Making Connections

In July 2023, PennTAP Advisor Krista Schneider met with Laurel Materials’ to discuss their business and manufacturing needs, which included finding a research partnership to help scale up production. Krista connected Laurel Materials with Penn State Professors Sarma Pisupati and Randy Vander Wal, who are materials science experts. She also provided information about the PA Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Manufacturing PA Innovation Program, which funds graduate students to work with manufacturers.

Outcomes & Benefits

PennTAP’s resource matchmaking led to Laurel Materials forming a research partnership with the two Penn State professors, and together they applied for and received a Manufacturing PA Innovation Program grant. The $69,380 grant funded a graduate student to work with Laurel Materials on their project, entitled “CleanGraphene: Physical Characterizations and Performance Evaluations.” Krista also connected Dan and Kris with Kelly Wylam from the Innovation Partnership, who is helping them apply for another grant from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

Engage With PennTAP

Discover how PennTAP can support your business through our comprehensive energy and operational assessments, assistance with securing energy grants and rebates, and valuable University connections. Connect with us today.

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This project was financed in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community & Economic Development.