act4energy was founded in 2018 with the goal of providing specialized services in the fields of environmental protection and industrial biotechnology. It is a spin-off company of Democritus University of Thrace and a registered member of the Greek Startup Ecosystem – Elevate Greece.

More specifically, the spin-off act4energy took shape within the university’s laboratories in November of the same year, leveraging and commercially utilizing the knowledge generated through the doctoral research of Dr. Alexandros Eutaxias at the Department of Environmental Engineering of Democritus University of Thrace.

Dr. Alexandros Eutaxias and Dr. Vasileios Diamantis are the co-founders of the company, while the team is completed by Christos Michailidis, who has been working with the founders since 2016, and Iliana Kolokotroni, who joined the company after completing her internship and thesis, and has now been part of the team for 1.5 years. Additionally, there are two more external collaborators. All members are graduates of Democritus University of Thrace.

In just five years, act4energy has successfully bridged the gap between research and industry. Through this collaboration, the company has developed and continues to develop new know-how, products, and services that are not only 100% Greek but also contribute to environmental protection.

One of the company’s first projects was the research and development of a biological filter for the removal of hydrogen sulfide from pumping stations and wastewater treatment facilities. This led to the creation of the first industrial prototype, which was installed at a wastewater pumping station in Attica. Today, the system offers a green and sustainable solution with low operational costs (without the use of chemicals) and has already been implemented in several sewage networks, wastewater treatment facilities, and pumping stations across Greece.

The company cultivates and supplies customized microorganisms capable of removing airborne pollutants (malodorous air) such as hydrogen sulfide, amines, and mercaptans with efficiency rates exceeding 98%. άνω του 98%.

At the same time, a new system is being developed to remove ammonia from waste. Just three months ago, act4energy developed its first cleaning system for a major construction company, paving the way for new collaborations in the large-scale industrial sector.

In addition to system development, the act4energy team provides daily consulting support to the staff of biogas units. This support is based on specialized laboratory testing, analysis of operational data, and assessment of biogas production potential, with the aim of maximizing output and minimizing failures that could lead to reduced efficiency.

Christos Michailidis: "Biogas is a form of energy. With the help of specific microorganisms and under the right conditions, organic matter (residues from cheese production, winemaking, olive oil mills, manure, etc.) is broken down, producing energy that is then converted into electricity and fed into the grid." Το βιοαέριο είναι μια μορφή ενέργειας. Με τη βοήθεια συγκεκριμένων μικροοργανισμών, σε κατάλληλες συνθήκες, αποδομείται οργανική ύλη (υπολείμματα: τυροκομίας, οινοποίησης, ελαιοτριβείων, κοπριές κ.ά) και παράγεται ενέργεια η οποία μετατρέπεται σε ηλεκτρική και διοχετεύεται στο σύστημα.

Equipped with a fully functional laboratory, act4energy offers a wide range of biochemical analyses and process simulations on both laboratory and pilot scale. At the same time, it designs specialized research projects aimed at developing innovative products and technologies in the field of environmental protection.

act4energy doesn’t stop there — it actively contributes to the development of young researchers and their professional integration. Dr. Alexandros Eutaxias told us: “Students who completed their thesis with us, collaborated with us and proved themselves capable, are now working in units across Greece. At the Polytechnic, there are people with a lot of ideas. What’s needed is the will to chase their dreams and turn their ideas into action.” When act4energy was founded, everything had to start from scratch, as it was the first official spin-off company of Democritus University of Thrace. Today, a detailed guide has been developed, explaining the steps to creating a spin-off company to interested parties. Additionally, the university now hosts a business incubator — Thinc Thrace Incubator — where experienced and accomplished professionals from all fields of entrepreneurship mentor and train young people to turn their ideas into reality.

Iliana Kolokotroni: "We generate knowledge in order to create new technologies, products, and services."

At ena Development Consultants, we take great pride in contributing to the entrepreneurial, economic, and social development of Xanthi and the wider region of the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, where the company operates. In the first university-based business incubator of the Democritus University of Thrace, Thinc Thrace Incubator, for which ena Development Consultants serves as the Implementing Entity, Vasilis Diamantis, co-founder of act4energy, is already participating, while three of the incubator’s teams consist of members who began their professional careers at act4energy.

As part of its outward-looking approach and pursuit of new synergies, act4energy joined the first Innovation & Technology Cluster (eMT cluster) in the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, with ena Development Consultants as Supporting Entity. The company developed an innovative digital platform that calculates the biogas potential for biogas production units. Simply put, the act4energy team visited dozens of businesses across Greece, conducted interviews, collected samples, performed measurements, and created a user-friendly platform where, by entering the volume of generated waste, companies can determine the biogas production potential of their units.

During the implementation of the project, act4energy collaborated with Stelios Kotopoulos, Project Manager of the eMT cluster and Development Consultant for Research Projects at ena Development Consultants. The collaboration left the company with only positive impressions. act4energy συνεργάστηκε με τον Στέλιο Κοτόπουλο, Project Manager του eMT cluster και Σύμβουλο Ανάπτυξης Ερευνητικών Προγραμμάτων στην ena Development Consultants, η συνεργασία με τον οποίο άφησε στην εταιρεία μόνο θετικές εντυπώσεις.

Ξεχωριστή μνεία, αξίζει να γίνει για την συνεργασία της act4energy με την επιχείρηση Απόστολος Παπαδόπουλος Meat Company , για την οποία και απέσπασαν τα βραβεία Οικόπολις and Green Awards. Στην παραγωγική μονάδα κρέατος της Meat Company, έπειτα από έρευνα η οποία πραγματοποιήθηκε στο Τμήμα Μηχανικών Περιβάλλοντος του Δημοκριτείου Πανεπιστημίου ΘράκηςA special mention should be made of act4energy's collaboration with Apostolos Papadopoulos Meat Company, a partnership that earned them the Oikopolis Award and a Green Award. In the company’s meat production facility, following research conducted at the Department of Environmental Engineering of the Democritus University of Thrace, an aerobic digester was developed for the management of the company’s waste. Additionally, a biogas production unit was constructed, which now covers the thermal energy needs of the business.

At the facilities of Apostolos Papadopoulos Meat Company, act4energy “trains” aerobic microorganisms, which are used in biological hydrogen sulfide removal systems. These microorganisms are then shipped to biogas production units in Crete, Arcadia, Metamorfosi, Alimos, and other regions. The site is expected to become open to visitors soon, and the production and training of anaerobic microorganisms is also set to begin.

act4energy is the ideal partner for residue valorization and resource recovery, as it consists of a specialized team of Environmental Engineers with many years of experience in the biogas sector and in the research and development of innovative solutions in the field of environmental protection.

The 24th Business Story featured the Marketing team of ena Development Consultants, who had the pleasure of visiting and meeting in person young scientists turning their dreams into reality—bridging entrepreneurship with environmental protection and thus contributing to a better future for all.

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