A Tampa startup was among four winners in a clean energy competition headed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
COI Energy Services, which is both a member of innovation hub Embarc Collective and a former member of the University of South Florida's Tampa Bay Technology Incubator, was among the final four winners in the 76West Clean Energy Business Competition. The competition asked applicants for innovations that would "lower carbon emissions and spur economic growth in New York state."
COI Energy Services, founded by SaLisa Berrien, provides a software that helps businesses and utilities decrease energy spending, increase operational efficiency, reduce grid constraints and improve capacity utilization.
The competition was originally created as a $20 million, four-year initiative to build clean energy jobs and businesses in New York's Southern Tier, or upstate, region. It is administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Berrien joined two other finalists, who all received a $500,000 prize. The four winners were chosen out of 19 finalists, which were whittled down from an original 183 applicants from across the globe. Local businesses provided mentorship to each of the 19 finalists during the competition process.
The four winners will continue to receive mentoring for the next two years, along with a $500,000 prize. The grand prize winner, Canadian company ThermoAI, received $1 million.
"The 76West Competition creates compelling opportunities for companies from around the world to partner with us at the forefront of climate change strategies that tie innovation solutions with growth of the green economy in our state," Cuomo said in a statement. "We congratulate the winners, who will help us build a stronger, greener and more sustainable empire state for future generations."
The winners either have to move business operations to the area or establish connections in the upstate New York region, such as adding jobs. COI Energy, while headquartered in Tampa, does have a New York office as well as one in San Francisco.
This is not the first time Berrien has pitched on a national stage.
In May 2019, AOL co-founder Steve Case brought the Rise of the Rest tour to Tampa Bay seeking talent beyond Boston and Silicon Valley. Berrien was one of eight finalists chosen to pitch for the judges, including Case, to compete for a $100,000 prize. She's also no stranger to New York businesses: She is a member of SAP.iO Foundry New York, a no-equity startup accelerator.
COI Energy is the latest of several Tampa Bay startups that have been lauded on a national stage in the last month.
