In the Spotlight: Cameron Lippert & Chris Young

Morning, friends – Logan here. Last week, we hosted a special live recording with an audience of founders, investors, and community leaders, and the story we captured is a really important one.

This episode features Cameron Lippert, co-founder of ElectraMet, and Chris Young, President of Bluegrass Angels and one of ElectraMet’s first investors. Their conversation is a blueprint for how university research can transform into a hard-tech company serving some of the most critical industries of the future.

ElectraMet’s technology removes metals and oxidants from wastewater, turning what used to be an expensive waste stream into a valuable resource. They’ve even demonstrated this during our event - creating a copper tube from the copper extracted from wastewater. Today their customers span semiconductors, mining, battery recycling, and defense.

It’s the kind of story that shows why initiatives like GAME Change matter: research spun out of a university, backed by local capital, and scaled into a business creating real jobs and impact.

What We Discussed:

From university research to startup reality

Cameron tells the story of how ElectraMet emerged from a UK lab and found its first footing in Lexington’s startup ecosystem.

The painful but necessary pivot

How the team shifted from desalination to metals recovery and why listening to customers made the difference.

Milestones that matter

Chris explains how small checks, grants, and angel support set ElectraMet on the path to scaling.

Hiring for the next stage

Why bringing on an experienced operator was critical to moving from scrappy prototypes to enterprise-ready systems.

A model for hard-tech growth

What ElectraMet’s journey says about the future of manufacturing, the circular economy, and this region’s innovation pipeline.

Listen to the episode on Spotify

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts

We hope you enjoy this episode! If you have any thoughts after listening, feel free to shoot me a message at [email protected]

Have a great week, friends!

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