A Seattle-based nonprofit operation is starting small to make a big impact on climate change.
Ribbit Network makes and distributes greenhouse-gas detection sensors, specifically for carbon dioxide. Its network compiles data from the sensors and uploads it to the cloud to provide a better picture of emissions. The more sensors, the better the map of emission sources. Each sensor is a small frog-shaped box — a nod to one of the species most affected by climate change.
"I had an assumption for a long time that we had a really good map of the world of where do emissions come from. ... Why do we not have that? That seems really important," founder Keenan Johnson said. "I think it just started from there with that question of, why does this not exist?"
Ribbit is so far on its second version of the sensors. They cost $275 each. The startup has deployed about 50 sensors across six countries, mostly to citizen scientists. Ribbit is working on new versions, including a solar-powered model, Johnson said. He hopes to scale up the main manufacturing facility in Seattle this year.
Johnson has mostly bootstrapped the operation, with some grant funding assistance. He decided to go the nonprofit route for the trust factor — the local governments and corporations needed to build the network are more trusting if an idea is not motivated by profit. All of the information on Ribbit's sensors and how to build them can also be found online, as yet another way to inspire trust.
Teachers and students can learn how to build their own carbon-dioxide sensors, Johnson noted.
This year, Johnson would like to reach hundreds of sensors deployed and then start publishing the live-data map on Ribbit's website.
"I see this as a global problem and a solution that we need to deploy globally, but how you do that is very tricky," Johnson said. "I'm a big believer in the grassroots, bottom-up approach."
Johnson is bringing his ideas to Charlotte's ecosystem as a member of the Joules Accelerator program's ninth cohort. As of 2021, the accelerator program had worked with more than 37 startups that have generated $175 million in funding and created 400 jobs over the last three years. The three-month program has been virtual so far, but Johnson will likely travel to Charlotte for the graduation celebration on March 14.
Johnson said the Joules Accelerator has given him exposure to new connections and where to find funding.
Bob Irvin, executive director of the program, said Johnson and his peers benefit from working with advisers at Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK), Honeywell International Inc. (NYSE: HON) and North Carolina State University, to name a few. He said Ribbit's product could align well with Duke's latest electric bus project, for example. It could use the sensors to determine the impact of regular versus electric buses.
"Duke learns more, I think, working with Ribbit than Ribbit learns from working with Duke," Irvin said. "The big corporations are just not set up for early-stage innovation."
Johnson also sees opportunities with electric utility companies, such as using electric bills to track carbon emissions in real time.
His long-term vision is to have an emissions map of every city and be able to look from block to block. Johnson thinks of climate change like a large sinking ship punctured by holes — a big problem stemming from small issues building up over time. The way to fix it is to start patching those smaller holes.
"I think most people feel pretty unempowered to make any dent in climate change because a lot of lifestyle changes are really very difficult, and so this is kind of like an easy first step for people," Johnson said.
