Smithsonian Magazine
How to Modernize the Wood Stove and Help Save the Planet. The humble wood stove is getting a high-tech makeover, and may be going green
Overview
It all started when a University of Maryland professor asked two grad students to lead a team of students in a contest to create an innovative, low emissions wood stove. They spent a year building the stove and arrived at the contest to discover that they were the only college team, while the others were major stove manufacturers from around the world. The students’ design scored the lowest emissions ever recorded in a head to head competition, for which it won the Low Emissions Prize, beating the biggest names in the industry.
MF Fire continued its success by winning the prestigious MIT Clean Energy Prize for Energy Efficiency, providing strong validation and broader recognition for MF Fire’s innovative technology when compared to other technologies across all clean energy sectors. Following this award, the team returned to the international competition at the Wood Stove Design Challenge and again received accolades as the Low Emissions champion, also winning the Grand Prize for Best Overall Stove.
The founders realized they had created something unique and special and formed MF Fire to transform wood stoves into a clean, sustainable, and affordable source of heat. The company has since revolutionized the industry, delivering clean, highly efficient wood stoves for a modern world.
The Problem
Traditional wood stoves release air pollution that is harmful to our health and the environment. We believe wood stoves didn’t change much for the last 40 years, but things are beginning to change. Consumers are demanding better options for themselves and for the planet.
To keep up with this demand, the EPA implemented long overdue revisions to wood stove emissions standards. As of May of 2020, the EPA has mandated that wood stoves produce 56% less air pollution than what was previously required. Based on our research, these new requirements caused 60% of wood stove manufacturers to exit that market while demand for safer, more sustainable wood burning alternatives has surged higher than ever.
The Solution
MF Fire takes a different approach than the rest of the industry, by starting with innovation and hard fire science. Since 2016, our team of engineers and fire scientists have used patented and proprietary know-how to produce stoves that meet the stringent, newly-implemented 2020 EPA emissions standards.
MF Fire has created one of the first to market automated smart wood stoves, that is 90% efficient with 50% savings on fuel costs, far cleaner than a traditional wood stove and actively helps prevent chimney fires. We have 7 wood stoves available, 3 more in the pipeline, and a growing line of outdoor fire products. Our stoves are available with 3 different sizes of fireboxes to warm homes of all sizes, and multiple looks and form factors to suit any need or design aesthetic. By leveraging a few certified fireboxes across multiple models, we simplify engineering and inventory management, while creating economic advantage.
The Market
1.5 million wood stoves are sold per year
60 million homes in the US have fireplaces, half of which burn wood and can use our products (US Census).
We discovered that the new EPA standard for wood stoves dramatically changed the supply side of the industry, reducing our competitors by 60%, and eliminating about 80% of wood stove models from the market. This disruption has created an unprecedented opportunity for growth for MF Fire, as retailers require new stove models and brands to fill inventory gaps.
The below data is based on the company's internal research supported by statistics found in EPA's public database. 100%+ YOY growth refers to units sold, number of products and employees.
Our Traction
We’ve experienced major growth since 2016, when we secured our first venture capital investment and delivered the first automated smart wood stove to consumers. We started out by creating a brand new industry category and have since gone on to receive our first patent and create a product line of 7 different wood stoves. Despite COVID setbacks, our employees have more than doubled in 2020, to keep up with demand.
We have received numerous awards over the years:
2019 - 2 awards for ~$2M from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to continue our transformation of the industry
2018 - Mtech Venture of the Year Award
2016 - Maryland Technology Development Corp.’s ICE Innovation Award
2014 - MIT Clean Energy Prize for Energy Efficiency
2014 - Wood Stove Design Competition - Grand Prize, Low Emissions Prize
2013 - Wood Stove Decathlon Low Emissions Prize - emitting fewer particulates than any other stove. At 0.2 grams per hour, MF Fire’s stove was 23 times cleaner than the then-current EPA emissions standards.
What We Do
Our first product to market in 2016 was Catalyst, the world’s first automated smart wood stove, delivering high efficiency, safety and ease-of-use. Catalyst remains a benchmark in innovation, providing users with a stove that automatically adjusts the burn to meet the ever-changing conditions of the fire. Our mobile app enables users to set their preference for room temperature and adjust the fire to deliver the desired amount of heat, all while optimizing the fire for maximum efficiency and low emissions.
MF Fire has grown its product line to 7 wood stoves, including 4 new stove models available this fall, and a line of outdoor fire pits and accessories. We use only the finest quality materials and expert craftsmanship. Starting with welded steel, our wood stoves employ large glass viewing windows, soapstone, and a variety of color options. We produce wood stoves unlike any other in North America that range from sleek and modern to sophisticated and high tech.
The Business Model
MF Fire has a full line of certified products, defensible patents, and unique know-how, and has been generating revenue since 2016. Over the past year, we have expanded distribution to make our product available through multiple sales channels across North America, including specialty retailers, distributors, online ecommerce partners, and direct to consumer. Our current business model focuses on revenue growth, expanding our sales channels and driving the company to sustained profitability.
All figures below regarding current and future markets goals are based on the company internal research and actual results are not guaranteed.
We tripled our unit sales from 2018 to 2019, as our new sales channels started to expand. We are expanding our sales and distribution while simultaneously launching additional products to fill key market segments and maximize revenue growth across our growing network of retail partners. Our sales and distribution channels are young, having entered less than 2% of the specialty retail market, providing a multi-year opportunity for continued expansion and growth.
100%+ YOY growth refers to units sold, number of products and employees.
How We Are Different
Our smart controller delivers a perfect burn every time directly from your smartphone. By replacing traditional wood burning, we will eliminate 1,170,000 metric tons of CO2 per year. Over the stove's lifetime, replacing fossil fuel devices with a catalyst wood burning stove will save 40,500,000 metric tons of CO2 from being emitted. If we were to replace all wood stoves in the US overnight with MF Fire stoves, we would cut PM2.5 air pollution, a most harmful form of particulate matter by up to 40%.
MF Fire remains one of the very few companies to have always delivered 2020 EPA compliant stoves, a full 4 years before the standard was enacted. And now, with 80% of stove models taken off the market, we are in a unique position to capture a massive market share.
The data below is based on company's internal research supported by statistics found in EPA's public database.
The Vision
MF Fire will continue to transform the wood heat industry as an innovation leader, using fire science, emerging technology, and ingenuity. We will remain focused on turning wood heat into a clean, climate-friendly energy source as we continue to create new Intellectual Property to add to our patent portfolio.
MF Fire is entering an extended period of potential revenue growth in our core markets, as we transition from early product innovation to mature commercial products. In 2020 and beyond, we are dedicated to leveraging our resources for high velocity sales growth. Empowered by our DOE funding to bring new product categories to market, we will be able to expand our geographic and solutions to reach wood stove users worldwide.
All figures below regarding current and future new markets are goals set by the company based internal research, actual results are not guaranteed.
OUR LEADERSHIP
Our company is made up of a proven team of engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs and business leaders. Our founders are engineering experts with multiple advanced degrees in fire science, while our CEO is a veteran entrepreneur and rocket scientist from MIT, who graduated a year after the famous Avenger Tony Stark. The team has worked together for 6 years as a whole, and the founders even longer.
From the beginning, we have focused on enlisting expert advisors to help guide our company, including a veteran venture capitalist, 40-year veteran industry distributor, retailer, and industry trade organization officer. We sought out legal and manufacturing experts, and will continue to add seasoned advisors to help grow the business
When we first entered the market, our success was deemed impossible by big name competitors, but we introduced substantial innovation and secured more DOE funding and awards to transform the industry than all other competitors. We fought through the business challenges surrounding the current pandemic and more than doubled the size of our team in the process, positioning ourselves for sustained growth and success.
Why Invest
MF Fire now has a full product line of modern wood stoves exceeding new EPA standards, and has created a multi-sales channel distribution and sales model to take advantage of this growth opportunity. As we grow the company across sales channels, geographies and product lines, we believe in the power of our customers, just as they have believed in us. We want you to have the opportunity to become an investor in our growth and we invite you to join us as a part owner, as we continue to disrupt the industry and make wood stoves cleaner for the environment and better for stove users worldwide!
How to Modernize the Wood Stove and Help Save the Planet. The humble wood stove is getting a high-tech makeover, and may be going green
Rookie Wood Stove Makers Get Highest Score in Design Workshop. A stove designed and built by graduate engineering students received the highest score in an international Stove Design Workshop focused on automated wood stove technology.
Only blocks away, the Energy Department manages the search for quarks and NASA scours the heavens for Earth-like planets. But inside a big white tent on the National Mall, the focus is on something simpler: oak, ash and elm, and how to make them heat a house with as little pollution as possible.
The world's brightest wood-stove designers and manufacturers will compete in the Wood Stove Decathlon Nov. 16 to 19 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The competition challenges 14 finalists to build next-generation wood stoves that are low-emission, high-efficiency, innovative, and affordable
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This group is investing in UMD-based ventures, from wood stoves to tea
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The Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) Venture of the Year award was presented to MF Fire Inc., a Baltimore-based startup company selling CatalystTM, a smart, clean, modern wood burning stove based on technology developed at UMD. The award recognizes excellence in innovation
Since its 2008 founding at MIT, the CEP has awarded more than $2 million to help launch clean-energy startups. The top prize for energy efficiency (and an Audience Choice Award) went to a University of Maryland team, MF Fire, and its Mulciber Stove — a woodstove equipped with sensors and a control
Imagine that the same technology used to power NASA’s Cassini spacecraft could be used in your own home, but run on renewable biomass rather than radioisotopes. Although you may not be planning a trip to Saturn’s outer rings anytime soon, thermoelectric generators—the power source Cassini used
MF Fire receives first Maryland Momentum Fund investment The company raised $1.2 million for its smart wood stove, including the contribution from the University System of Maryland's investment fund to back startups.
DOE awards $3 million for R&D to wood stove manufacturers. The MF Fire leadership team in 2018 - Taylor Myers, Paul LaPorte and Ryan Fisher. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected only two companies – MF Fire and ISB Marketing – to receive $3 million for research and development (R&D)
Company | : | MF Fire, Inc. |
Corporate Address | : | 3031 Washington Blvd, G, BALTIMORE, MD 21230 |
Offering Minimum | : | $9,999.25 |
Offering Maximum | : | $534,498.15 |
Minimum Investment Amount(per investor) | : | $287.50 |
Offering Type | : | Equity |
Security Name | : | Common Stock |
Minimum Number of Shares Offered | : | 8,695 |
Maximum Number of Shares Offered | : | 464,781 |
Price per Share | : | $1.15 |
Pre-Money Valuation | : | $12,659,390.90 |
COVID Relief
This offering is being conducted on an expedited basis due to circumstances relating to COVID-19 and pursuant to the SEC’s temporary regulatory COVID-19 relief set out in Regulation Crowdfunding §227.201(z).
Expedited closing sooner than 21 days
Further, in reliance on Regulation Crowdfunding §227.303(g)(2) A funding portal that is an intermediary in a transaction involving the offer or sale of securities initiated between May 4, 2020, and Feburary 21, 2021, in reliance on section 4(a)(6) of the Securities Act (15 U.S.C. 77d(a)(6)) by an issuer that is conducting an offering on an expedited basis due to circumstances relating to COVID-19 shall not be required to comply with the requirement in paragraph (e)(3)(i) of this section that a funding portal not direct a transmission of funds earlier than 21 days after the date on which the intermediary makes publicly available on its platform the information required to be provided by the issuer under §§227.201 and 227.203(a).
Voting Rights of Securities sold in this Offering
Voting Proxy. Each Subscriber shall appoint the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (the “CEO”), or his or her successor, as the Subscriber’s true and lawful proxy and attorney, with the power to act alone and with full power of substitution, to, consistent with this instrument and on behalf of the Subscriber, (i) vote all Securities, (ii) give and receive notices and communications, (iii) execute any instrument or document that the CEO determines is necessary or appropriate in the exercise of its authority under this instrument, and (iv) take all actions necessary or appropriate in the judgment of the CEO for the accomplishment of the foregoing. The proxy and power granted by the Subscriber pursuant to this Section are coupled with an interest. Such proxy and power will be irrevocable. The proxy and power, so long as the Subscriber is an individual, will survive the death, incompetency and disability of the Subscriber and, so long as the Subscriber is an entity, will survive the merger or reorganization of the Subscriber or any other entity holding the Securities. However, the Proxy will terminate upon the closing of a firm-commitment underwritten public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 covering the offer and sale of Common Stock or the effectiveness of a registration statement under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 covering the Common Stock.
*MF Fire retains the right to not select individuals for Beta programs and trials it believes are affiliated with organizations it considers to be competitors
*Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares. See Bonus info below.
Company Perks*
All Investor Owners Club
All investors get a one-time 15% discount on any order, product or accessory
Investors get to hear about new products before they are publicly available and have the opportunity to pre-buy any product, ensuring they are first in line!
Early Bird
Friends and Family - First 72 hours | 15% bonus shares
Super Early Bird - Next 72 hours | 10% bonus
Early Bird Bonus - Next 7 days | 5% bonus shares
Volume
Tier 1 perk - $500 | 10% perpetual discount on all products + access to online MF Fire Master Class sessions on topics such as How to Make a Fire Last All Night, How to Make a Fire Tornado, The Art of Fire
Tier 2 perk - $1000+ |Investors will get unique access and opportunities to test drive new technology and products* | All previous tier perks
Tier 3 perk - $2,500+, + 5% bonus shares | All previous tier perks
Tier 4 perk - $5,000+, + 5% bonus shares | All previous tier perks + free Delta firepit in your choice of finish + 1 on 1 session with Taylor Myer or Ryan Fisher, co-founders of MF Fire. (Learn from the masters via a personal zoom or phone session. Burning questions? High schooler’s science project or interview for class? It’s your call!)
Tier 5 perk - $10,000+, + 5% bonus shares | All previous tier perks + 20% lifetime discount on all products
Tier 6 perk - $25,000+, + 10% bonus shares | All previous tier perks
Tier 7 perk - $50,000+, + 15% bonus shares | All previous tier perks
*MF Fire retains the right to not select individuals for Beta programs and trials it believes are affiliated with organizations it considers to be competitors.
*All perks occur when the offering is completed.
The 10% Bonus for StartEngine Shareholders
MF Fire, Inc. will offer 10% additional bonus shares for all investments that are committed by investors that are eligible for the StartEngine Crowdfunding Inc. OWNer's bonus.
This means eligible StartEngine shareholders will receive a 10% bonus for any shares they purchase in this offering. For example, if you buy 100 shares of common stock at $1.15/ share, you will receive and own 110 shares for $115. Fractional shares will not be distributed and share bonuses will be determined by rounding down to the nearest whole share.
This 10% Bonus is only valid during the investors eligibility period. Investors eligible for this bonus will also have priority if they are on a waitlist to invest and the company surpasses its maximum funding goal. They will have the first opportunity to invest should room in the offering become available if prior investments are cancelled or fail.
Investors will only receive a single bonus, which will be the highest bonus rate they are eligible for.
A crowdfunding investment involves risk. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment. In making an investment decision, investors must rely on their own examination of the issuer and the terms of the offering, including the merits and risks involved. These securities have not been recommended or approved by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority. Furthermore, these authorities have not passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this document. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not pass upon the merits of any securities offered or the terms of the offering, nor does it pass upon the accuracy or completeness of any offering document or literature. These securities are offered under an exemption from registration; however, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not made an independent determination that these securities are exempt from registration.
T-minus 16 hours
At midnight on the West coast, our Reg CF offering will end.
We are so close to our goal. We pushed past 600 investors!
We need to raise $42,500.
Help us catch fire in the final hours!
I know we can do this, but we need your help.
Please help us cross the finish line strong.
The clock is ticking. I can almost hear the theme music to '24'. Ask yourself, "What would Jack do?". He would ACT because there might not be a tomorrow unless he saves the world!
Your time to invest in MF Fire is coming to a quick end. We have world changing stuff to do. And you have a bigger role to play than even Jack Bauer. We need your help now. With 48 hours to go, we have one more funding goal. Help us get there. Invest for the first time; reinvest and claim a bigger investor role; and help set the company up for maximizing our growth and impact.
Invest while there is still time...
T-minus 4 days! We are in the final week of our campaign. You have helped make this offering a big success and we welcome all of our new investors to the MF Fire family.
We have one final goal and I ask for all your help to achieve it. We want this campaign to hit the maximum goal of $534K. This goal is not arbitrary, and it helps both the company and you as investors. At some future point, we are likely to raise additional growth funds - always a good thing - and we will likely use Reg CF or Reg A as our funding method. Having a maxed out or oversubscribed round allows us to generate additional new investor interest when we get to that point and to do so at higher valuation, thus making your investment worth more.
We will also put the incremental investment to good work in the meantime. The last month has been incredibly exciting for MF Fire as we've secured new distributors and expanded the relationship with existing partners that allow us to cover Canada and large parts of the US. That grow means we are stepping up manufacturing and more than doubling production this year.
Please consider adding to your investment. Help us achieve our strategic investment goal and fuel what is shaping up to be another record year!
Do you get the feeling that 2021 is going to be a great year?
At MF Fire, we are fired up about early season successes that provide great optimism about the year ahead. To start off with, we secured our first Canadian distributor, providing a solid foundation from which to expand sales to our northern neighbors, who are some of the biggest users of wood stoves anywhere. 2021 provided another first - it is the first year we are large enough with brand momentum to offer and execute a successful "Early Buy" program by which we secured large early season commitments from both distributors and retailers. This provides committed revenue and manufacturing forecast accuracy to help our operations, as well as demonstrates our partners' commitment to selling MF Fire products. The majority of our distributors, and high volume retailers have placed early buy orders.
We are close to our maximum goal. Help us get there and light a fire under 2021!
More than 80% of the way with 3 weeks to go!
Invest again, or for the first time, and help us hit 100% of our funding goal!
[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].
Hello!
As you might know, MF Fire has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in MF Fire be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.
This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.
Thanks for funding the future.
-StartEngine
Which milestone should we celebrate?
Reaching $400,000 in investment from awesome people to help turbo charge our growth?
Or 500 investors who joined MF Fire in our mission to transform wood heat into clean energy?
Let's Celebrate Both!
A big shout out and thank you for enabling MF Fire to reach these twin milestones at the same time!
But we're on a mission -- now that we've celebrated, we must return to changing the world!
Help us reach our next twin milestones: max'ing out our campaign and reaching 600 investors.
If you've been following us, you've seen our progress. Despite everything that's happened in the last year, MF Fire has been laser focused and thrived in uncertain times.
Invest in MF Fire today. Every new investor and investment makes a difference!
MF Fire reached a milestone this past week with the delivery of the first units of a new product called Fire MAPS, a project heavily funded by the US Department of Energy. Fire MAPS creates a new category called the retrofit market for wood stoves, as the first IoT product designed to work with any wood stove installed worldwide. This opens a new category of 100 million installed units, in which MF Fire is the first to market. As this product relies heavily on technology and expertise not found in our competitors, we anticipate maintaining a first mover advantage for a substantial period of time.
This product, expected to retail for $150, is designed to deliver a rapid economic return to purchasers from the use of their existing wood stoves, while simultaneously resulting in massive emissions reductions - a win for everyone. We will be running customer trials throughout 2021, with expected full market launch in 2022.
There has never been a better or more promising time to join MF Fire. Invest now and help us change the world!
[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].
Hello! Recently, a change was made to the MF Fire offering. Here's an excerpt describing the specifics of the change:
MF Fire, Inc. extended the length of their campaign.
When live offerings undergo changes like these on StartEngine, the SEC requires that certain investments be reconfirmed. If your investment requires reconfirmation, you will be contacted by StartEngine via email with further instructions.
Like many of you, I was shocked by the devastation in the wake of last week's winter storm. Large parts of the country were left without heat when they needed it most, and some of those fortunate enough to have power experienced financial ruin at heating and electricity bills that were up to 100x higher than normal. While MF Fire's core value proposition is about delivering clean, efficient heat, I wanted to take a moment to share other very important benefits our customers enjoy every day.
Weatherproof - no matter what winter conditions what Mother Nature throws at you, you will always have heat.
Heating Independence - no matter what calamity strikes your power company or grid, you are in total control.
Affordable - wood has been shown time and time again to be one of the lowest cost heat sources, and if you or neighbors are fortunate enough to have property with trees, you also can enjoy a constant free source of heat. Interesting fact: 80% of wood burned in the US comes from naturally fallen trees - not cut. These are trees that otherwise simply decay.
Harsh winters are growing more common with climate change and our overly taxed power grids means more situations like the one in Texas and other parts of the country. Help us solve the big challenges like emissions, and the smaller, but no less important challenges of individuals like predictable, affordable heat that you control. Invest in MF Fire today!
Congress Passes Massive Financial Incentive to Buy High Efficiency Wood Stoves like MF Fire's
Congress recently passed a new 26% tax credit for high efficiency modern wood stoves! The new tax credit provides a 26% tax credit for the installed cost, including purchase price, sales tax, labor costs, and items necessary for installation, such as venting and floor protection. This is the largest rebate ever for consumers, covering every state, and providing huge incentives for customers to buy many of our products. For qualifying products, like our Nova 2 freestanding, inserts and towers, this also creates a huge competitive advantage over the majority of products, which don't qualify. This tax credit can save buyers $1,000s. When added to our products' amazing benefits, MF Fire stands to gain big as we accelerate into 2021!
Invest in MF Fire today!
And join hundreds of other investors helping us revolutionize the wood heat industry!
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