Florian Hildebrand

Florian, from Germany, graduated from the University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2013.

The 34-year-old has founded two companies that have raised over €100 million and employed over 200 people from scratch.

Florian co-founded Greenlyte Carbon Technologies at the end of 2022, a company with the ambition to develop a low-cost, robust Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology that captures CO2 at world-leading energy rates, whilst supplying hydrogen as a by-product.

Florian recently returned to his old stomping ground, the University’s St Peter’s Campus, where he gave a talk to students about his career journey.

“It feels very special and quite emotional,” Florian said.

“I was last here over ten years ago and now I’m back where it all began.

When I was a student, the super-modern facilities, the programme and the connections with industry, really equipped me with all the skills I needed for my career, paving the way for what came afterwards.

Without the University of Sunderland, I would never have had the opportunities which brought me to where I am today.

I hope the students who come to my talk take away self-belief, to trust in themselves and be brave – to know they have the guts to go out there and do what they want to do.”