About Us
Technology Designed for
Space.
Technology Designed for
Space.
Destined for
Earth.
The technology behind Helix MICRA™ was developed at NASA to handle extreme conditions in space. We brought it to Earth to fix the way buildings manage air.
- Building humidity control
- Better indoor air quality
- Reduced HVAC energy use
Our Story
Our NASA Origins
Dr. Rawand Rasheed, our CEO and co-founder, developed the first version of Helix MICRA™ at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The mission was to protect astronauts from fire and smoke aboard the Orion spacecraft on missions to Mars.
The challenge was removing toxic particles from cabin air in microgravity, where traditional filtration fails completely. The solution had to be compact, never clog, use minimal energy, and capture contaminants instantly.
That solution became Helix MICRA™. The Multiplexed Inertial Coalescence Refining Apparatus.
Now, with an exclusive worldwide license from NASA, we are applying that same technology to the buildings where people live, learn, work, and eat every day.
Our Mission
Cut global HVAC energy use in half. It’s that simple. And that hard.
Our phased deployment strategy prioritizes markets where the Helix MICRA™ System delivers the greatest immediate impact in energy savings and occupant comfort.
- Analyze your data
- Collaborate securely
- Embedded analytics
- Easy & intuitive
Q4 2022
2023
2024
2025
2026+
-
Incorporation
- Founded by Dr. Rawand Rasheed and Brad Husick
- Exclusive NASA technology license secured
- Launched at Rice University's Liu Idea Lab for Entrepreneurship
-
Validation
- $1.3M pre-seed raised
- $750K in non-dilutive grants (NSF SBIR Phase I, DOE)
- Lab-scale prototype development
- NASA license finalized
-
Proof of Concept
- Built first commercial-scale HVAC prototype components
- 80+ properties joined the waitlist
- Won 6 major awards, including SXSW Pitch (Smart Cities)
- Dr. Rasheed named Forbes 30 Under 30 and ACHR 40 Under 40
- Selected for NYU's Endless Frontier Labs; won NYU Urban Future Prize and 2nd in DOE EPIC Prize
- Graduated from Greentown Labs and closed a $6M seed round (led by Veriten)
-
Commercial Scale
- Scaled to commercial-size units and validated in field tests
- Rooftop and wall-mount testing completed with early customers
- Manufacturing partners identified and distribution commitments secured
- Team expanded to 15+ employees
- Dr. Rasheed recognized in FTSG Pioneers & Power Players
-
Market Entry
- Volume production begins
- First commercial unit deliveries
- Early customer list expands to 50+ buildings
- Multi-site rollouts with anchor customers
- National distribution network activated
Leadership Team
Founders with NASA-grade engineering discipline and proven scale-up execution.
A cleaner, lower-energy future needs both deep technical rigor and commercial momentum. Helix Earth is led by operators who have built both.
Our team
Advisory Board
Our advisors bring world-class expertise across aerospace, HVAC, mechanical engineering, entrepreneurship, and climate technology.
Research Sponsors
Partnerships & Memberships
Fail as much as you can. Fail fast. Don’t be ashamed of it. Pursue new things as much as possible. Step outside of your comfort zone and just don’t be afraid to look silly
Dr. Rawand Rasheed, CEO & Co-Founder
Awards & recognition
Built loud. Recognized globally.
A curated wall of milestones across entrepreneurship, climate innovation, and engineering leadership.
2025
Cleantech 50 to Watch
Pepperdine Graziadio Business School's Most Fundable Companies of 2025
GRIT Award Winner: Best Energy Startup
NSF SBIR Phase II
SXSW Pitch Winner
Smart Cities, Transportation & Sustainability
GRIT Award Winner: Entrepreneur Award
Forbes 30 Under 30
Energy & Green Tech
Pioneers & Power Players List
Tech Trends Report
ASME's 2025 Mechanical Engineering Watch List
2024
Clean Tech Pitch Contest, 1st place
DOE Epic Prize, 2nd place
Endless Frontier Labs Acceleration Program, Graduate
High Performance Computing for Energy Innovation Grant Award
Phase I SBIR Grant
Urban Future Lab Future Solutions Prize
ACHR 40 Under 40
HVACR Professionals List
Chain Reaction Innovations Fellowship
2023
Greentown Labs News Coverage
MIT Climate & Energy Prize, Semi-Finalist
Texas Entrepreneur Exchange for Energy (TEX-E) 1st Place
2022
H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge, 1st place
Hershel M. Rich Invention Award
2021
DOE IBUILD Graduate Fellowship
Smalley Curl Institute Student Training Award
Rice Innovation Fellows Award
2017