Watt it Takes: Rondo Energy Founder and Chief Innovation Officer John O'Donnell

Oct 8, 2024

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1:08

John O'Donnell

Rondo Energy

John O’Donnell is the Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Rondo Energy. The Rondo Heat Battery powers industrial processes with renewable electricity, cutting energy costs and eliminating emissions.

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Emily spoke to John about his journey; from his semiconductor work in the early days of computers, to the knowledge he gained from founding six startups, to how his interest and background in industrial solar heating led to his founding of Rondo Energy, a thermal heat storage company that employs more than 150 people across five continents, has raised $198 million in less than five years, and has partnered with companies including H&M, Rio Tinto, and Microsoft.

John O'Donnell has over 30 years of experience taking novel solutions from conception to reality across the energy, semiconductor and supercomputer industries. Prior to founding Rondo, John served as Co-Founder and Vice President of development for GlassPoint Solar, which delivered solar industrial heat worldwide. He previously Co-Founded and led Ausra, a pioneer in solar thermal electric systems. He is a published author of numerous technical papers and holds more than 20 patents in the U.S. and internationally. John earned a B.Sc. with Special Distinction in Computer Science from Yale University.

"I can't do anything about politics. I can't do anything about regulatory things, but I can, as an engineer, put together a team and a product that can actually shift the needle in a very meaningful way."