Shantonio Birch, CEO and founder of ThermoVerse, Inc. (center), received the GEM Outstanding Young Alumnus award at the 2026 BEYA STEM Conference, where the National GEM Consortium honors young professionals. GEM has supported over 5,000 STEM leaders, including more than 500 Ph.D. holders like Birch.
As founding CEO, he leads ThermoVerse’s innovation in engineering and entrepreneurship.
ThermoVerse was recently invited to join Taiwan’s VC and semiconductor community after winning the IC Taiwan Grand Challenge for its achievements in connectivity, creativity, and technological innovation.
The competition, judged by industry and government experts, focuses on AI chips, algorithms, and high-speed transmission to advance AI, mobility, manufacturing, medical technology, and sustainability.
Dr. Birch expressed enthusiasm for ThermoVerse’s selection, noting that the award includes a visit to Taiwan to strengthen ties with its semiconductor ecosystem.
This partnership will support ThermoVerse’s transition to a custom mixed-signal ASIC, which is critical for scaling its thermal battery solution for commercial buildings and revitalizing U.S. manufacturing.
As ThermoVerse progresses in its scaling roadmap, Dr. Birch expressed gratitude for the support received. ThermoVerse will also present at InnoVEX 2026, Asia's innovation hub.
During the BEYA ceremony, Dr. Birch reflected on his journey from community college to CEO, including research roles at several universities, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and part-time teaching at Washtenaw Community College. He values leaders who work to broaden participation in STEM.
ThermoVerse is marking its 11th quarter since beginning the Innovation Crossroads program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Last week, ThermoVerse was celebrated at the 2026 Michigan Celebrates Small Business Gala at Michigan State University as the 2026 Small Minority-Owned Business of the Year.