Meade Lewis is one of the youngest people in the company he runs, but the passion for the company came at an even younger age: as an Eagle Scout.
"In the Boy Scouts you learn not only how to shoot guns, make a fire, survive in the wilderness, but that nature matters," Lewis, now 26, said. "There's a lot of people who think environmentalism is chaining yourself to a tree and taking aggressive action, but it's getting in the industries that need change the most and giving them incentive to change."
For Lewis, that's done through his company mIQroTech. The company uses both hardware and software to predict oil and gas pipeline leaks before they occur. It was most recently accepted into Chevron Technology Ventures Catalyst Program, where they will further develop their smart sensors and AI technology. And as coronavirus sweeps the nation, shuttering many startups in its wake, Tampa-based mIQcroTech is doing better than ever.
"You feel guilty for that; you see entrepreneurs taking all the right steps but their product is no longer needed in a Covid-19 economy," he said.
Lewis has seen an influx of interest in his company, founded in 2017, due to the slowed or completely stopped use of oil. That oil then goes to tanks because it is no longer being sold and companies are becoming "proactive" and want to ensure leaks do not occur. Customers are provided with a sensor that tests corrosion, geo-positioning and more needed when looking at pipeline health. The data is then transmitted wirelessly to the cloud, and AI is used to predict leaks with a 96% accuracy.
"Pipeline leaks are multiple-variable problems but typically are approached in single-prong approaches," Lewis said. "A lot of the tech being used is stuck in the '70s. No one has leading market share in this industry so it’s ripe for disruption. So, we're doing it with less expensive tech but also better tech."
The company is deployed in "every oil state" in the U.S., as well as Chile. The company currently has 12 local employees, is backed with venture capital funding and is now profitable. By the end of 2020, Lewis is eyeing to deploy coverage for an additional 2,700 miles, including in Nigeria and hiring 15 more employees.
"I realize every startup thinks they're changing the world, but pipeline leaks are actually life changing," he said. "What our mission is here is to not just save customers the billions that are lost (with leaks) but protecting the environment — solving this problem is world changing."
