Achieving a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Europe (Manufacturing & Industry) is no small feat. This is the kind of accolade that opens doors and serves as a permanent record, usually the first major one in a series to come, of a person’s career achievements. InnoEnergy Master School graduate, Eirik Eide Pettersen, was recently recognised for his work with his start-up Seaborg Technologies.
Seaborg Technologies
InnoEnergy is proud to announce their latest alumni to make the list, Eirik Eide Pettersen, for his work as co-founder of Seaborg Technologies. He joins Govinda Upadhya, Allen Mohammadi and Tanmoy Bari who have all earned their spots on this prestigious list. Eirik’s contribution is Seaborg’s exciting innovation in the nuclear energy field – a Compact Molten Salt Reactor for sustainable, safe, and inexpensive nuclear energy.
With new funding last year, EIT InnoEnergy European Master’s in Nuclear Energy (EMINE) alumni Eirik Eide Pettersen has taken his company Seaborg Technologies to the next level. We are excited to hear how winning a spot on this prestigious list will affect his future, and how he continues to tap into the EIT InnoEnergy network to help grow his company.
What was your reaction to the news?
“I am extremely honoured, of course, both personally but also for Seaborg. I am obviously very appreciative of the excellent team at Seaborg who is really the main reason this could become a reality. While it is my name there on Forbes, I think it should really be considered a team victory. Also, I can’t help but feel quite humbled – it is not every day your name is featured together with the likes of Harry Potter!”
What can this win mean for you and Seaborg’s future?
“This acknowledgement from Forbes is a milestone for Seaborg, and will certainly give us attention and introduce us to some new circles. Hopefully, the momentum can help us accomplish the next milestones. For example, we have a large fundraising round we’re working on so the acknowledgement and exposure will surely help. And I think in the longer run, it tremendously strengthens both my personal CV and our company CV.”
How do you utilise the EIT InnoEnergy network?
“The network is excellent in offering the opportunity to tap into not only EIT InnoEnergy professors, students and graduates; but also, the knowledge of a wide range of industry partners. A clear highlight is the steady stream of highly talented and passionate students from the Master’s School that want to come work with us. We are very privileged to be so exposed to such a high-quality talent pool.”
Since the last article published in December, is there anything new happening at Seaborg that you would like to share?
“The company keeps growing (we are now 20!), and we are hiring. In parallel, a lot of very exciting things are in the making, both regionally and further away, and we have started the licensing process of our reactor concept. Such busy times! After the last story, the response from EMINE students has also been awesome, and we look forward to hosting at least three this summer.”