Product Talk Calectra CEO & Co-Founder on Decarbonizing Manufacturing with Thermal Battery and Sustainable Heat
Jan 9, 2026
Pauliina Meskanen, CEO and co-founder of Calcetra, is on a mission to decarbonize the manufacturing sector with innovative thermal batteries. She dives into the urgent need for emission reduction in high-temperature industries like cement. Pauliina shares insights on the importance of customer discovery and strategic partnerships. She also discusses her experience in securing both VC funding and grants, highlighting the role of renewables in shaping the future of industrial energy. Plus, she offers tips for newcomers in the climate tech space!
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From Finland To A DOE Accelerator
- Pauliina moved from Finland to the Bay Area after a path through startups and VC.
- She joined a DOE accelerator where she met co‑founder Nate and founded Calcetra.
Process Heating Is A Huge Emissions Opportunity
- Process heating is massive: it uses one quarter of global energy and causes ~20% of CO2 emissions.
- Calcetra's thermal battery stores high‑temperature heat (up to 1600°C) charged during low‑cost electricity windows to cut cost and emissions.
Store Renewables As High‑Temperature Heat
- Thermal batteries convert cheap, excess electricity into stored high‑temperature heat for hours to days.
- This enables reliable high‑temperature process heating without continuous fossil fuel combustion.