The unique, patented blending technology of the Blender was invented by former co-Founder and CTO of SunTech Drive, Nikola Milivojevic, PhD and his business partner and SunTech co-Founder, Yusuf Gurkaynak, PhD.
Nikola saw a need to directly power inexpensive AC motor loads for off-grid solar water pumping, improving both efficiency and cost compared to DC motor solutions. In addition, they developed the capability to seamlessly blend AC and DC sources with a universal, “smart” controller to create the perfect trifecta: products that can stabilize the grid, enable off-grid operations, and manage local storage.
In 2016, when looking for a new, US-based manufacturer, Nikola met Edmond Johnson, Founder and CEO of Premier Manufacturing, a leading contract manufacturer in Colorado. During that time, Edmond and the team at Premier became personally invested in SunTech’s unique technology-driven applications and the potential for their significant impact on renewable energy applications across the board. In 2020, when SunTech was looking for a suitor, Premier and UPC Capital (an investor in the former SunTech Drive LLC) formed Premier Energy Holdings to acquire the assets and intellectual property of SunTech. They both felt that the technology could be important in the transformation to a predominately renewable electric power infrastructure.
Now known as ENFusion, Nikola serves as the CTO and Yusuf as the Chief Engineering Officer. To date, over two thousand controllers are deployed, operational, and have been proven effective in numerous energy conversion applications. These past few years have been full of evolution, transformation, and exciting new developments. As we continue to enhance, innovate, and apply the technology to new applications one thing that remains constant is our mission to achieve net zero for all with the perfect blend of energy and sustainability. We hope you join us.
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2000+ controllers are deployed, operational, and have been proven effective.
“After meeting Nikola and Yusuf, we knew that this technology could make a big impact on renewable energy applications in any field. Not to mention, its affordability would allow everyone a chance to participate in lowering carbon emissions.”
Edmond Johnson is the CEO of ENFusion. He is also the founder and President of Premier Manufacturing, one of Colorado’s largest contract manufacturers. Edmond met Nikola in 2016 when SunTech Drive was looking for a new, US-based manufacturer. The two developed a great working relationship and Edmond became personally invested in Nikola and Yusuf’s vision and SunTech’s innovative technology.
In 2020, Premier and UPC Capital (an investor in the former SunTech Drive LLC) formed Premier Energy Holdings to acquire the assets and intellectual property of SunTech.
“The formation of ENFusion made perfect sense. We could leverage our combined strengths of emerging renewable technology with robust, quality manufacturing right here in Colorado.”
In 2021, Edmond was also appointed Chair of the Board of Directors Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, after having served since 2015 on the Denver Branch Board.
Edmond is involved in various scholarship funds and charity programs. He is Chairman of the DreamSpring’s Board and serves on the Advisory Board for the Advanced Manufacturing Sciences Institute at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Edmond holds an MBA in Marketing from Clark Atlanta University. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family and staying active.
“I see ENFusion as a key technology and global thought leader helping to shape and drive a robust and efficient clean energy infrastructure. ENFusion’s technology has the capacity to be an integrated component of smart devices across multiple industries worldwide.”
Michael has more than 30 years of experience in the technology, clean energy, consumer product, telecom, and manufacturing sectors. He has held CFO, COO, CEO, VP Corporate Development, and Director positions for early-stage, high-growth, and middle- market private and publicly held organizations. Michael serves as the COO and CFO for ENFusion and Premier Manufacturing. He is focused on corporate development and identifying and executing growth opportunities in existing and emerging markets.
Michael has led international corporate development efforts, including the successful completion of acquisitions in the U.S. and Europe, a joint venture in Japan and multiple intellectual property licensing, international distribution, manufacturing and joint development agreements.
Michael is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and a graduate from Pacific Lutheran University in Washington. He is active in golf, tennis, skiing, hiking, and cycling, and he enjoys spending time with his daughter and family on their ranch in Wyoming.
“Our technology enables the use of solar energy in applications where it was never used before, and solves problems for off-grid and unstable power during peak operating hours. It is our goal to apply this same technology to any renewable energy source in the future.”
Dr. Nikola Milivojevic, PhD, serves as the CTO for ENFusion and leads the Engineering
team on product development and innovation.
Nikola and his long-time business partner Dr. Yusuf Gurkaynak, invented the unique,
patented blending technology of the Cell and the Blender in 2016 when they co-founded
SunTech Drive, LLC. They saw a need to directly power inexpensive AC motor loads for
off-grid solar water pumping, improving both efficiency and cost compared to DC motor
applications. The solution they developed allows for the capability to seamlessly blend
AC and DC sources with a universal, “smart” controller to create products that can
stabilize the grid, enable off-grid operations, and manage local storage – all at an
affordable price.
In 2020, the assets and intellectual property of SunTech Drive were acquired by Premier
Manufacturing and UPC Capital, and SunTech Drive became ENFusion.
Previously, Nikola served as Vice President at Bright Energy, a think-tank in the energy storage space. He assembled a team of engineers to develop a 100kW, 400kWh compressed air thermal energy storage system that tested to Navy specifications as part of a US Navy grant under the Alternative Energy Initiative.
In 2011, Nikola was the Director of Engineering at Southwest Windpower, leading a dozen engineers to develop scalable turbine controllers. Nikola’s technology was acquired by Xzeres Wind and Primus Wind, and is still being used and sold worldwide.
He then became a founder and the CTO of MagDrive, which developed electronic controllers for the wind and solar industry.
In 2005, Nikola led a team of students to win first prize at the International Future Energy Challenge in Chicago, Illinois. This earned him a scholarship to the esteemed PhD program at Illinois Institute of Technology, which also served as a renewable energy think-tank. Serbian President Boris Tadic honored Nikola’s team with the Mihajlo Pupin Award – the highest national prize for innovation in Technology and Science. Serbia’s independent daily magazine DANAS listed Nikola as one of 100 most successful Serbians in 2005.
Nikola earned his MsC and BS from the University of Belgrade. He has published several journal papers, dozens of conference papers, and holds several patents. Nikola lives in Boulder with his family and enjoys biking, traveling, and eating good food.
Dr. Yusuf Gurkaynak serves as the Chief Engineering Officer at ENFusion and leads the core innovation and technical solutions. Yusuf first met Nikola Milivojevic when they were both PhD candidates at the Illinois Institute of Technology. They have worked together ever since.
While serving as adjunct professors at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Yusuf and Nikola developed a graduate-level curriculum for a course in adjustable speed drives as a part of a Department of Energy grant. The course was recorded and used by the University in subsequent semesters.
After receiving his Doctorate in Neural Networks and Adaptive Control Algorithms from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Yusuf served as a Senior Control Engineer for MagDrive and Southwest Windpower. He then joined Bright Energy as a Senior Electrical Engineer before leaving to start SunTech Drive, LLC with Nikola. Together they invented the patented technology for ENFusion’s Cell and Blender.
Yusuf is an experienced system engineer with a strong technical background and analytical skills in power electronics, motor drives, control and automation systems, compressed air energy, and ammonia energy storage systems. His experience includes writing algorithms and coding for wind turbines and PMSM generators. Yusuf holds five patents on power converters and their efficient control methods for solar power applications.
Yusuf was raised in Istanbul, Turkey and has two BSc and an MSc degree from Istanbul Technical University. His hobbies include travel, hiking, photography, and fish keeping.
John Wallington serves as a Director at ENFusion and Managing Partner of UPC Capital Ventures.
Upon meeting Nikola and Yusuf in 2016, John was inspired by their vision and ground-breaking technology, which led UPC Capital Ventures to become one of the early investors of SunTech Drive, LLC. UPC continued to show belief in the founders and in the technology and when SunTech was after much needed support in 2020, UPC Capital and Premier Manufacturing formed Premier Energy Holdings to acquire the assets and intellectual property of SunTech.
John has over 25 years of experience in senior management roles in large global manufacturing and service-based industries. In 2005, he co-founded a technology start-up and served as its CFO, securing seed investment from UPC Energy Group. A year later he formally joined UPC, managing an international portfolio of renewable energy companies, property, energy, and technology investments. John co-founded UPC Capital Ventures in 2014, which now includes an investment portfolio of over 25 Energy Tech and FinTech companies, employing hundreds of people and generating substantial economic, social, and environmental value.
Additionally, John is COO of UPC Management, CFO of UPC Solar, and a Partner in UPC Renewables Asia Pacific Holdings, which has recently announced a series of significant mergers with AC Energy and aspires to be the largest listed Renewable Energy platform across South East Asia.
John is involved in numerous trade associations and nonprofits in the energy industry – serving as a Director of the K2 Wind Foundation, a Board Member of the Colorado Cleantech Industries Association, and several others. He received his BA in Geography from Exeter University (UK) and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. John enjoys the outdoors, especially hiking, tennis and “pottering around his garden”.
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