World’s Largest Cleantech Accelerator Selects Top Midwest Startups

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The Cleantech Open is reportedly the largest cleantech accelerator program in the world. It conducts regional cleantech startup competitions which then lead to a national (US) competition, the Cleantech Open Global Forum. The winners of the Midwest regional competition were recently announced. 3 startups moved on to the Cleantech Open Global Forum, out of the 21 that had reached this regional competition. Another 2 startups won a Sustainability award and a People’s Choice award. Below are these 5 winners.

Regional Finalist: Ornicept
Ann Arbor, MI
GeoTraverse product eliminates costly data collection bottlenecks and elegantly brings data from the field to the cloud.

Regional Finalist: Prairie AquaTech
Brookings, SD
Animal health and nutrition company focused on upgrading agriculture processing of by-products.

Regional Finalist: Akhan Tech
Hoffman Estates, IL
Energy efficient diamond semiconductor devices for consumer electronics.

Sustainability Winner: Garden Fresh Farms
Maplewood, MN
OEM for national network of indoor hydroponic farms.

People’s Choice Winner: Effortless Energy
Chicago, IL
Finance and software-as-a-service that allows contractors to better serve the home energy efficiency market.

For more details, check out the Midwest Innovation Summit press release. Also, from an earlier release, here are the 16 other regional finalists:

Arborlight
Ann Arbor, Michigan
LED-based lighting product that looks and feels like real skylights.

Bearing Analytics
West Lafayette, Indiana
Rotating equipment-monitoring solution that improves the ability to predict and avoid machine failures, a market problem estimated at $50B.

Cellulose Sciences
Madison, Wisconsin
High energy, high digestibility forages from low value underutilized agricultural residues.

EcoSpinners
Cleveland, Ohio
A zero-emission powered vehicle with no range or power limitations that can avoid traffic and helps you stay fit.

EcoStud
Calumet, Michigan
High speed processing technology to manufacture basalt fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) rebar, a non-corroding concrete reinforcement that has a >10X weight/strength advantage over steel.

Envirolastech
Rochester, Minnesota
Revolutionary closed loop recycling facility that eliminates the need for landfills in any community.

GRNE Solutions
Roca, Nebraska
Energy-producing building technology that saves clients up to 25% on their energy costs.

InBalance
Chicago, Illinois
Engineered energy efficiency products and solutions for large consumers of electricity, gas and water.

InvenTek
Chicago, Illinois
Patented technology for Li-ion batteries to enhance the value to end-users and to reduce cost by 25%.

Inventev
Detroit, Michigan
Solution that up-fits commercial trucks for fleets with new transmission system saving fuel, cutting idle, and generating power.

Intelligent Composites
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Lightweight aluminum self-lubricating compressors for heavy trucks as a replacement for heavy iron compressors.

NanoGas Technologies
Deerfield, Illinois
Solution targeting waste created on animal farms and in the oil industry, and saves energy, reduces sludge, and transforms chemicals.

Rowbot Systems
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Fleets of small robots that unlock the potential for smarter use of farm inputs, increasing growers’ profits and reducing environmental impact.

SkySpecs
Ann Arbor, Michigan
State-of-the-art unmanned aerial vehicle technology that is safe and simple for anyone to use.

Small Wind Turbines
Brainerd, Minnesota
Revolutionary electrical generator technology for application in small wind turbines that reduces the cost of producing electricity by 30%.

The Actives Factory
Waconia, Minnesota
Healthful, natural compounds extracted from the birch tree and sold to dietary supplement, cosmetic and pharmaceutical markets.