Vantage Spotlight on Auggie Chico of Parthian Battery Solutions
VANTAGE VENTURES ENTREPRENEUR SPOTLIGHT SERIES
We are extremely fortunate at Vantage Ventures to have a growing community of entrepreneurs building impactful companies with West Virginia roots. By supporting teams of creative thinkers and problem-solvers—and leveraging the untapped talent and resources that exist in West Virginia—Vantage aims to build companies across data and IOT, infrastructure, life sciences, and security sectors. This initiative was born out of the John Chambers School of Business and Economics at West Virginia University and serves to launch high impact, scalable businesses to tackle complex challenges. We are home to a fearless new generation of entrepreneurs.
This month, we highlight Vantage Resident Entrepreneur Auggie Chico of Parthian Battery Solutions on how he is making an impact with renewable energy — giving electric car batteries new life. Read on to learn more as Auggie discusses how his vision of repurposing an electric vehicle’s (EV) battery reimagined them for second-use applications.
Talk to us about your role as the CEO of Parthian Battery Solutions. How did you come up with your business concept?
A: I’ve always considered myself to be a “car guy.” As someone who stays up to date with the automotive world, the introduction of Electric Vehicles and how they were forcing some of the largest & most storied industries to drastically change their course really caught my attention as a high school student. I found out that EVs were now possible at a commercial scale due to new technological advancements with Lithium-ion batteries. After doing some research, it was apparent that behind the curtains there were a lot of issues in utilizing these batteries at such a scale; from how they were sourced, to how they were to be disposed of, and even more in between. I knew these problems needed to be addressed, and I didn’t see any existing solutions addressing them, so I set out to tackle those issues with Parthian Battery Solutions.
What challenge is your company addressing, and what big idea is your company proposing to solve it?”
A: Our push for a ’greener’ society has spurred a crazy demand for lithium-ion batteries, but these batteries can be expensive, dirty, and unethically sourced. Through our recertification process, Parthian Battery Solutions is bringing forward a viable reuse market for these batteries to double their effective lifespan. This ensures the maximum amount of value extracted from the batteries, limits their environmental impact, and relieves supply stresses within the li-ion marketplace.
What has been one of the biggest opportunities and challenges of launching Parthian Battery Solutions?
A: Launching Parthian has opened up a lot of opportunities for myself. I’ve been able to network with so many incredible people along this journey, and I’ve found that West Virginia is teeming with individuals and institutions that are willing to help elevate Parthian to the next level, if you know where to look. As CEO you’re often meeting with other C-suite individuals when working on collaborative projects or discussing potential opportunities. That’s something you just can’t get doing anything else. In tune with that, as someone who is inherently content with ‘staying inside my own shell’ the need to get out and socialize with people can also pose a big anxiety inducing challenge for myself. I’ve found the old “picture your audience in their underwear” technique to be pretty helpful with that.
As an entrepreneur who inherently is environmental, social, and governance (ESG) oriented, how is Parthian providing social impact in the community?
A: The environmental benefits Parthian provides I think are pretty clear. What’s not often discussed is our testament that there are so many opportunities available in WV to build your own startup. Taking advantage of these opportunities will allow Parthian to diversify WV’s economy with more progressive industries, offering new tech and manufacturing jobs right here within the state. With those jobs we’d make a priority to work with programs such as Coalfield Development to hire underrepresented communities while simultaneously providing assistance in attaining higher education degrees and personal development mentorship.
What role has Vantage Ventures played in the development of your company?” or “What’s your favorite part of being in the Vantage Ventures community?”
A: When it comes to building a company, ‘it takes a village,’ you can’t do it alone. Vantage Ventures has been there to support almost every stage of Parthian’s development; from help with developing a pitch deck, to getting us connected to potential investors and buyers, and much much more. As a fresh college graduate, launching a company has been uncharted waters for myself. Every step I take is one I’ve never made before. Having the support of Vantage behind me has always made taking that next step a little less daunting.
What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur?
A: I’ve always been one to march to the beat of my own drum. If I ever have the opportunity to pave my own way, that’s the direction I want to go in. Though an entrepreneur’s workload and degree of responsibility can admittedly seem overwhelming at times, there’s nothing better than the freedom of being able to do things under your own terms.
Your grandfather, Sam Chico Sr., was an Italian immigrant, and an entrepreneur as well. Tell us a bit about him and what you think you learned from his legacy and his tenacity in entrepreneurship.
A: The story goes back further than that, Sam Chico Sr. was my GREAT grandfather! Though I never met the first of my namesake, his character was passed down through my grandfather and my own dad who both have had a great deal in forming me into the person I am today. I’m fortunate enough to have grown up surrounded by entrepreneurs and individuals who took matters into their own hands, on both sides of my family. Having those unique exposures gave me insights that you’re unable to get in any other way.
I come from a four-generation line that’s maintained our family business in Morgantown for over 100 years, so local people tend to recognize my last name. Despite how admirable I am of the entrepreneurial successes of Sams I – III, what I’m most proud of is how admired they were/are by their own community. That upstanding admiration is something I’d like to have following around me as well.
Thank you to Auggie for taking the time to chat with us! You can connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-chico-iv-08931012b/ and learn more about Parthian at https://www.parthianwv.com!