Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, CodeGig designs and deploys computer systems that help clients optimize workflow and make better decisions. Since launching the company in 2015, CEO Kellen Francis has grown CodeGig from a one-man operation to an 11-person team that includes specialists in software engineering, data analysis, cyber security and artificial intelligence (AI). With an eye on continued expansion, CodeGig aims to be a force in the carbon software market and is preparing to launch its first proprietary product, CodeGig Carbon.
The technology enables industrial companies to move away from manual measurement of their carbon emissions to an automated solution that saves time, money and resources. CodeGig recently won a $200,000 award from the Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) initiative and is looking for potential pilot partners and customers to help test its prototype.
At its core, CodeGig Carbon consists of three components:
- Software that not only automates the tracking of carbon emissions and tax incentives to generate more accurate, streamlined reports but also leverages machine learning to suggest areas for improvement.
- Sensors that gather data in real time and detect carbon leaks or harmful chemicals within a facility. (These sensors can be used independently or paired with CodeGig’s carbon tracking software to create an end-to-end solution.)
- AI custom modeling to forecast a company’s future carbon emissions and make recommendations that enhance companies’ performance and help achieve their decarbonization targets. The customization includes visual effects and 3-D digital maps.
Among its hallmarks, CodeGig Carbon dramatically reduces the time it takes to generate reports — from several hours to minutes or even seconds. What’s more, the automated reports assess output and target specific areas of an operation. “We try to give a high-level of clarity to show what you can do to lower your carbon footprint,” Francis says.
CodeGig Carbon also makes precise suggestions to help clients minimize their environmental impact. For example, shutting off lights at 6 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. could lower energy usage by 2%, Francis says.
Francis believes that CodeGig Carbon can have considerable impact in Louisiana, which ranked second highest among U.S. states in 2022 for industrial greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This included approximately 129 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. As a result, reducing carbon emissions has become a considerable focus for Louisiana.
CodeGig Carbon marks the first carbon-tracking software to support Gulf Coast chemical manufacturers. Yet it can be also used by a wide variety of carbon emitters in other regions, giving CodeGig Carbon the potential to become an important tool in achieving carbon transparency and neutrality on a national scale, Francis says.
He credits Louisiana Economic Development (LED) for helping CodeGig pursue this vision. “LED has done a great job of putting us in front of the right people,” Francis says. “Exposure from them has been phenomenal.” In addition, LED has facilitated relationships with other entrepreneurs, allowing Francis to work with the right mentors at the right time.
Indeed, in February Francis attended a kickoff retreat for the Innovation Cohort program, a partnership between LED and the Edward Lowe Foundation, which brings together entrepreneurs in the innovation and technology space. Among takeaways, Francis says the retreat enabled him to focus on his core message and shape a new set of goals.
As Louisiana seeks to increase its share of high-growth, technology companies, Francis wants CodeGig Carbon to be at the forefront. “We want to hold the flag, to be on top of the mountain,” he says.