Team & Partners

Together we can can red dwarfs!

IF [as_below] THEN @silbat

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the theory you’ve spoken
Twisted by experiments and rework it without dither,
Or watch the prototype you gave life to, broken, even molten
And stoop and build it up again finer.

If you can fill a forty feet shipping container
With ten megawatt-hours of clean electricity running for one hundred hours
You may help to save the Earth and everything that’s in it
But –for sure– you’ll be in Silbat, mate.

Board of Directors

Prof. Antonio Luque

Co-Founder – CSO

Co-founder of Silbat and its Chief Scientific Officer. Prof. Luque is arguably one of the fathers of modern photovoltaic science and engineering; he remains a professor emeritus at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM). He was the founder in 1981 and is the current honorary president of its Institute of Solar Energy (IES-UPM), one of the world’s leading research centres in photovoltaics and the 2nd to be founded worldwide devoted explicitly to solar energy. Multi-prized researcher with +500 publications, he holds 25 patents, having invented the bifacial solar cell (1976), nowadays mainstream PV technology and the intermediate band solar cell (1997). In addition, he has founded several industrial spin-offs, the most successful of which was among the top 10 world PV manufacturers in the first decade of the century.

Ignacio Luque-Heredia, PhD

Co-Founder – CEO

Co-founder of Silbat and its Chief Executive Officer. Ignacio is a seasoned entrepreneur who has founded and led several ventures in the field of renewable energies, proving the ability to drive developments from lab to market successfully. One of his founded ventures was purchased by a leading Silicon Valley green tech company, with Ignacio then becoming CTO of its European branch. He gathers a broad experience in international business development, including technology transfer to and from industrial partners in the US, India, China, and Japan. He has participated in +25 R&D projects, both EU and Spain-funded, in several of them as coordinator. He holds a PhD in Telecommunications Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid and is a Senior Member of IEEE.

Javier Celma

Director – Baker Hughes

Sr. Vice President Origination at Baker Hughes, Javier is an accomplished, highly seasoned investment professional with more than 18 years of experience in energy, infrastructure, power, renewables, and energy transition. Demonstrated expertise in energy and infrastructure equity, debt origination, underwriting, deal structuring, and portfolio management. Proven management skills through experiences successfully leading various teams of managers and staff specialists. He brings significant international experience from leading transactions in the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, UK, Canada, Sweden, Spain, and Switzerland, among others. Javier holds a BA degree in Accounting from Universidad Central de Venezuela and an MBA from Purdue University.

Iván Soto

Director – Soltec

Head of Corporate Venturing at Soltec, Iván is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in startup ecosystem building. He is responsible for identifying and exploring new business opportunities, leveraging his expertise in connecting corporates, entrepreneurs, universities, and public entities. Iván’s career spans several government organizations at national, regional, and local levels. Prior to joining Soltec, he worked for the Scientific Park of the University of Salamanca and for Deusto Business School. Iván holds a MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from Complutense University of Madrid and Leeds University and a MA in Journalism from Juan Carlos I University.

Pedro Riera

Director – EIT InnoEnergy

Investment Director at EIT InnoEnergy Spain and Portugal, managing a portfolio of around 50 startups. Previously had the same position at EIT InnoEnergy France for four years, managing a portfolio of 40 startups. Founder and CEO of 3 digital startups. Contributed to the digital transformation of 50+ large and mid-size companies. Tireless problem solver, motivator, and team player, familiar with conflict management, he loves find simple and creative solutions to complex problems. Pedro holds an MSc in Mining Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid and an MBA from IE Business School

Javier Bustos

Director – GFM

Managing Director of GFM, with around 20 years of experience in various fields ranging from solar energy and clean fuels to telecom and digital signage. At GFM, besides his P&L responsibility, he oversees product development and the opening of new markets while participating in corporate strategy definition. He is a regular keynote speaker at company and industry events. Despite his managerial role, he enjoys getting involved in the fieldwork of GFM’s UN-sponsored cooperation projects overseas. Javier holds an MSc in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toledo.

Scientific Advisory Board

Fabián Plaza, PhD

High Temperature Engineering

CEO and founder of Advanced Thermal Devices, Fabián Plaza is a consummate expert in high-temperature materials and engineering. He has a +25 yrs. track record of successful R&D projects and new technology development in cleantech and hardtech, having launched several businesses in the field. Before starting his entrepreneurial career, he worked at AT&T Microelectronics in Madrid and Bell Labs in Allentown. He has participated in +12 R&D projects, both EU and Spain-funded, and in several of them as coordinator. He holds a PhD in Telecommunications Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid and an MBA from the IESE Business School

Iván Fernandez, PhD

Plasma Vapour Deposition

Co-founder and CEO of Nano4Energy and leading company in PVD coating solutions. He holds a PhD in Physics from IMM-CSIC (Spanish National Research Council). From his +20 years of supporting a wide range of scientific projects, Iván has gained broad experience in thin film deposition and its physics. Additionally, he has become one of the world leaders in designing and developing HiPIMS power supplies. He is also a co-founder of two startups, Hip-V and Nanostine. He has ample experience in international business development and technology transfer to large OEMs and end-users.

Prof. Ignacio Rey-Stolle

Thermophotovoltaics

Ignacio Rey-Stolle is a Full Professor at the Institute of Solar Energy of the Technical University of Madrid with +20 yrs. working in PV. His research has focused on III-V multijunction solar cells and thermo-photovoltaic cells, doing material growth by MOVPE, device design, simulation, fabrication, characterization and reliability studies. This work has resulted in several world-record efficiency solar cell devices produced by Prof. Rey-Stolle’s research group. He has been visiting professor at the University of California in Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Ignacio holds a PhD in Telecommunications Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid.

Javier Bullón

Metal Grade Silicon

Javier Bullón has been for 20 yrs. the General Manager of the R&D division of FerroAtlantica (nowadays renamed Ferroglobe) that has become the largest merchant producer of silicon metal in the Western World. Previously he was the director of FerroAtlantica’s metal grade silicon factory in Sabón (Spain). He is the co-inventor and co-author of several patents and papers on silicon and ferroalloys production. The electric arc furnace electrode for producing metal-grade silicon of his invention is used at +40% of the production facilities worldwide. He holds an MSc in Industrial Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid.

Engineering Team

Jorge Jiménez, PhD

Materials Development Engineer

Jorge Jiménez is in charge of engineering refractories, thermal insulators, and silicon at Silbat. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from the Complutense University of Madrid and an MSc in Aerospace Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid. In addition to his engineering responsibilities, Jorge oversees certifications and policy research, ensuring compliance and alignment with industry standards. He brings extensive experience in product development and certification from leading European aerospace companies, making him a valuable asset to our team.

Marius Zehender, PhD

Senior Research Scientist

Marius Zehender focuses on systems research and oversees all scientific challenges related to our development processes, including prototype construction and measurement and control setups. As a specialist in photovoltaic (PV) and thermophotovoltaic (TPV) technologies, he leads the development area in this field, collaborating closely with our partner research centers. Marius holds a PhD and an MSc in Photovoltaic Solar Energy from the Technical University of Madrid, along with a BSc in Physics from Tübingen University.

Rafael Molinero

Growth and Applications Strategist

Rafael Molinero is directly involved in planning the scale-up of Silbat, researching both early-stage and future applications, and developing its strategic roadmap. His contributions provide valuable insights for product development. Rafael holds a Master’s degree in Photovoltaic Solar Energy and a Bachelor’s degree in Energy Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid, along with completed coursework in Sustainable Systems Engineering from Freiburg University. He brings valuable experience from the Center for Functional Surfaces at Fraunhofer ISE.

Rishabh Golchha

Analyst Engineer

Rishabh Golchha is responsible for conducting techno-economic analyses, operational simulations, financial projections, market research, and environmental footprint assessments. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, a Master’s degree in Energy Environment from École Polytechnique in Paris, and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Energy Engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Rishabh brings valuable experience from several greentech companies.

Alejandro Benito

Systems Architect Lead

Alejandro Benito leads the design and development of innovative system architectures that meet project requirements. By collaborating closely with developers and business analysts, he ensures alignment of architectural goals while monitoring project progress to maintain timelines. Alejandro holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and an MSc in Industrial Engineering, both from the Technical University of Madrid, with the latter jointly issued with Université Catholique de Louvain. Additionally, he brings valuable experience in mechanical design projects from several well-known engineering firms in the aerospace sector.

Javier García, PhD

Research Scientist

Javier García is dedicated to researching storage capacity elements, encompassing insulation, silicon, and silicon containment solutions. He oversees the design, operational modeling, testing, and prototype construction of these components. Additionally, Javier manages Silbat’s intellectual property, coordinating with patent agents to ensure effective protection and management of innovations. He has extensive experience in the energy storage sector, particularly in advancing new Li-ion battery designs. Javier holds a Ph.D. in Physics and Materials Science as well as an M.Sc. in Nanophysics and Advanced Materials from Complutense University of Madrid.

Rodrigo López

Prototyping Support Technician

Rodrigo López oversees Silbat’s test facilities, supporting all experiments and the construction of prototypes. Known as the electronics geek of the team, Rodrigo creates all sorts of electronic artifacts to enhance our experiments. He is also responsible for health and safety in the workplace, ensuring a safe environment for everyone. Rodrigo holds a Higher Vocational Degree in Consumer Electronics and Electronics Maintenance, and he brings valuable experience from Spain’s national labs. He started at CSIC and, since 2018, has been dedicated to R&D in particle physics for the Dark Matter Group at CIEMAT and the Canfranc Underground Laboratory.

Julia Palenzuela

Operations Assistant

Julia Palenzuela is responsible for administrative and planning support at Silbat. She manages the preparation and filing of internal documentation related to technical progress and market research, ensuring everything runs smoothly. Julia also plays a key role in team management and provides support for funding operations and investor relations. She holds an MSc in Media Studies from the University de Salamanca and has pursued PhD studies focused on the Society of Knowledge. Julia brings valuable experience from a SaaS startup in Salamanca and as a film production assistant in California, combining her diverse background to contribute effectively to our team.