Odqa, an Oxford University spin-out developing clean technology for industrial heat, has been named in BusinessCloud’s EnviroTech 50, an independently-judged annual ranking of the UK’s most innovative GreenTech and CleanTech companies.
The ranking is determined through a combination of reader voting and assessment by an independent expert judging panel, recognising businesses developing technologies that improve sustainability and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.
The recognition follows a landmark year for Odqa, which recently demonstrated 800°C solar-generated industrial heat during field trials in Spain and successfully melted aluminium using only super-heated air in laboratory tests in Oxford. The milestones highlight the company’s progress in tackling one of the hardest challenges in industrial decarbonisation: replacing fossil fuels used to generate extreme process heat for sectors including metals, mining, cement and ceramics.
Chris Kimmett, CEO of Odqa, said, “It’s fantastic to be recognised alongside some of the UK’s most innovative climate technology companies. Industrial heat accounts for around 20% of global CO₂ emissions, yet it remains one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise. Odqa is proving that concentrated solar thermal technology can provide manufacturers with clean, reliable, high-temperature heat while improving long-term energy security.”
Jonathan Symcox, editor of BusinessCloud, said, “The EnviroTech 50 is, at its core, a celebration of technologies benefiting our fragile planet by protecting the environment and driving forward sustainability.”
Odqa combines jet engine engineering with computer-guided mirrors (heliostats) to concentrate sunlight and generate continuous high-temperature industrial heat, reducing dependence on fossil fuels while delivering stable, predictable energy costs.
About Envirotech 50
The EnviroTech 50 is organised by BusinessCloud to celebrate businesses of all sizes creating original tech solutions for use in green energy, to protect the environment and boost sustainability.
About Odqa
Odqa is an Oxford University spin-out that combines elite engineering pedigree from the aerospace and Formula 1 sectors with simple, unbreakable thermal storage. Backed by Oxford Science Enterprises, Odqa uses proprietary concentrated solar thermal technology to deliver high-temperature industrial heat, offering a bankable, scalable path to net-zero for the mining, metals, and ceramics industries.