05.04.23
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) gave awards to six top cleantech innovators at the 2023 NREL Industry Growth Forum (IGF) on May 1-3, 2023. In its 28th year and for the first time, the IGF completely sold out around two weeks before the event that provides a forum for cutting-edge technologies aiming to catapult the world forward with clean energy solutions.
A panel of investors judged the field of 40 companies that pitched their technologies during the event, with the winners receiving the highest scores. Earlier in 2023, a panel of more than 150 climate-tech investors selected the 40 innovators from 189 applicants.
“Each year we see more incredible steps in technology, and the IGF is a front-row seat to the future of energy,” said Trish Cozart, NREL Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center director. “It’s exciting to watch investors and startup companies connect in person and plan for the future. Our theme of ‘Smarter, Faster, More Connected’ is everything this event provides. We must continue to accelerate and work together to bring essential technologies into the market."
“This year truly inspired all of us,” IGF project manager Sheila Ebbitt said. “We completely sold out on registrations, bringing nearly 750 attendees from all over the world. This is a global event to make global change, working to transform our lives with clean energy innovations.”
This Year’s Award Winners
• Best Venture Award—Overall: UbiQD
UbiQD leverages highly fluorescent quantum dots to optimize the spectrum of sunlight passing through windows. The company is located in Los Alamos, NM, and is a member of the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) portfolio.
• Outstanding Venture—Early Stage: EvolOH
Located in Menlo Park, CA, EvolOH is developing a scalable electrolyzer system to split pure water into oxygen and hydrogen without the need for caustic liquid electrolytes.
• Outstanding Venture—Commercialization Stage: Summit Nanotech
Based in Calgary, Canada, Summit Nanotech has a patented direct lithium-extraction technology that reduces production time and minimizes the use of reagents and fresh water.
• Outstanding Venture—Growth Stage: Vutility
Based in Sandy, UT, Vutility has developed a wireless submetering solution to monitor energy use.
• Outstanding Venture—Software: Salient Predictions
Based in Cambridge, MA, Salient Predictions uses artificial intelligence to produce weather forecasts and analytics for adapting to a more volatile climate.
• People’s Choice Award: Harvest Thermal
Based in Kensington, CA, Harvest Thermal has developed a smart controller for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning and hot water systems.
A panel of investors judged the field of 40 companies that pitched their technologies during the event, with the winners receiving the highest scores. Earlier in 2023, a panel of more than 150 climate-tech investors selected the 40 innovators from 189 applicants.
“Each year we see more incredible steps in technology, and the IGF is a front-row seat to the future of energy,” said Trish Cozart, NREL Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center director. “It’s exciting to watch investors and startup companies connect in person and plan for the future. Our theme of ‘Smarter, Faster, More Connected’ is everything this event provides. We must continue to accelerate and work together to bring essential technologies into the market."
“This year truly inspired all of us,” IGF project manager Sheila Ebbitt said. “We completely sold out on registrations, bringing nearly 750 attendees from all over the world. This is a global event to make global change, working to transform our lives with clean energy innovations.”
This Year’s Award Winners
• Best Venture Award—Overall: UbiQD
UbiQD leverages highly fluorescent quantum dots to optimize the spectrum of sunlight passing through windows. The company is located in Los Alamos, NM, and is a member of the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) portfolio.
• Outstanding Venture—Early Stage: EvolOH
Located in Menlo Park, CA, EvolOH is developing a scalable electrolyzer system to split pure water into oxygen and hydrogen without the need for caustic liquid electrolytes.
• Outstanding Venture—Commercialization Stage: Summit Nanotech
Based in Calgary, Canada, Summit Nanotech has a patented direct lithium-extraction technology that reduces production time and minimizes the use of reagents and fresh water.
• Outstanding Venture—Growth Stage: Vutility
Based in Sandy, UT, Vutility has developed a wireless submetering solution to monitor energy use.
• Outstanding Venture—Software: Salient Predictions
Based in Cambridge, MA, Salient Predictions uses artificial intelligence to produce weather forecasts and analytics for adapting to a more volatile climate.
• People’s Choice Award: Harvest Thermal
Based in Kensington, CA, Harvest Thermal has developed a smart controller for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning and hot water systems.