Viziv Technologies LLC Partners with Baylor University to Develop Potentially Revolutionary Electrical Distribution Technology

Waxahachie, Texas-based Viziv Technologies LLC joins five other ventures conducting research in the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative

WACO, Texas (Aug. 28, 2018) – Viziv Technologies LLC and Baylor University have announced a new research partnership aimed at commercializing an entirely new means of delivering electrical energy wirelessly over long distances.

Over four decades in development, Viziv’s systems use a phenomenon known as a Zenneck surface wave to transmit electromagnetic waves along the interface of earth and air. Viziv’s ultimate goal is to provide the capability to safely, economically and efficiently deliver electrical power virtually anywhere in the world through the use of surface wave technologies. Parallel research efforts at Viziv include the use of surface waves for communication, radio navigation and sensing. Research within the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC) will inform each of these applications as commercial development continues.

The partnership is the first university collaboration for Viziv, an angel-funded startup company with approximately 30 full-time employees spread among its Waxahachie, Milford and BRIC locations. The company foresees doubling its workforce over the next year.

“History is replete with examples of the power of people and organizations coming together to do what would be impossible individually,” said Viziv CEO and President, Brigadier General (retired) Michael W. Miller. “Viziv Technologies’ young history is a great example of just that – strategic alliances determined to ‘Power the Planet and Bring Light to the World.’ Our collaboration with Baylor University represents the first formal academic alliance for Viziv, and we are excited to officially begin what we expect to be a long and fruitful journey together.”

Viziv is leasing 3,055-square-feet in the BRIC, a 330,000-square-foot facility providing companies with access to the intersection of the BRIC’s five foundational pillars: fundamental and applied research, industry collaboration, business acceleration and incubation, workforce development and STEM educational outreach and research.

“As an electrical and computer engineering (ECE) professor at Baylor, my colleagues and I were among the first to move our research into the BRIC in 2013,” said Viziv Chief Technology Officer Randall Jean, Ph.D. “It is a world-class facility with an ever-expanding scope and depth of research capabilities. Within Baylor’s ECE department, the programs in electromagnetics and power systems are among the strongest, making collaboration with Viziv Technologies a perfect fit for addressing a host of exciting challenges.”

The Viziv technology promises to make energy distribution safer and more reliable. A Zenneck surface wave is unaffected by lightning, geomagnetic disturbances, solar flares or electromagnetic pulses such as those generated by a nuclear blast, so only sending and receiving units will require protection. And unlike the electrical distribution systems that depend on a gridwork that is vulnerable to physical attack, and to cascading failures during peak power usage, wireless electrical delivery is designed to be virtually impervious to these threats. Plus, the field intensities generated are expected to be less than one percent of the current ANSI standards for safety in RF.

“Viziv fits the paradigm for BRIC collaboration about as well as any I can think of,” said Truell Hyde, Ph.D., vice provost for research at Baylor. “Currently about 17 percent of the world’s population have no access to electrical power, and for many more people, availability is spotty and unreliable. This technology has the potential to raise the standard of living for people around the world – who wouldn’t want to be a part of something like that?”

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT VIZIV TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Viziv Technologies is the culmination of over four decades of research in the field of Electromagnetic Surface Waves. They have assembled an experienced team from academia, industry, and government to take this revolutionary science from laboratory to industry. These men and women have joined together under one calling… POWER THE PLANET AND BRING LIGHT TO THE WORLD

Viziv’s mission is the commercialization of the Zenneck surface wave in all of its various product applications. From communications to energy to sensing, Viziv’s technological advances are opening doors to a new era in science and engineering.

ABOUT THE OFFICE OF THE VICE PROVOST FOR RESEARCH

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) assists faculty members from all academic units in identifying, obtaining and managing the funding needed to support their research and scholarship. Internal “seed” funding, matching grant proposal funding, searchable online funding databases, grant writing seminars, proposal support and travel awards to national funding agencies are only a portion of what is provided by the various units comprising the OVPR. Additionally, the Vice Provost for Research oversees the ethical conduct of research and assists researchers in maintaining compliance with applicable policies, laws, and regulations as well as providing support in establishing interdisciplinary / international collaborations and industry partnerships.

The OVPR acts as Baylor’s representative in pursuing partnerships and collaborative agreements with entities outside the university. The office negotiates sponsored research agreements with industry on behalf of faculty and pursues research, technology transfer, and the commercialization of technology. The OVPR welcomes the opportunity to discuss collaborative research and scholarship pursuits that can advance the academic mission of Baylor University to achieve R1/T1 status.

The OVPR also manages and operates the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC), a three-story, 330,000-square-foot facility focused on interdisciplinary/international research, industry/university collaborations, business incubation/acceleration/commercialization, advanced workforce training, and STEM educational research and outreach.

For more information, please visit www.baylor.edu/research or www.baylor.edu/bric.