How Serenity Power Is Changing Clean Energy: Interview with Co-Founder Aleisha Cerny
On July 10, I watched Serenity Power, a clean energy startup developing next-generation Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) technology win $100,000 at the Startupfest in Montreal. After long months of preparation with the BBVA team, we sat down with Aleisha Cerny, the co-founder, to reflect on the win and dive deeper into her journey as a co-founder of a company that could quite possibly be the next big thing in the Clean-tech industry.
Congratulations on winning the $100K Black Entrepreneur Investment Prize at StartupFest, that’s an incredible milestone! What was the experience like?
Initially, I was overwhelmed and nervous. I was so nervous to pitch, even though I pitch every day on Zoom, but this was in person. I observed the competition for a couple of hours and then dove into pitching. Once I did the first one, I remembered Tomi Oyende (Operations Manager at BBVA) was recording me, seeing her cheering me on, calmed my nerves. By the fifth pitch, you know you get used to it. You get more confident in how you speak.”
I remember we were just talking and then I got a first email that said, ‘you've just been shortlisted for the top 10 of the $100,000 Student Entrepreneur Investment Prize’. I was like ‘Oh my god, I'm gonna be in the top 10 which means now I have to go on stage and so far I'd only been on stage twice. I got really nervous, my knees were buckling and my stomach was in knots, so I better go home and prepare. Then me and Tomi were talking and I got another email for the Best of fest Investment Prize and Tomi was about to cry, she grabbed me and she was like, ‘Oh my god. I'm so proud of you’. The email said, 'you have to come to like a private cocktail hour tonight like in 30 minutes' and I was like oh no, I just want to go home and prepare so that I like don't stumble on my words on stage and then finally we get the third email announcing that I had been shortlisted for the top 10 for Black Entrepreneurs Prize and it’s funny, that was the last email we got.
That's the one you know Tomi was like that's the one for you like you're gonna get that one and that was the last one.
What went through your mind when your name was announced as the winner, did you expect to win?
When they announced my name I was like, odd, but also I was shocked because I don't know how these things are gonna go, there's such a tough decision for the judges to make and you know they vote on this, so one vote not in my favor could change everything so I had no expectations. I tried my best, it was for three different competitions, but it could go either way it could go anyway and then when they announced my name with Henry's. It felt amazing because Tomi introduced Henry to me the first day and randomly we took a picture together. We all got dinner so we got to know each other and it felt so right like it felt like this is what was supposed to happen.
How was the startup founded?
I started my masters on 20th January 2021 and that same semester was the Fuel cell course at University of Toronto and that's where I met Yvonne Liu who's my CEO and Yifei Yan (PH.D) who's our CTO. It was an online Zoom class, and every time it would end, it was just us left to ask questions. Yifei was helping me with my research on testing my fuel cells, and so we got to know each other well, and then Yvonne, as well, was working with Yifei separately; we were both working on separate research. Fast forward to 2023, I get a phone call from Yvonne, and she's like 'Hey, do you want to start a company?’'
What sets Serenity Power apart?
What sets us apart is that the systems that have been developed are a lot more complex and heavy. They're like two and a half meters high and for a 300 kilowatt system which is a standard Power size, it's about 15,000 kg and there could be eight of those big boxes together. With ours, we are making that much more simple so we don't need the same equipment that they need which really helps to shrink down the size and weight so ours will be much more compact and lightweight, which unlocks the applications for portable power.
Where do you see the future of transportation energy going in the next 10–15 years?
Solid oxide fuel could be great for transportation in the future, but I think that for things to work. It's gonna be working together. It's gonna be a mix of different technologies, and it's not going to be one solution.
For example, passenger vehicles batteries have been improved to be light enough for passenger vehicles, but for heavy duty trucks batteries can't work because of the longer charging times. These trucks haul 80,000 pounds of goods, and to climb hills, you’d need an enormous number of batteries. But batteries are too heavy, so you need an alternative like a fuel cell, whether that’s hydrogen or an SOFC, will depend. The hydrogen fuel cells have advantages because they're lighter than Fuel Cells. They'll be more suitable for that, However, batteries just don’t work for heavy-duty trucks because of the long charging times.
But then again hydrogen Fuel Cells require pure hydrogen and we only have in Canada one station in Toronto and four stations in BC. There are natural gas lines and infrastructure in the States there's 1600 places where the gas stations have natural gas and in Canada there's only five right? So Solid Oxide Fuel Cells could be great for transportation in the future, but I think that for things to work. It's gonna be working together. It's gonna be a mix of different technologies and it's not going to be one solution.
What’s Next for Serenity Power?
Right now, our head is purely in the bushes of building the technology... We needed funding to make the prototype to show partners, customers, and investors. We have around $300,000 secured and need around $800,000. It’s been two years since this idea started, with seven months of really good growth. If we want to see this technology out there soon, we have to make moves, and we have to do what's best for the company, and that's moving to Alberta, where the customers, funding, and partnerships are. We're excited, and we know that if we just continue on this path that we will be able to grow it and have the technology hopefully ready by April 2026.
What would you say to people who aspire to be in your shoes?
I would tell them you just have to keep going. That’s the advice I got from people. When they ask me how I am and I say I’m not doing well, I’m on a roller coaster, they say 'Just keep going, don’t think about it. There’s so much out of your control, but there’s so much power in what we can do every day'. One day, it happens, like StartUpFest, that culmination of what you’ve been working on. If you give up, you’ll never get to see it. The journey’s hard enough, but it can be easier if you’re around like-minded folks. Sometimes we all feel crazy for doing this, so having others who are just as crazy helps. That’s why organisations like BBVA and StartUpFest, that bring those people together, are game changers.
Aleisha’s passion and pure, genuine drive to make this vision a reality are remarkable to witness. She gives many thanks to the BBVA team for inviting her as a delegate for this fest and challenging her to put up a fight for Serenity Power.
She concludes the interview with a quote, “If you want to build fast, do it alone; if you want to build strong, do it together”.