Navigator Case Studies: From Lab to Scale
We are excited to launch the Next Rung Navigator program, which is a way of articulating what we have always done with our clients and colleagues since we started back in 2019. Throughout years of collaboration, we have refined our approach to collaborative scale up efforts, connecting with our partners across a series of of activities which we have often called “all the stuff folks need to do to scale.”
Now that we have structured this approach into a specialized program, we are taking the opportunity to detail a couple discrete examples of how we have executed this approach with past clients. Ideally, this will give you a sense of how customizable and effective this program can be, and what it could look like for you.
“Sprint” Level
From Lab Bench to Investor-Ready in 60 Days
A novel materials startup - San Francisco, CA - UC Berkeley incubator
Engagement Length: 2 months · Technology Readiness: TRL 1 —-> 6 · Funding Target Achieved: Seed
Context:
Two PhD scientists at a UC Berkeley incubator had developed a novel process with real commercial potential but no roadmap out of the lab, no pilot plant, and no way to make the case to VCs. They had small grants and a preliminary academic TEA, but needed credible, investor-grade engineering work to raise a seed round in a lean fundraising environment.
Next Rung Scope:
Next Rung started with a structured roadmap session: where are you now, where do you need to be in 6–12 months, and what do you actually need to prove? From there, we ran a Technology Readiness Assessment, going unit-operation by unit-operation to identify what was novel (and needed proving) versus what was mature (and could be purchased off-shelf). This separated the science risk from the engineering noise, and told them exactly where to spend their limited runway.
We then designed a pilot plant concept: equipment selection, budgetary cost estimates, and an integrated project schedule spanning from pilot to demo-scale. It was formatted directly for funders. Bi-weekly check-ins kept the team plugged in during fundraising conversations, with Next Rung lending third-party technical credibility to investor-facing materials.
Results:
In under two months, the team walked away with a Technology Readiness Assessment, a pilot plant design with equipment list and budgetary costs, an integrated project schedule, and investor-ready technical materials. They had everything they needed to make the case for seed funding, which they secured in 2024. The founders grew their team and continued to advance the technology toward pilot-scale.
Services Delivered:
Scale-Up Roadmap · Technology Readiness Assessment · Pilot Plant Design · Equipment Selection · Budgetary Cost Estimate · Investor Materials Support
““Have a clear narrative. Know your minimum viable product, which means what you absolutely need to do, not just what’s nice to have. If we can drill down to that faster, we save a lot of time and money.” ”
“Steady” Level
Success Isn’t the Pilot Plant, It’s What You Learn Along the Way
A textile recycling startup - Solvent-based fiber recovery process
3 year ongoing partnership · <12 months from concept to operational pilot · 3+ funding rounds supported
Context:
A cleantech startup had cracked a solvent-based process for recovering base fibers from mixed, blended, and stretch textiles that are almost impossible to recycle by conventional means. It worked at the bench scale, but the harder question was what it looked like at commercial scale, and how to convince investors the answer was credible. They came to Next Rung in spring 2023 with the right chemistry and no map to the real world.
Next Rung Scope:
The engagement opened with a technical assessment that quickly evolved into a full Techno-Economic Analysis: commercial-scale process flow, equipment configuration, and a financial model that held up to investor scrutiny. The TEA anchored the company's next funding round. With capital secured, Next Rung managed the full pilot plant build, including equipment sourcing and inspection (largely used), piping contractor selection, utility design, construction supervision, and commissioning, from early design in late 2023 to startup in fall 2024.
The partnership didn't stop at construction. Ongoing process consulting, troubleshooting, updated TEAs as the chemistry evolved, and a Green TEA/LCA to assess the environmental performance of the improved process followed. The relationship is still active today.
Results:
Multiple rounds of investment raised. A mini pilot plant built and running on a tight budget in under a year. Hard-won process knowledge on slurry handling, drying performance, and steam heating that will directly inform the next, larger facility. The company closed another investment round in late 2025 and is currently running drying trials at contract manufacturers, building toward first customer samples. A nearly three-year partnership, and counting.
Services Delivered:
Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) · Pilot Plant Design & Engineering · Equipment Sourcing & Inspection · Construction Supervision · Commissioning & Startup · Ongoing Process Consulting · TEA Updates · Green TEA / LCA
““A pilot plant isn’t a finished product, but part of a process for developing one. Every problem solved in the pilot is a problem you won’t face at commercial scale at 100× the cost. That’s exactly what pilots are for.” ”