Draft:Laurence Kemball-Cook

Laurence Kemball-Cook

Laurence Kemball-Cook is a British entrepreneur and engineer, best known as the founder and CEO of Pavegen, a clean technology company that creates flooring systems to generate electricity from footsteps. Kemball-Cook's work focuses on renewable energy and sustainability, and he has become a prominent figure in the field of kinetic energy harvesting.

Early Life and Education

Laurence Kemball-Cook was born in the United Kingdom and is the eldest of three siblings. His father worked as a management accountant, and his mother was a speech therapist. Creativity and innovation run in his family; both his grandfather and great-grandfather were engineers. Kemball-Cook attended Dulwich College and later graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in Industrial Design and Technology, specializing in sustainable materials and mechatronics.

Early Career

Kemball-Cook's early professional experience includes working as a Design Engineer at Eon UK PLC from 2007 to 2009, where he contributed to sustainable street lighting projects but was let go for not being able to complete the project with wind or solar energy. He also held positions as a Designer at One Integrated Communications and a Sustainable Designer at Lloyd Bore Landscape Architects. These roles gave him insight into sustainable design and integrated communications, which later influenced his work at Pavegen.

Founding Pavegen

The idea for Pavegen came to Kemball-Cook while he was a student at Loughborough University. He was inspired by the need to develop sustainable energy solutions for urban environments. In 2009, after winning the Royal Society of Arts' Student Design Award, he used the prize money to launch Pavegen. The company’s technology converts kinetic energy from foot traffic into renewable electricity, which can power various systems such as lighting and sensors.

Initially, Kemball-Cook faced challenges in bringing his idea to life. He spent several years developing the technology and struggled to secure investment. After breaking into a building site and installing a working version of the technology in central London, Pavegen began to gain traction and recognition as a solution for sustainable energy generation. This led Kemball-Cook to secure his first major project with shopping giant Westfield in 2012 worth £192,000.

One of Pavegen’s earliest tests took place at Simon Langton Boys School in the UK, where students generated electricity as they walked across the tiles. This installation provided a practical demonstration of renewable energy generation in a school environment and highlighted the potential for Pavegen to inspire young people about sustainable energy.

Pavegen

Pavegen is headquartered in London and has installed over 200 projects across 37 countries. The company’s technology has been utilized in diverse locations, including major cities, shopping centers, airports, and sports facilities. One of the most notable installations was a football pitch in a Brazilian favela, powered by the kinetic energy of players’ footsteps. The pitch was inaugurated by football legend Pelé and was part of a broader initiative to inspire the next generation of engineers in underserved communities.

Other significant projects include collaborations with Google, Adidas, Coca-Cola, and Schneider Electric. Pavegen has also been featured in prominent events such as the London 2012 Olympics and Heathrow Terminal 3.

In 2015, Pavegen launched the V3 tiles, developed by Kemball-Cook and his engineering team, which included data integration capabilities that allowed the tiles to communicate with mobile devices. The tiles were designed in a new triangular shape to increase energy efficiency.

Following the launch, Pavegen signed an MOU with Siemens, to integrate its energy-harvesting technology with Siemens’ smart city projects, advancing applications for microgrids and underscoring the role of kinetic energy in urban development.

In 2019, Pavegen attracted significant investment from the Hinduja Group to launch a Series A fundraise which led to Saudi Arabian firm Wadi Makkah participating in a £5 million fund.

Notable Pavegen Projects

• Collaborated with Akon and Shell to install kinetic tiles on soccer fields in Lagos, Nigeria, where players’ steps powered the facility's lighting.
• Pavegen installed a kinetic walkway at Heathrow Airport, where passenger footsteps helped power lights in a terminal corridor.
• Participated in the London 2012 Olympics by installing kinetic tiles along a walkway at West Ham Stadium, allowing visitors to generate electricity from footsteps to light a pathway.
• Bestival music festival on the Isle of Wight, UK, Pavegen installed tiles that harvested energy from the footsteps of festivalgoers.
• Installation at the Paris Marathon to capture runners’ footsteps and generate energy.
• In Washington, D.C., Pavegen launched an installation near the White House to power local street lighting. The launch was attended by government officials.
• At Abu Dhabi International Airport, Pavegen installed tiles that harvested energy from passenger footsteps.
• At the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Pavegen’s sustainable garden, designed by Kate Gould, won a gold medal.

Public Speaking and Media Appearances

Kemball-Cook is a sought-after speaker on topics such as technology, entrepreneurship, and sustainable energy. He has delivered TED Talks in several countries, including Germany, Brazil, the USA, and the UK, and has participated in global forums such as the United Nations' +20 Climate Conference. His talks often emphasize the potential of disruptive technologies to address pressing environmental challenges.

Kemball-Cook has garnered significant media attention due to his innovative work. His contributions have been covered by major outlets, including BBC, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Wired, and National Geographic. The Daily Telegraph once described him as a “boy genius.”

Awards and Recognition

Kemball-Cook and Pavegen have received numerous awards for their contributions to sustainability and innovation, including:

PEA (People. Environment. Achievement) Champion of the Year (2013)

World Technology Network Award (2012)

Santander Entrepreneurship Award (2012)

UK Bloomberg Business Innovator (2016)

Eco Entrepreneur of the Year at the GB Entrepreneur Awards (2015, 2016)

Estates Gazette Sustainability Award for Technology (2019)

In addition to these accolades, Kemball-Cook has been recognized as one of CityAM’s Top 10 Digital Innovators and featured on the Maserati 100 list of innovators.

Government and Industry Collaborations

Laurence Kemball-Cook has been actively involved in promoting British innovation abroad. He accompanied Prime Minister David Cameron on trade missions to China, Italy, and joined Cameron on a visit to the World Expo in Milan. He has traveled with London Mayor Sadiq Khan on business visits to New York and Chicago. He also spoke at SXSW 2017 on behalf of the UK Government’s Department for International Trade.

Kemball-Cook’s efforts to promote clean technology and innovation have led him to speak at international conferences, including EmTech MENA, GITEX Dubai, and the Global Energy Prize Summit.

Personal Life

In addition to his work in clean technology, Kemball-Cook is an avid athlete. He has competed in events such as the Iron Man Challenge and is dedicated to pushing his physical limits in various sports, including swimming and cycling.