Evan raises his arms, palms down, over a collection of containers with the name, “Zila Bioworks” written on them.

New Material Sprouts From Fast-Growing Crop

Cohort News, Startup Profile

It all started with the farmers. Jason Puracal, CEO of the materials startup Zila BioWorks, wanted to make something that could help increase crop value. The company’s new hemp seed-based plastic could combine two coveted features: durability and recyclability. The material is already zooming around slopes and roads in skis and bicycles. Now, thanks to the GCxN program, Zila is partnering with materials experts at the National Laboratory of the Rockies to evaluate its durability for energy infrastructure…

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Two men stand in a lab setting with a piece of equipment in front of them

GCxN Channel Partner Strategic Awards: How Gulf Area Entrepreneurs Brought in More Than $2 Million To Tackle Waste and Energy Challenges

Channel Partners

In January 2025, GCxN chose two winners for its first Channel Partner Strategic Awards cycle. The funding provided from this award addresses commercialization gaps for energy startups through regional collaboration and tailored entrepreneurial support. Here is the story of how one winning team made an impact with action-oriented initiatives and partnership creation.

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