Semifinalists make pitch for prize funding in 76West clean-energy competition

Event was held virtually   

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The 19 semifinalists in the 76West clean-energy competition have made their pitches and are hoping to secure funding when the winners are announced in the fall.

The companies presented their cases for winning during a virtual event held Aug. 18 and 19 on the competition’s website, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced.

Semifinalists are competing for $2.5 million in prize money including one grand prize of $1 million, and three $500,000 awards. The winners will either move to the Southern Tier or establish a direct connection with the Southern Tier, such as a supply-chain relationship or other strategic relationships with Southern Tier entities that create jobs. 

The 76West competition seeks to boost clean-tech economic development and expand “innovative” entrepreneurship in the Southern Tier. 

The program and resulting technology support Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s climate and clean-energy agenda as outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act that has set New York on a “path to a carbon-neutral economy,” NYSERDA said.

The competition also complements “Southern Tier Soaring,” the region’s “comprehensive strategy to boost economic growth and community development in the Southern Tier region.

Administered by NYSERDA, the 76West competition was launched in 2016 as a $20 million, four-year initiative to grow the clean-energy ecosystem in the Southern Tier with funds from the regional greenhouse-gas initiative and the clean-energy fund. 

Previous competition winners and semifinalists have raised $29 million in private capital and created multimillion-dollar investments in property and equipment. They have invested more than $2 million in key suppliers. Past winners include Micatu, Optimus Technologies; Skyven Technologies; EkoStinger; Switched Source; Hub Controls; C4V; Suntegra; ProsumerGrid; SolarKal; Global Thermostat; and Southern Tier Technologies.

Semifinalists

NYSERDA listed the following 76West semifinalists who were scheduled to pitch their ideas and their technology focus.

New York State

Finger Lakes

• Paradigm of New York, Rochester — transportation 

 New York City 

• COI Energy Services, New York City — renewable energy 

• ThermoAI, New York City — greenhouse-gas mitigation 

Mid-Hudson

• Solar-Tectic, Croton — chemicals and advanced materials 

• Teratonix, Scarsdale — building and industrial energy efficiency 

Southern Tier

• Combplex, Ithaca — agriculture 

• Ecolectro, Ithaca — chemicals and advanced materials 

• Heat Inverse, Ithaca — transportation 

Long Island

• Urban Freight Corporation, Carle Place — transportation 

Out-of-state

• AGreatE, Carlsbad, California — energy storage and batteries 

• Aeroshield Materials, Cambridge, Massachusetts — building and industrial energy efficiency; 

• Littoral Power Systems, New Bedford, Massachusetts — renewable energy 

• Medley Thermal, Somerville, Massachusetts — building and industrial energy efficiency 

• NexxGen Power Authority, Babcock Ranch, Florida — waste recycling or water efficiency 

• Saratoga Energy Corporation, Richmond, California — chemicals and advanced materials. 

International

• Alp Technologies, London, United Kingdom — energy storage and batteries 

• Clir Renewables, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada — energy transmission and distribution 

• gridX GmbH, Munich, Germany — energy transmission and distribution 

• OXTO Energy, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom — energy storage and batteries