Dylan Lew is looking to tackle the $2.6 trillion global issue of food waste, and he’s doing so through his startup Ecotone Renewables. The company’s ZEUS — or Zero Emissions Upcycling System — biodigesters are repurposed shipping containers outfitted with pipes and tanks that can compost 12 tons of food waste per year and turn it into the company’s Soil Sauce organic fertilizer, which, according to Lew, can improve crop yields up to 30%. So far, the company has deployed five ZEUS biodigesters for customers, including Pittsburgh International Airport Dunkin’ franchisee Hudson Group, the City of Pittsburgh, Swissvale Borough, Meta and its first out-of-state customer, Plant City, a plant-based food hall and marketplace in Rhode Island. Ecotone has raised over $1 million in venture funding, employs seven and is generating revenue.
What has been your biggest challenge getting your startup to where it is today?
Creating and scaling a company has been an absolute roller coaster with endless challenges along the way. One of the main challenges with the rapid growth required for a successful startup is funding. The past year has been one of the more difficult economic environments to fundraise, and yet we’ve been able to successfully bring on investments from coast to coast. We’ve accomplished this through national outreach campaigns to bring more attention and investments into our local Pittsburgh economy.
What do you hope your startup will be doing five years from now?
Within five years, Ecotone Renewables will be the leader in sustainable waste management with 1% U.S. market share. This will be accomplished by deploying 50,000 ZEUS digesters, growing revenue up to $500 million and starting global expansion with three new country deployments.
Join us at The Assembly in Bloomfield on Sept. 20 to honor our Fire Awards recipients and celebrate innovation, resilience and the spirit of entrepreneurship.
