This billion-dollar-selling toy was inspired by heat pumps Super Soaker inventor Lonnie Johnson talks to Canary Media about the toy’s origin story and what he’s working on now as a climatetech entrepreneur. 31 January 2023 By Mike Munsell for Canary Media An early Super Soaker prototype (lonniejohnson.com) Canary Media’s Climate Meets Culture column explores the intersection of energy, climate […]
JTEC Energy Press Release ATLANTA, Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — JTEC Energy, Inc. announced that Dr. Glenn Eisman has joined its Technical Advisory Board. JTEC Energy was formed in 2020 to finish development and commercialization of the JTEC device, a cleantech energy invention by Dr. Lonnie Johnson that converts waste heat into electricity more efficiently than any machine in history. “JTEC springs […]
Georgia Trend released their list of 100 Most Influential Georgians for 2023. To welcome the new year, Georgia Trend is recognizing 100 influential Georgians for 2023 – a remarkable group — for their impact across the state. As always, we’re spotlighting CEOs, politicians, educational experts and the heads of nonprofits and economic development organizations, among others. Some are very […]
From an article by Karen Kirkpatrick for Georgia Trend Magazine. Lonnie Johnson is an engineer and inventor who holds more than 100 patents. At JTEC and parent company Johnson R&D, in Atlanta, he leads the development of advances in clean energy and batteries. Photo: EricSunPhotography Lonnie Johnson is an engineer and inventor who holds […]
Press Release ATLANTA, GA (December 22, 2022) – JTEC Energy, Inc. announced that Daryl Ludlow has joined its Technical Advisory Board. JTEC Energy was formed in 2020 to finish development and commercialize the JTEC device, a cleantech energy invention by Dr. Lonnie Johnson that converts waste heat into electricity more efficiently than any machine in […]
Original article by Savannah Sicurella for the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Renewable energy technology producer JTEC Energy Inc. can now call the West End’s Lee + White home. JTEC, now based out of a building on Decatur Street, has leased 18,755 square feet of space at the adaptive reuse development to anchor its headquarters, the company […]
by Maija Ehlinger for Hypepotamus It was certainly a year of change for green technology. Sustainability Tech – including technology related to energy, climate, ESG, renewables, and carbon reduction – moved from a “nice to have” industry into a pillar in the overall tech scene. What drove that change? In short, regulation, legislation, and business sentiment. […]
NFL AND ATL TECH LEGENDS TEAM UP TO “LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD” FOR TEENS IN TECH from an article by Maija Ehlinger for Hypepotemus. Steve Young and Jerry Rice connected for a record-setting 92 touchdowns as a legendary quarterback-wide receiver duo in the NFL. Now, the former 49ers and three-time Super Bowl champions are teaming […]
JTEC Founder Dr. Lonnie Johnson is on the cover of the November issue of Military Families Magazine. Read the article by Melissa Stewart here. Air Force veteran named to National Inventors Hall of Fame for Super Soaker invention Dr. Lonnie Johnson has a magic word — one that often prevents him from becoming saturated by […]
Kelli Bain, a Tuskegee University and Johnson Research & Development alumna, invented a delicious new way to make ice cream: After working with fellow Tuskegee alumnus, NASA scientist, and Super Soaker inventor Lonnie Johnson in 2014, Bain had an “ah ha” moment. She was struck by the idea that now as a chemist, she could […]
From an article by Hope Williams for the Georgia Tech Technique. Alumna Niesha Butler opens S.T.E.A.M. Champs Tech alumna Niesha Butler is the founder of S.T.E.A.M Champs education center in New York City. Butler has had numerous careers, from being a software engineer to a professional basketball player. // Photo by Hope Williams Student Publications […]
JTEC Energy cited as the recipient of one of the three largest investments in 2022 for Atlanta companies with Black founders. by Zach Armstrong for Atlanta Inno Barbara Jones-Brown was trying to raise capital for Lilli RNB Inc., her retail technology startup that analyzes return data and detects fraud. One day, she was invited to pitch her company […]
JTEC Energy founder Dr. Lonnie Johnson is included in the Atlanta Business Chronicle‘s 2022 Power 100, an annual list featuring people who influence the city’s business community and broader economy in a different way. He is in the Power 100 Innovators. They are pioneers in their industry. Their creativity sets a path for others to follow, […]
Excerpted from an article by Markos Papadatos for Digital Journal. Read the full article here. Acclaimed actress Danica McKellar emceed the National Inventors Hall of Fame Awards this year. She honored some very noteworthy inventors. “I am so incredibly proud to have been asked to emcee the National Inventors Hall of Fame Awards again this […]
Press Release ATLANTA, May 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — JTEC Energy and Johnson Energy Storage announced that the companies’ founder, Super Soaker inventor Dr. Lonnie Johnson, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony was held in Washington, D.C. on May 5, 2022. Dr. Johnson was joined by his family and by […]
JTEC Energy is proud to announce that our founder, Dr. Lonnie Johnson, is being inducted this week into the National Inventors Hall of Fame: April 26, 2022 Press Release from the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Read full release here. NORTH CANTON, OH — Five innovation pioneers whose inventions range from cataract surgery to the […]
Excerpted from an article by MAIJA EHLINGER for Hypepotamus. Read the full article here. Earth Day started in the 1970s as a way to bring awareness to environmental science and conservation efforts. But as businesses and individuals search for more green alternatives, awareness is no longer enough, says Venkatesh Kini, co-founder at Ubuntoo. “Too often, companies get credit […]
By Zach Armstrong for Atlanta Inno – read full article here. JTEC Energy Inc. Founder Lonnie Johnson, left, and President and CEO Michael McQuary. Photo: Byron E. Small Lonnie Johnson, former NASA engineer and inventor of the Super Soaker children’s toy, is one step closer to commercializing a new source of renewable energy. Johnson […]
Article by Neal Augenstein for WTOP News. Read original article here. Super Soaker inventor: ‘Put it on the table and let it stand on its merit’ It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why generations love the Super Soaker line of water guns. “I’ve been accused of being a rocket scientist,” laughs Lonnie […]
By Dora Mekouar for Voice of America. The folding chair, gas mask, traffic signal, automatic elevator doors, potato chips and the Super Soaker childrens’s water gun toy were all invented by Black innovators. From the three-light traffic signal, refrigerated trucks, automatic elevator doors, color monitors for desktop computers, to the shape of the modern […]
Atlanta Magazine’s Feb. 10, 2022 issue lists “Atlanta’s 500 Most Powerful Leaders in 2022,” and includes Dr. Johnson in its list of Legends. Read the full article here. Legends Lonnie G. Johnson Johnson earned his master’s degree in nuclear engineering from Tuskegee University and went on to work for the U.S. Air Force and the NASA […]
Excerpted from an article by Michelle Dillon for the Jacksonville Progress 2/13/22. Read the full article here. People enjoy their pastimes and many of those pastimes include fun and games. In this installment of our series about inventions by Black Americans, we’ll review a few contributions that make leisure time more enjoyable. For many children, […]
Excerpted from an article by Monica Cull in Discover Magazine 2/8/22. Read the full article here. Lonnie Johnson NASA engineer and inventor Lonnie Johnson is the father of some of our favorite toys, plus dozens of other patents. All of you ’90s kids who grew up playing with Nerf guns and Super Soakers have Johnson to […]
Article by Rain Noe for Core77.com published 2/8/22 In 1982, nuclear engineer Lonnie Johnson was working for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During the day, he was figuring out how to power the Galileo spacecraft; at night he was working on a hobby project, developing an environmentally-friendly, Freon-free heat pump. For the heat pump experiments, Johnson […]
From Inventors Digest, December 1, 2021 Your USPTO: NEWS FLASH – New Energy for Inclusion When it comes to building a stronger U.S. IP system, a greater diversity of participants is paramount. Now that mission has a new energy, with a new leader. Secretary of Commerce Raimondo chairs Council for Inclusive Innovation “Inclusive” is the […]
Press Release ATLANTA, Nov. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — JTEC Energy, Inc. announced that it has developed working models of the Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter, an invention that turns waste heat directly into electricity. “This is a great milestone for our team,” said founder and inventor Dr. Lonnie Johnson. “It’s gratifying to see the vision I have had for […]
From the Alabama Business Hall of Fame website. October 7, 2021 Alabama Business Hall of Fame welcomes seven new inductees for 2021, joining ranks of 235 innovators, leaders, and humanitarians. “Growing up as a child in Mobile in the Civil Rights Movement, being here and receiving this award just means a lot to me.” –– […]
From Inventors Digest Oct. 1, 2021 Two scientists who laid the groundwork for the COVID-19 vaccines brought to fruition by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are among the seven 2022 National Inventors Hall of Fame® inductees. In partnership with the USPTO, the NIHF will honor the Inductees on May 5, 2022, at “The Greatest Celebration of American […]
Excerpted from article by Eileen McDermott for IP Watchdog Sept. 24, 2021 The 2022 class of inductees into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF), announced earlier this week, includes the inventors of the foundational technology for messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based vaccines, the Super Soaker, and Laserphaco cataract surgery. In all, 29 inductees will be honored at the […]
JTEC Energy Founder and Chairman Dr. Lonnie Johnson named to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Published on IP Watchdog, Sept. 21, 2021 Honorees’ Contributions to Society Are Centerpiece of May Event NORTH CANTON, Ohio — Sept. 21, 2021 — Seven innovation pioneers whose inventions range from cataract surgery to the modern automobile will be honored as part […]
Press Release – ATLANTA (June 23, 2021) – JTEC Energy, Inc. announced that its founder, Dr. Lonnie Johnson, was inducted into both the Black Inventors Hall of Fame and the Black Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame by the Black Excellence Alliance on May 30, 2021. The induction was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 30, the […]
by Maija Ehlinger for Hypepotamus, May 11, 2011 The Southeast is power-hungry. At least when it comes to proving its clout as an EnergyTech hub. Startups — with the help of academic partners, corporate innovation programs, and pure grit — grew the Southeast’s renewable energy ecosystem over the past decade. As the national conversation focuses […]
Article by Erin Schilling for Atlanta Inno, March 18, 2021 Read the full article here: Atlanta Inno and Atlanta Business Chronicle Startup founders must be flexible if they want their companies to succeed. In 2020, the pandemic made the path toward growth even more difficult as companies grappled with remote work and reduced industry activity. To […]
Press Release ATLANTA (March 9, 2021) – JTEC Energy, Inc. announced that Clyde Tuggle has joined its Advisory Board. JTEC Energy was formed in 2020 to finish development and commercialize the JTEC device, a cleantech energy invention by Dr. Lonnie Johnson that converts waste heat into electricity more efficiently than any machine in history. […]
Article by Jordan Zakarin, January 2021 Biography.com How Lonnie Johnson Invented the Super Soaker For the past 30 years, kids (and more than a few adults) around the world have busted out their Super Soakers and conquered their neighborhood water gun fights. The high-power water bazooka is an impressive piece of technology in its own […]
ATLANTA (December 3, 2020) – JTEC Energy, Inc. announced that investor, entrepreneur and technology startup incubator Rodney Sampson has joined its Advisory Board. JTEC Energy was formed this year to productize and commercialize the JTEC device, a cleantech energy invention by Dr. Lonnie Johnson that converts waste heat into electricity more efficiently than any machine […]
Article by Erin Schilling for Atlanta Inno, Atlanta Business Chronicle Executives from prominent names in the energy sector are backing a newly formed Atlanta company led by inventor Lonnie Johnson, who says he’s found a way to harness untapped, renewable energy. Johnson, a former NASA engineer who invented the Super Soaker children’s toy and is […]
ATLANTA (November 17, 2020) – JTEC Energy, Inc. announced it closed on an initial seed fundraising round. “We set an initial goal of raising $1 million,” said JTEC CEO Mike McQuary. “Once we put some feelers out, we quickly realized that there was a very high interest in the JTEC technology from both the scientific […]
ATLANTA, GA (September 22, 2020) – Dr. Lonnie Johnson and Mike McQuary announce the formation of JTEC Energy, Inc. JTEC Energy, Inc.‘s mission is to commercialize the Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter (JTEC), a machine that transforms heat directly into electricity more efficiently than any device in history. JTEC is another pioneering invention by Dr. Johnson, former […]