Where Are They Now: Founder Stories – MGA Thermal

You've heard that renewables need storage. But how do you turn a lab discovery into technology that heavy industry will actually bet on?

Prof Erich Kisi and Dr Alex Post share the unfiltered story of building MGA Thermal from a University of Newcastle research project into one of Australia's leading thermal energy storage companies.

It started in 2011, when University of Newcastle researchers combined graphite and aluminium to create a new kind of material called a miscibility gap alloy. The result was a shoebox-sized block that stores renewable energy as heat, at a fraction of the cost of lithium batteries. Erich led the research. Alex, a Newcastle mechanical engineering and physics graduate, did his PhD under Erich and turned the idea into a product.

In 2019 they founded MGA Thermal. With early support from I2N and the CSIRO ON program, they went from lab bench to a manufacturing facility in Tomago. From there they built a 5 MWh demonstration plant that produces renewable industrial steam, and raised more than $25 million from investors including Main Sequence and IP Group Australia. The path wasn't straight. There was chasing the wrong market early on, learning to think "by the gut" as scientists, and telling their story over and over until the right people listened.

So what does it take to commercialise deep tech from a university lab? How do you convince industry to trust a technology that has never been used before? And how do you build a global energy company from the Hunter?

Agenda:

Hear from Erich Kisi and Alex Post

Followed by a curated Q&A session

Networking

Whether you're a researcher wondering if your work could become a business, a founder in deep tech or climate tech, or just curious about how world-first technology gets built in Newcastle, this is the founder story that shows what it takes to go from lab to industry.

Proudly funded by the NSW Government.

Part of a series of special events throughout 2026 honouring a decade of supporting founders and innovation in the Hunter and Central Coast regions.

🚀 Why I2N?

The University of Newcastle's Integrated Innovation Network (I2N) is Australia's #1 Most Recommended Accelerator and Incubator by Startup Muster, 2025 - the country's biggest startup survey. By harnessing The Hunter and Central Coast regions' unique resources and innovation ecosystem, I2N empowers the most promising innovators and entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into high-impact, sustainable global businesses. Through our enterprise skill-building programs and dedicated spaces, I2N is creating the foundation for startups to thrive and driving economic diversity across our region.