$600,000 in Prizes to Be Awarded, Plus an Alumni Award for the Best Progress Since 2006
SAN FRANCISCO-(BUSINESS WIRE)-The California Clean Tech Open, the nation’s pre-eminent clean technology business competition, anticipates 750 clean technology industry insiders and observers at its second annual Awards Event.
The Awards Event will be held at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts on October 29, 2007. Speakers include Brad Barton, Director of Commercialization for the U.S. Department of Energy; Noah D. Horowitz, Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council; Jeff Byron, Commissioner, California Energy Commission; and Tim Woodward, Managing Director, Nth Power. Their focus will be on California’s push to become the world’s clean technology powerhouse, and how key agencies and finance can assist clean tech startups to be part this mission.
A special CCTO “Alumni” award will be presented on October 29th to the 2006 finalist that has made most progress since last year’s awards event in terms of investment funding or significant customer wins.
The 2007 Alumni Award will be presented to GreenVolts, a solar startup based in San Francisco. After winning the Renewables prize at the 2006 CCTO, GreenVolts has made enormous progress, recently signing an agreement with PG&E for a two megawatt HCPV (high concentration photovoltaic) power plant that, when completed, will be the largest in the world. To add to this, the company will be making a major announcement at Monday’s event.
The core of the Awards Event, dubbed the “Academy Awards of Clean Tech,” will be announcement of the six category winners of the 2007 CCTO. Each winner will receive $50,000 in cash from one of the category prize sponsors:
AMD - Smart Power Prize
ENVIRON Foundation and Grundfos - Air, Water & Waste Prize
Google - Green Building Prize
Lexus - Transportation Prize
PG&E, SCE and SDG&E - Renewables Prize
PG&E, SCE and SDG&E - Energy Efficiency Prize
In addition, each winner will receive business services worth a total of over $50,000: office space for one year from Plug and Play Tech Center; legal services from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; recruiting services from PeopleConnect; accounting services from Accretive Solutions; PR services from Antenna Group; insurance from MacCorkle Insurance Service; marketing services from Tangibility; and financial planning software from Adaptive Planning.
All 46 finalists will present their technologies in an exhibit area. Food and drinks will be provided. Registration for the California Clean Tech Open gala awards event at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts on October 29, 2007 is open at www.cacleantech.com.
About the California Clean Tech Open:
The California Clean Tech Open brings together a unique and powerful combination of entrepreneurs, researchers, environmentalists, investors, business professionals and others to create economic growth and environmental sustainability by sparking a clean technology cluster in California. By giving winners early-stage capital and expertise, the competition speeds clean technologies from lab to market. The goal is to foster innovative new businesses focused on energy efficiency, smart power, renewable energy, transportation, green building materials, pollution control and resource management. The competition thrives on the state’s strong business and governmental support for innovation, technology and environmental protection to create rich soil for the growth of clean technology enterprises that foster a healthy natural environment. To learn more, please visit: www.cacleantech.com.
The California Clean Tech Open is sponsored by Acterra: Action for a Sustainable Earth, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit based in Palo Alto, California. The competition is supported by a diverse array of businesses, educational institutions, government leaders and private individuals, and run by a dedicated group of volunteers including business professionals, scientists, environmentalists and entrepreneurs.