Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE) has awarded funds to two startups through its 2025-26 Innovation Fund pitch competition.
The Innovation Fund is a seed fund supported through Partner Program memberships and offered to help companies overcome research and development barriers to commercialization, leveraging the support of SyracuseCoE-affiliated universities, faculty and students. Projects must address a challenge within SyracuseCoE’s broad core focus areas of healthy and efficient buildings, clean energy and resilient, low-carbon communities.
Two startups in SyracuseCoE’s Partner Program, KLAW Industries and PanLys Inc., were selected to receive awards of $7,500 each for research and development projects.
KLAW Industries was awarded funding to study the chemical, mechanical and physical properties of utilizing windowpane waste glass in high-performance, low-carbon concrete. Based in Binghamton, New York, KLAW Industries diverts contaminated glass from the waste stream and repurposes it into a patent-pending material to replace cement in concrete mix. The company will work in partnership with Mohammad Uzzal Hossain at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry’s Department of Sustainable Resources Management.
PanLys was awarded funding to validate its Visible-Light Photocatalytic Oxidation (VL-PCO) technology for continuous microbial control in HVAC systems. Partnering with Syracuse University faculty, the startup will test coated filters and in-duct modules to measure microbial reduction, airflow performance and energy impact under U.S. building conditions. PanLys develops innovative technology that protects people from harmful microorganisms in high-traffic indoor spaces, such as hospitals, restaurants, research and development labs and offices.
Innovation Fund pitches are evaluated by a group of external reviewers. SyracuseCoE gratefully acknowledges the panel of volunteer reviewers for lending their time and expertise, including Jim D’Agostino (TDO), Jeff Fuchsberg (Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering at Syracuse University), Indaria Jones (Couri Hatchery Business Incubator at the Whitman School of Management), John Lawyer (Syracuse University alumnus), and Tong Lin (SyracuseCoE).
“We are delighted to collaborate with companies to turn research into real-world impact,” says Bing Dong, Traugott Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and SyracuseCoE co-director. “Congratulations to KLAW Industries and PanLys!”
SyracuseCoE is New York State’s Center of Excellence for Environmental and Energy Systems. Support for the Innovation Fund is provided by members of the SyracuseCoE Partner Program. To date, the Innovation Fund has invested over $640,000 in more than 60 projects throughout New York State and beyond.
Eligibility for Innovation Fund awards is open to all current members of the SyracuseCoE Partner Program. To learn more about joining the SyracuseCoE Partner Program, contact Tammy Rosanio at tlrosani@syr.edu.
