Rawand Rasheed

Company: Helix Earth Technologies

Title: Co-Founder and CEO

Age: 29

Rawand Rasheed used to work in the Life Support Systems Division at the NASA Johnson Space Center, where he first got involved in HVAC.

“The fundamental physics involved in HVAC aboard a spacecraft are very similar to those on Earth,” Rasheed said. “The only difference is that in space you operate in a harsh environment and have many more constraints on your HVAC systems. For example, systems aboard spacecraft need to be very energy efficient, need to be extremely lightweight, and have numerous constraints on form factor.”

At NASA, Rasheed was able to develop his deep understanding of the fundamental physics governing the function of HVAC systems.

“I later took some of my work at NASA and wanted to study the translation of that work for life on Earth during my Ph.D. at Rice University. It was at Rice that I came up with my idea for developing retrofit systems to reduce air conditioning latent loads. … Motivated by solving the CO₂ challenge, I eventually spun my retrofit idea out into a startup, Helix Earth Technologies, which has to date raised more than $6 million to develop our retrofit technology for HVAC.”

Additionally, Rasheed invented a new, patented method that can save up to 50% of a/c energy use; developed novel filtration methods for HVAC systems in space, including mist elimination systems, CO₂ capture methods, and thermal management systems for spacecraft; and developed relationships with building owners and traditional HVAC companies, while working to incorporate Helix’s technology into new and existing systems.

“My goal is to transform HVAC from a slow-moving industry to one that is driven by constant innovation and improvement,” Rasheed said. “The industry today is very slow moving and very much in need of innovation. To make matters worse, HVAC energy use contributes to our energy grid problems in a massive way and emits tons of CO₂ to the atmosphere. For example, air conditioning alone contributes to about 4% of total global CO₂ emissions, more than the aviation industry. For the good of our planet and our future, we need to innovate our way toward developing more efficient HVAC systems that reduce CO₂ emissions and costs for customers who need access to lifesaving equipment (air conditioning, for example).”