NYSERDA announces 19 semifinalists in this year’s 76West competition

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on Monday announced the 19 semifinalists for the 76West clean-energy competition.

NYSERDA said it chose the 19 semifinalists from a pool of 169 applicants based in 14 countries and 21 states. They represent a “diverse spectrum” of clean-energy technologies such as energy storage, energy efficiency, transportation and renewable energy, per its news release.

The program will pair each company with a mentor before pitching their technologies to a panel of judges on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8 at Binghamton University.

The judges will then recommend the six finalists who will receive a total of $2.5 million in prizes. NYSERDA will reveal the winners in the fall.

76West is “one of the largest” competitions in the country that focuses on supporting entrepreneurs to build clean-energy businesses and economic development, NYSERDA said. The competition is designed to “further” develop the community of clean-energy technology “innovators,” industry experts, educators, and investors, along with helping startups get early users for their technologies.

“Over the past few years it has been exciting to watch previous 76West winners expand their companies and join the Southern Tier’s growing clean energy ecosystem and add to the state’s rapidly-growing, clean-energy workforce,” Alicia Barton, president and CEO of NYSERDA, said in the release.

This is the fourth round of 76West, a $20 million competition and support program that launched in 2016 and that NYSERDA administers. Each year, applicants compete for a $1 million grand prize, a $500,000 award, and four $250,000 awards. In total, 76West is providing $10 million in awards and $10 million for business support, marketing, and administration through the regional greenhouse-gas initiative and the clean energy fund.

76West semifinalists

From New York state

Central New York — Cortland Research in Homer

Finger Lakes — Paradigm of New York in Rochester

New York City — Allied Microbiota in Brooklyn; OXTO Energy in Queens

Southern Tier — Heat Inverse in Ithaca; Syndem in Binghamton; SunDensity in Vestal

Western New York — Clean Fiber in Buffalo

 

From out-of-state, but in U.S.

Blue Frontier of Parkland, Florida

Cambridge Crops of Somerville, Massachusetts

FlashCharge Batteries of Aventura, Florida

Optimus Technologies of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

PolyJoule of Cambridge, Massachusetts

Prosumer Grid of Atlanta, Georgia

Radical Plastics of Marblehead, Massachusetts

 

From outside the U.S.

Biolive of Istanbul, Turkey

Carbon Upcycling Technologies of Calgary, Canada

Ionomr of Vancouver, Canada

SWTCH Energy of Toronto, Canada

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com