Rob Creighton Explains Windlift’s Approach To Wind Energy

Today’s Friday Nooner had a little bit of a different vibe. With the GrepBeat Godfather on vacation with the GrepBeat First Family in Costa Rica, Pete was joined by first (only?)-time guest co-host, Not Joe (Kaitlyn). After a vague tease of special material on next week’s Nooner season finale (tune in!), the pair provided a rundown of new Colopy Ventures employees’ annual gifts—which, despite Kaitlyn’s admitted abuse of her new-employee gift card to the ForeverGrep store, still culminate in personalized bobbleheads after a few years.

Pete and Not Joe were then joined by Rob Creighton, the Founder and CEO of Windlift, who beamed in from his ocean sports equipment’s retirement suite. (It’s the equipment that’s retired, not Rob.) One of GrepBeat’s 2023 Startups to Watch—and the subject of a past feature—Raleigh-based Windlift is introducing a new approach to harnessing wind energy.

Specifically, the startup is using autonomous, tethered aircraft to fly hundreds of feet into the air and function somewhat like wind turbines—only without the giant, expensive pillars in the ocean. Rob filled us in on the journey up till now and what’s next for Windlift.

Watch the full episode on LinkedIn here or on Facebook here.