INDUSTRY: CLEANTECH / SUSTAINABILITY
$20M valuation
The Challenge
Greener Process Systems developed SETH, a patented technology that sits atop a ship’s smokestacks, captures toxic emissions, and filters them – reducing air pollution by up to 98%. The science was breakthrough. The team had a $10 million contract with the EU to install SETH at three ports in Italy. The market was real: 2,000 global ports, increasingly mandated emission regulations, a $27 billion market.
But cleantech raises face a specific problem: investors hear “patented emissions technology” and immediately think “science project that will never ship.” The founder’s instinct was to explain the engineering – how SETH works mechanically, the chemistry, the regulatory landscape. The challenge was making a complex engineering solution feel urgent, human, and investable to everyday investors on StartEngine – not just impressive to other engineers.
Our Approach
We produced a campaign video and 3 social ads that positioned SETH as both a public health imperative and a significant investment opportunity. The strategy focused on:
Leading with the human cost, not the technology. The video opens with “Asthma Alley” and “Diesel Death Zone” – real nicknames for Long Beach, California, where 70% of air pollution comes from docked ships. We don’t introduce SETH until the viewer feels the problem. These aren’t abstract emissions – they’re killing people in specific, named communities.
The “not hypothetical” frame. Cleantech raises die when investors suspect the technology is a concept, not a product. So the script makes it explicit: “SETH is not hypothetical. This technology has been prototyped, tested, and we’re currently fulfilling a $10 million dollar contract with the EU.” We address the unspoken objection before it becomes a reason to click away.
Dual-voice architecture. Two voices, two roles. CEO Matt Sweetwood delivers the business case on camera – the market opportunity, the EU contract, the economics. Then founder and CTO Enrico delivers the emotional anchor as a voiceover: “In 1975 when I told people I was an eco-engineer, they thought I was crazy. I have spent the last 35 years of my career dedicated to making the earth a cleaner, better place to live. Greener Process is the realization of my lifelong work. It’s a dream come true.” This isn’t a value prop – it’s a 35-year story arc in four sentences. It tells investors this isn’t a startup chasing a trend. It’s a lifetime of work reaching its moment.
The win-win-win. The script doesn’t just sell environmental impact. It lays out the economics for every stakeholder: ships save up to $1,600/hour on fuel while docked, ports recoup installation costs through fees and advertising, local workers get jobs installing and maintaining the systems. “SETH is a win-win-win.” This addresses the objection that cleantech means sacrificing profitability – it doesn’t.
Three social ads, three hooks: (1) the shock stat – one large ship emits the pollution equivalent of 20,000 cars, (2) the credibility play – Shark Tank crowd favorite with a $10M EU contract, (3) the complete picture – health, environment, and $40,000/day in fuel savings.
The Results
GREENER PROCESS SYSTEMS CAMPAIGN VIDEO
(Produced for Rally-On Media)
Greener Process Systems launched their StartEngine campaign with a $20 million valuation and moved into the build stage for their Italy installation. The campaign video positioned SETH not as a science project, but as the cleantech solution that ports worldwide had been waiting for.
Matt Sweetwood, CEO: “Thank you for being great. It’s been a huge pleasure to work with you.”
