David Bierman: 2024 Early Career Award recipient

BSME ’12 (MSME ’14, MIT; PhDME ’17, MIT)
Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Antora Energy

A mechanical engineer and visionary entrepreneur whose technological innovations are unlocking inexpensive, reliable, zero-emissions energy solutions for industry.

David Bierman is driven to make a massive impact on climate change through Antora Energy, the startup company he co-founded in 2018. The company is developing a long-duration thermal storage system that uses over-generated renewable electricity to heat its thermal batteries—blocks made of an inexpensive material. Energy from those batteries is available 24/7 for use in industrial processes that require heat—and it’s cheaper than using fossil fuels.

Bierman says his undergraduate education at UW-Madison ignited his passion for developing clean energy technologies. “At Antora Energy, I’m currently working more on the business side, and having a very strong technical foundation is key to being successful in this role,” he says. “UW-Madison gave me the right foundation to understand the technical merits of different energy technologies, and this knowledge is still very relevant to my career today.”

For his graduate research, he studied thermophotovoltaic systems to convert solar energy into electricity, demonstrated record-breaking performance of such systems, and reported results in many high-impact journals. After receiving his PhD from MIT, he earned a prestigious fellowship from the Cyclotron Road program through Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which seeds and incubates new startup companies.

He founded the company Marigold Power, which developed next-generation solid-state electricity generation devices. The company merged with another startup to become Antora Energy, which has grown rapidly, achieved world-record thermophotovoltaic device performance, and raised more than $50 million in private funding. Antora Energy has nearly 150 employees and announced its first large-scale manufacturing facility for its thermal batteries in San Jose, California, with production starting in 2024.

“In the past five years, we’ve gone from concept to lab to a big pilot to now working on huge commercial projects,” Bierman says. “It has really been an incredible journey.”

The company also has signed agreements for major commercial projects at large industrial facilities and is planning public announcements about these projects later in 2024.

Which engineering course made the greatest impact on you?

The thermodynamics course with Professor Greg Nellis was the single most important class that I took at UW-Madison. It opened my eyes to a fundamental physical field that truly rules everything around us. It’s also key to the energy transition away from fossil fuels. The course led me to pursue undergraduate research in the Solar Energy Lab. It’s had a lasting impact on my educational and career journey—directly influencing the field of research I went into and the company that I co-founded.

Of what professional accomplishment are you most proud?

I’m really proud of the culture we’ve created at Antora Energy, which is focused on treating people with real respect and kindness. We value openness, collaboration, humility and joy. And as the company has grown, we’ve seen these core elements of our culture endure. Everybody who works here cares deeply about the environment and takes our mission seriously, but we do it with a smile and a light heart, and that makes it a really fantastic place to work.

Which do you prefer?

Fun on the Terrace or fun on Lake Mendota?
The Terrace.

Camp Randall, the Kohl Center, or the UW Field House?
Camp Randall Stadium.

State Street or Lakeshore path?
Oh, that is a tough one. That is a real wash. They are just very different. I’d say a tie—they just serve different purposes for your brain and your heart, and cannot be compared.

The UW Arboretum or Picnic Point?
Picnic Point.

Favorite Babcock ice cream flavor?
I’m a pretty staunch rocky road guy.