The Clean Tech Open (CTO), a business plan competition that will provide more than $1 million in prizes for early-stage clean technology startups, recently announced the semifinalists in the Rocky Mountain region of its 2009 competition. The semifinalists are:
- All Optronics (Tucson, AZ) – Cost-effective solar power using a unique optical concentrator and optimized silicon solar cell, ,
- Clean Coal Briquette Inc. (Lakewood, CO) – Clean coal briquettes made from coal waste and biomass waste for use in coal power plants
- CLEANtricity Power (Broomfield, CO) – Manufacturer of small wind turbines that can generate power in a variety of locations and wind conditions,
- Cool Energy (Boulder, CO) – Developers of a clean energy generating system
- EE-Low Cost Energy and Carbon Reduction (Durango, CO) – Low-cost energy and carbon reduction through a Software-as-a-Service web application
- Husk Insulation (Ann Arbor, MI) – High-performance insulation from agricultural waste
- ImagiPLAY (Boulder, CO) – Earth-friendly, ethically made, child safe toys
- New Sky Energy (Boulder, CO) – Captures carbon dioxide from the air or flue gas streams to manufacture consumer products and commodity chemicals that are normally made by CO2-polluting industries
- Rivertop Renewables (Missoula, MT) – Progressive chemistry, providing competitively priced, biodegradable alternatives to several widely-used chemicals
- SEED (Small Engines for Economic Development) (Fort Collins, CO) - Develops fuel efficient and affordable irrigation pump sets for small landholder farmers in developing countries
- Sunflower (Longmont, CO) - Designs and delivers active day-lighting and hybrid lighting solutions to commercial buildings
- SunTrac Solar (Golden, CO) – High temperature solar panels for solar thermal systems
This year the Clean Tech Open is holding competitions in California (semifinalists announced), the Pacific Northwest (semifinalists announced), and in the Rocky Mountain region.
Entrants will initially compete for regional prizes: $100,000 in cash and services to each of six winners (one for each category) in California; cash and services worth $50,000 to each of the three winners in both the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions. These 12 regional winners will then be placed in a national competition, with a Grand Prize winner to receive $250,000 in cash and services.
For more information: