ESA BIC Noordwijk alumnus NeoStove – now called Effium Cookware – has seen its space-tech inspired frying pan endorsed by Michelin-starred chefs. The company is now bringing this powerhouse to the home kitchen – are you ready to cook like a pro? Effium offers the ESA BIC and SBIC community an exclusive discount (order by 28 Feb 2025). Read on to discover more!
Space-inspired pan developed with ESA BIC support
Traditional pans utilise only a fraction of the heat generated by gas stoves, resulting in inefficient energy use. The Effium Pan boasts unique features that The Effium Pan boasts unique features that efficiently captures and evenly spreads two times more heat from gas stoves. This speeds up the cooking process, halving the gas consumption. Using less energy is a win–win for your pocket and the planet!
First inspired by the Ariane 5 Vulcain rocket engine design at Space Expo, entrepreneur Surya Prakash has successfully progressed his ambition to create gas-efficient cookware. His startup NeoStove (now called Effium) joined the ESA BIC programme in 2020 and went on to produce a pan prototype by the time of graduation that incorporates heat fins underneath to capture and distribute the heat in a powerful manner.
We graduated from ESA BIC with a proven prototype, pilot customers and a strong business case
Surya Prakash, EFFIUM CEO
Pro-chef endorsements and creating culinary magic at home
Fast forward to today, the company is forging ahead with its mission. Having set up mass manufacturing and worldwide shipping of its flagship frying pan, the reviews are rolling in – and they are first class, both from Michelin-starred chefs and enthusiastic home cooks! To mark the exciting move into the consumer market and to recognise the support received over the years, Effium is offering a limited-time, exclusive online-only discount on Effium Pans to the ESA BIC Noordwijk and the wider SBIC community.
ESA BIC DISCOUNT: To take advantage of the offer, go to the Effium website, add the pan to your cart and in the comment box write “ESA BIC.” Then, at checkout, insert the code (ESA15) to get €15 discount. Note: The code is only valid until the end of Feb 2025. For the offer description, click here for visual (created by Effium).
Entrepreneurial encouragement
We caught up with CEO Surya Prakash for some further insights into the startup’s journey. “We wanted to improve the efficiency of cooking on gas. After all, traditional cooking pans – whether used on domestic or commercial gas stoves – only utilise about 30% of the heat for cooking. This meant that 70% of the heat was wasted, and a significant opportunity for improvement was right in front of us,” explains Surya. “By studying existing pans closely, we identified design flaws that contributed to this energy inefficiency. With inspiration drawn from space technology and the belief that this was a solvable problem, we began developing and testing a series of prototypes to create a pan that minimises heat loss and optimises cooking performance.”
“Thanks to the close-knit community of entrepreneurs at ESA BIC Noordwijk, we found support, encouragement and valuable feedback as we faced challenges along the way. We cheered each other on when the going was tough. Their shared spirit of innovation helped fuel our determination to succeed,” he continues. “With a great sense of achievement, we successfully graduated from the ESA business incubation programme with a proven prototype, pilot customers and a strong business case.”
Effium: A new name and new horizons
“Post-incubation, we took our journey further and with the help of CTO Wytze de Vries, we refined our designs and scaled-up production. In 2024, the newly-named Effium was born – a brand that symbolises efficiency and reflects our commitment to quality,” Surya notes.
“We continued testing our efficient pans in high-demand commercial kitchens, where Michelin-starred chefs put our products to the test. After several iterations, we achieved a product that exceeded expectations, leading to bulk orders from top-tier chefs who were eager to incorporate our pans into their kitchens. With star chefs like Jan van Dobben lauding the performance of the Effium Pan, home chefs from across the globe are now beginning to order their Effium Pan to cook like a star chef, finish cooking 35% faster and save 50% gas!”
Discount code valid until 28 Feb 2025
Prepare your space business idea for lift off!
Discover everything you need to know about the ESA BIC Noordwijk programme.
CURIOUS ABOUT ESA BIC? The spirit of space innovation can be harnessed to solve practical, real-world problems. If you’re passionate about creating products that can positively impact daily life, don’t be afraid to think big. Space technologies, like the ones used to optimise energy usage in space missions, can often translate into solutions for the challenges we face here on Earth. Explore the endless possibilities for creating space-tech inspired products and solutions. Your idea could be the next innovation that changes lives. Apply for ESA BIC and be in with a chance of receiving €60K funding and business support. Discover more in our info sessions and the next webinar on 11 Feb 2025. esa-bic.nl
