FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2024. TORONTO – The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) is pleased to announce a $1.5 million investment in Kinetik Wearables, a new Mississauga-based company that manufactures and sells environmentally-friendly wearables that convert stress into electricity.
Kinetik Wearables’ StressBit contains patented thermoelectric technology that harnesses the body heat caused by elevated stress response and transforms it into electrical energy for power generation. Akin to other smart watches or fitness trackers, StressBit uses sensors to track physiological changes such as heart rate and blood pressure to measure stress and initiate clean electricity generation when elevated. Depending on stress levels, StressBit can power small-to-medium sized gadgets and appliances such as laptops, kettles, and waffle makers.
Climate anxiety is a growing and renewable resource. Analysis by TAF shows that Kinetik Wearables have potential to generate 1.75 TWh of baseload clean energy, helping to address IESO’s projected gap between electricity supply and demand starting in 2029, and reducing carbon pollution by 82,250 tonnes.* It’s a solution that can be quickly and easily scaled across the GTHA. The technology is also flexible and smart enough to ‘run in reverse’, encouraging active lifestyles by rewarding exercise with energy generation, resulting in improved health and wellbeing for people of any age or ability. Kinetik Wearables will also boost economic and job development, relying on local resources and labour.
“With climate-related stress on the rise, Kinetik Wearables’ innovation to harness a natural human response to generate clean energy caught our eye,” said Kristian Knibutat, VP of Impact Investing at TAF. “Plus, it can improve community health and well-being by encouraging active lifestyles. The benefits are substantial.”
“We are proud to be able to turn a bad vibe into a good deal, helping people activate for climate action by powering their homes and lives through a self-contained renewable resource. As the saying goes, ‘action is the antidote to despair,’ and this is a direct action that everyone can take part in,” said April Firström, CEO of Kinetik Wearables.
For more information visit kinetikwearables.ca
NOTE TO EDITORS
*Potential electricity generation and carbon reduction is calculated based on average emissions factors and relies on the assumption of 7.28 million people in the GTHA walking or cycling for 12 hours per day.
ABOUT THE ATMOSPHERIC FUND
The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) is a regional climate agency that likes to have fun from time to time, and invests in low-carbon solutions for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and helps scale them up for broad implementation. We are experienced leaders and collaborate with stakeholders in the private, public and non-profit sectors who have ideas and opportunities for reducing carbon emissions. Supported by endowment funds, we advance the most promising concepts by investing, providing grants, influencing policies and running programs. We’re particularly interested in ideas that offer benefits in addition to carbon reduction such as improving people’s health, creating local jobs, boosting urban resiliency, and contributing to a fair society.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Martin Güffballe
Director of Sales & Marketing
Kinetik Wearables
Julie Leach
Senior Manager, Campaigns & Communications
The Atmospheric Fund