Andreas Backhaus
Co-Founder and CTO, Prospect Growth
Andreas Backhaus joins the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program from Prospect Growth in Newton, MA. Andreas is leading nanofertilizer development and manufacturing at Prospect Growth. His PhD work focused on new scale-up processes and chemistries for nanoparticle synthesis. Andreas has worked on process R&D for ultrafiltration membranes, electrochemical water desalination, high-temperature, high-pressure flow chemistry, and gas separation. His interest in process development motivated him to learn more about the economics and decision-making of manufacturing redesign and optimization.
Prospect Growth manufactures nanofertilizers that boost crop yields, decrease costly nutrient inputs, and minimize environmental losses. This efficacy stems from the superior bioavailability of nanoparticles, which allow plants to uptake nutrients more efficiently and through more pathways than traditional fertilizers. Prospect Growth has developed a new method for sustainable, low-cost production – unlocking benefits which are supported by over 10+ years of peer-reviewed research. The Fellows program enables the team to grow their manufacturing capacity, aligning output with the scaled demands of agriculture.
Andreas earned a Master of Science in Environmental Process Engineering and a Master of Science in Management, Business, and Economics from RWTH Aachen University in Germany, followed by a Ph.D. in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale University. He has been a long-time breaker (“breakdancer”) and, more recently, an Argentine Tango dancer.
Q&A
What is your favorite word and why?
Flow – in the context of chemistry, dancing, and working
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Architect. Ended up building Excel structures instead.
Share a fun fact about yourself
I’m a planner by profession but a wanderer by vacation.
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