For Episode 231 of Amplify Your Business, we’re joined by Alexei Beltyukov, the founder of Universal Fuel Technologies. Universal Fuel Technology is a chemical technology platform that develops technologies to make renewable fuels and petrochemicals, such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel, gasoline, Liquefied Petroleum Gas, and BTX.
Born in the former Soviet Union, Alexei started his first entrepreneurial venture in Russia in 2007. He then took a chance on a venture that moved him out to California, and though that business didn’t work out, he decided to stay. Eventually, with partnerships still in place in Russia, Universal Fuel Technologies was established, and though they’ve had some hardships, including buying out a partner due to the Ukraine-Russia War and making the decision to abandon their lab in Russia in the hopes of rebuilding it in the US, the company has come out the other side prosperous and ready to make the next bold moves in renewable energy.
To learn more, visit the Universal Fuel Technologies website at https://unifuel.tech/ or connect with Alexei on LinkedIn.
00:00 – Intro
01:36 – What are three things that you think every entrepreneur needs to know?
04:51 – What problems are you trying to solve with Universal Fuel Technologies?
10:37 – Can you tell us a bit about the difference in entrepreneurial ecosystems between Russia and the US? What are the similarities and differences?
18:37 – Is the entrepreneurial spirit the same in Russia as it is in North America?
21:35 – How did factors such as geography, culture, and the Ukraine-Russia war impact your company’s story?
24:02 – Given everything that you’ve got going on with Universal Fuel Technologies right now and your plans for the future, is there anything you would have done differently in order to see success quicker?
26:03 – If someone were to give Universal Fuel Technologies a large sum investment – say $1M or $10M – what would you do with that money?
27:34 – If you could send a letter back in time to your pre-entrepreneurial self, what advice would you give?
30:13 – If our audience wanted to reach out and connect with you, what’s the best way to do that?
