Baleena, a past Penn President’s Sustainability Prize winner, was interviewed recently by Technicaly.ly Philly. The company has continued its impressive growth trajectory, reaching major milestones such as raising $460,500 from a pre-seed round in June 2023, with funding coming from grants and prizes, including an award from the gener8tor Sustainability Accelerator last spring. Additionally, Baleena’s co-founders Sarah Beth Gleeson, Julia Yan and Shoshana Weintraub, graduates of Penn Engineering, were recently named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in the energy category.
Baleena is focused on developing a consumer product that attaches to the inside of a washing machine drum to filter out microfibers. The team has broadened its vision to address microplastic pollution throughout the entire fashion supply chain with a stated desire to work closely with companies and brands to reduce pollution in textile manufacturing. The company is planning a further financing round in March to help advance their prototype and expand the team. Read more about Baleena here.