The competition was founded this year to help move clean energy
technologies from the laboratory to commercial production. DTE Energy, through
its DTE Energy Ventures subsidiary, and U-M, are challenging teams from
The competition is a rigorous, multi-round process geared to reward top clean energy business ideas and provide students with experience and expert feedback on what it takes to create a successful clean energy startup business. Each successive round requires more information about the proposed business -- leading up to a full business plan -- to be submitted by the advancing teams.
In the first round of judging last month, 14 teams advanced from the 20 teams that entered the competition. Those teams submitted seven-page market and financial overviews for Round 2 judging.
The seven teams advancing to the Semi-finals must submit a complete 20-
page business plan with full financial information. Judging in the semi-final
round will be
Following are the advancing teams and a summary of their business proposals:
-- Algal Scientific -- Turn-key water treatment systems that combine wastewater treatment with biofuel production using algal growth bioreactors and proprietary processing technology.
-- CTW International -- Land-based projects that deliver climate, biodiversity, and community benefits based on accountable metrics and carbon accounting.
-- Energy Technology Components -- Flexible fuel electricity generation products for use in military, trucking, and distributed power markets.
-- Husk -- Convert agricultural waste into thin, high-grade insulation for the refrigeration industry that delivers a significant improvement over conventional, petroleum-based insulation.
-- Lean Energy -- Complete energy efficiency retrofit solution for residential customers.
-- SITumbra -- Rigid solar shading window system configured to respond to seasonal variations with optimal energy efficiency.
-- Vortex Hydro Energy -- A patented technology that derives clean energy from moving water
The U-M Ross School of Business' Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial
Studies, College of Engineering's Center for Entrepreneurship, and the
Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute along with student organizations
MPowered Entrepreneurship and the Ross Energy Club have organized the
competition. The competition is open to students and faculty from all
The competition requires teams to focus on business ideas that support
renewable energy, energy efficiency, smart grid technologies, environmental
control technologies, plug-in electric vehicles or energy storage. The prize
money will help the winning teams start new businesses that can contribute to
Details of the competition are available on the Clean Energy Prize Web site: http://www.dtecleanenergyprize.com .
DTE Energy Ventures is a DTE Energy company that invests in emerging
energy technologies and to date has invested more than
DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a
The globally recognized
The Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute develops, coordinates and promotes multidisciplinary energy research and education at the U-M. Some 75 faculty in disciplines ranging from engineering to policy to environmental science to urban planning are a part of the institute.
This competition coincides with a number of other energy and
sustainability related initiatives at the
SOURCE DTE Energy