On April 14th, the Clean Energy Trust - the Midwest's leading incubator and fund for clean energy innovations - will be giving out the largest amount of money ever awarded to cleantech companies in a single day.
The Clean Energy Challenge is the organization's flagship accelerator program and it culminates in a pitch competition with $1M in total investments. Since its launch in 2010, the Chicago-based Challenge has been a proven launching pad for clean energy startups with graduates going on to raise a total of $46M in additional funding and create over 300 jobs.
This year, the Clean Energy Trust's $1M is nearly ten times the amount given out five years ago. Today, the finalists for the Challenge were announced and they feature 14 startups across a variety of clean tech categories, including alternative fuels, smart lighting, biomass, and solar energy.
STUDENT FINALISTS:
Advanced Renewable Technology International | Iowa State University (Biomass) Manufacturing activated char and carbon membranes for water filtration using Midwestern agricultural residues - like corn stalks and soybeans - to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Atlas Energy Systems | Purdue University (Energy Storage) Converting the energy from spent nuclear waste into usable electricity.
CrystalE | Case Western Reserve University (Smart Buildings & Devices) Providing smart building systems with various kinds of environmental information in order to easily and affordably monitor a building's conditions.
FGC Plasma Solutions | Case Western Reserve University (Advanced Transportation / Fuel Efficiency) Developing a process of of injecting fuel into jet engines by using plasma, thus increasing safety while decreasing fuel consumption.
SOFI Automotive | Northwestern University (Alternative Fuels) Creating methanol using atmospheric carbon dioxide, water and sunlight as inputs.
EARLY STAGE FINALISTS:
Accio Energy | Ann Arbor (Wind Energy) Developing turbine-free wind energy generation systems that offer 50% lower cost offshore.
Design Flux Technologies | Maple Heights (Energy Storage) Building the world’s first software-defined power management system
Glucan Biorenewables | St. Louis (Biomass) Commercializing a solvent-based biomass conversion platform.
Igor | Johnston (Smart Buildings & Devices) Building a "Power-over-Ethernet" lighting, sensor, and data platform that results in 80% in installation savings and 60% in energy savings.
Mercurius Biorefining | Holland, MI (Biofuels) Producing profitable jet fuels and diesel from non-food biomass feedstocks.
NETenergy | Chicago (Thermal Storage) Working on an innovative energy storage and management service provider that combines smart energy management software with unique thermal storage technology.
Rahtmobile | Minneapolis (Advanced Transportation) Producing a "human-hybrid vehicle" with amplified pedal power that enables the driver’s legs to propel the vehicle up to highway speeds.
Sun Number | Deephaven (Solar Energy) Developing an automated process to lower the cost of customer acquisition across the solar industry by "analyzing rooftops and the impact of shade for every square meter of the roof."
The Light Sentry | Naperville (Smart Lighting) Creating patented smart lighting technology that creates an individual lighting experience based on natural light that's available in a location.
To attend the event, purchase tickets here.
(Image via the Clean Energy Challenge).
