SparkCharge (2016 CTONE alumni) co-founders Joshua Aviv and Christopher Ellis pitch their mobile EV charging system on the Season 12 premiere of Shark Tank. (Source: InsideEVs)

The COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather events have reinforced the urgency of  accelerating the clean energy transformation to curb climate change impacts, as well as the need to restructure and fortify our systems. The robust cleantech ecosystem in the Northeast is stepping up to the task. There is enhanced collaboration among governments, cleantech entrepreneurs, investors, and non-profits who are working together to spearhead climate change mitigation and adaptation through technological innovation. It has been an honor for me to work with such a supportive community, and to see that innovation is not being stifled by the disruptive impacts of the pandemic; rather, key actors are meeting this critical moment with vigor and optimism. 

In spite of the hurdles posed by the pandemic, Cleantech Open Northeast alumni are making headlines in 2020 as they advance their clean technology solutions that will help pave the way to a more sustainable and resilient future. They are working to solve some of the biggest climate challenges related to water, waste, agriculture, transportation, information and communications, chemicals and advanced materials, energy generation, energy distribution and storage, and energy efficiency. All of them are poised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

7AC Technologies (2010)

• Businesswire reports the acquisition of 7AC Technologies by Emerson, a global technology and engineering company leading in advanced heating and cooling technologies. 

Actasys (2013)

• Actasys CEO Miles Flanenbaum shares an update on the $5 million round of venture funding, and their partnership with Volvo Cars as they develop their product for use on production vehicles.

ADC Technologies (2020)

• Thermal Rail by ADC Technologies is awarded the Solar Impulse Innovative Solutions Label by The Solar Impulse Foundation.

AeroShield (2019)

• Aeroshield becomes an Activate Fellow.

• GTT Group's patent equity fund, Ideaship, invests in Aeroshield's super insulating porous glass for energy efficient windows.

• Aersohield raises $400,00 in pre-seed funding, an investment led through MassCEC BRIDGES syndicate, and joined by VentureWell, Cayuse Partners, SDX Partners, and angel investors.

• Aeroshield is awarded $20,000 as part of VentureWell's 2020 e-team.

Andluca Technologies (2020)

• Andluca Technologies accepts the 2020 Edison Patent Award by the Research & Development Council of New Jersey.

• Princeton Innovation features Andluca Technologies in this article about the technology that started as a university research project. 

Atrevida Science (2020)

• Atrevida Science's innovations for the wind industry is featured in this article by the Buffalo Business First.

Blackburn Energy (2014)

• Blackburn Energy raises $2.1 million from the Geekdom Fund.

BlocPower (2013)

• BlocPower CEO Donnel Baird is featured on NPR.

• BlocPower is recognized by the Clinton Foundation.

• Marketplace Tech features BlocPower's mission to expand equitable, climate-resilient  building electrification.

• BlocPower is featured in the New York Times. 

Capro-X (2018)

• Capro-X is granted $724,000 as a winner of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Phase II Award.

change:WATER Labs (2017)

• CEO Diana Yousef is featured by her alma mater Columbia University.

• change:WATER Labs wins the 2020 New England Innovation Award in the Cleantech & Sustainability category, as well as the Robert J. Crowley Spirit of Innovation Award administered by the Massachusetts Innovation Network.

• GreenBiz reports that change:WATER Labs wins the VERGE Accelerate contest.

CLIP (2020)

• CLIP is selected as an honoree of Fast Company’s 2020 Innovation by Design Awards in the Product category.

• TIME includes CLIP's portable e-bike device in its roundup of "The 100 Best Inventions of 2020."

Farm to Flame Energy (2020)

• Farm to Flame wins $5K from the Clean Energy Trust.

• Farm to Flame wins $2.5K from Orange Tank.

• The 2020 Transtech Conference grants Farm to Flame $3K.

• Farm to Flame receives $3.1K from Ascender.

Flux Marine (2019)

• Flux Marine is awarded $20,000 as part of VentureWell's 2020 e-team.

Foodspace (2018)

• BostInno features Foodspace and their mission to provide quick data to consumers and food retailers about product nutrition.

• Foodspace recognized in BostInno's Top Startups to Watch in 2021.

GreenChoice (2018)

• GreenChoice CEO Galen Karlan-Mason is mentioned in this article by CNN Health offering advice on environmentally friendly diets.

• GreenChoice selected as one of the "Best Apps of 2020" by Google Play.

Growflux (2020)

• GrowFlux is awarded $100,000 by the Exelon Foundation.

Insanirator (2018)

• Insanirator is named a Phase One winner of the U.S. Department of Energy Water Resource Recovery Prize.

Joro (2017) 

• Joro raises $2.5 million from a diverse, passionate group of investors. 
  
  

Littoral Power Systems, Inc. (2019)

• Littoral Power Systems is awarded $3.7 million from ARPA-E's SHARKS program.

Magnomer (2018)

• Magnomer raises $200,000 from TBD Angels.

• Magnomer's magnetizable ink to help on bottle recycling obstacles is featured in this article by Resource Recycling Inc.

Metalmark (2018)

• Metalmark wins the 2020 Hello Tomorrow Challenge.

Muon Vision (2020)

• Muon Vision raises $256,000 from National Science Foundation.

Natel Energy (2005)

• Natel Energy is featured in this BBC article about climate-resilient hydropower.

• Forbes highlights Natel Energy's fish-friendly hydropower technology.

• Natel Energy closes an $11 million investment led by Schneider Electric Ventures and supported by Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

• Natel Energy commissions The Monroe Hydro Project.

Onvector (2018)

• Plasma Vortex by Onvector is awarded the Solar Impulse Innovative Solutions Label by The Solar Impulse Foundation.

• Onvector is awarded $500,000 by EPA SBIR USAF.

Oyster Tracker (2018) 

• Oyster Tracker founder Chip Terry is interviewed for Maine Startup Insider.

• Oyster Tracker wins a $150,000 grant from NOAA.

Pecos Wind (2017)

• Pecos Wind is selected to advance their wind technology through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Competitiveness Improvement Project.

Prometheon Power Systems (2017)

• Prometheon Power Systems named to Food Logistics' Top Green Providers List for 2020.

Quatcare (2019)

• Quatcare wins second place and $15,000 in the Cleantech Open Resiliency Challenge. 

Radical Plastics (2018)

• Radical Plastics is recognized by BostInno as a 2020 Inno on Fire honoree in the Cleantech & Greentech category.
  

• Radical Plastics awarded $100,000 small business grant for Novel Soil Biodegradable Mulch Films through USDA SBIR program.

• Radical Plastics raises $1.4 million from Good Growth Capital.

RenewCO2 (2020)

• The American Chemical Society's news magazine C&EN selects RenewCO2 as a chemistry startup on their radar. 

Roco Industries (2019)

• RoCo is featured in Capital Current with video on technology.

• RoCo is selected for the CONtact Innovator Mentorship program.

Saitec Offshore (2018)

• IEEE Spectrum covers Saitec’s partnership with German utility RWE to deploy floating wind turbines off the coast of northern Spain.

• Reuters Events highlights Saitec’s plans to begin construction of DemoSATH, the first floating wind turbine to be connected to Spain’s power grid.

Scanifly (2019)

• Scanifly’s drone-based software is recognized as a 2019 Top Solar Software and Monitoring Product by Solar Power World.

Solstice Solar (2015)

• CEO and co-founder Steph Speirs is interviewed for the Environmental Defense Fund's Degrees podcast. 

• Steph Speirs is interviewed by Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch for this Greentech Media podcast.

• Boston Business Journal highlights Solstice Solar as a BIPOC-owned "hidden gem" of their annual Fast 50 list of the fastest-growing startup companies in the Boston area.

SomEV (2019)

• SomEV is a member of Greentown Labs, and their mission to address barriers to electric vehicle adoption through micromobility vehicles is featured in this blog post.

• SomEV recognized in BostInno's Top Startups to Watch in 2021

SparkCharge (2016)

• The Moguldom Nation details SparkCharge’s mission to address barriers to electric vehicle adoption with their portable on-demand charging station, and the $3.3 million raised to support the technology’s development.

• InsideEVs recaps the $1 million dollar deal SparkCharge lands on SharkTank for their portable EV charger technology.

• The Buffalo News covers SparkCharge’s Shark Tank investment.

Sulis (2018)

• Sulis co-founder Sarah Pomeranz speaks in this TEDxRutgers talk about “how not to ruin the world with your good intentions.”

SunBug Solar (2008)

• SunBug Solar wins the Angie’s List Super Service Award for exemplary customer service in 2019.

Sunthetics (2020)

• Sunthetics joins the Techstars program.

• MIT Technology Review features Sunthetics co-founder Daniela Blanco in their list of Latin American entrepreneurs. View the publication in Spanish here. 

• Sunthetics  founders featured in Forbes 30 under 30. 

• Founder, Daniela Blanco profiled in Inc. 

Teratonix (2019)

• Teratonix wins the top Diamond Award for the 2020 MassChallenge competition, securing $100,000 in funding.

• Teratonix joins the Net Zero Accelerator, an accelerator program under the U.S. Green Building Council - Los Angeles Chapter.

• Teratonix is selected as one of the Initiate Final 8 start-up companies to present at DISTRIBUTECH+ Series to an audience of utility decision makers.

T-Omega Wind (2020)

• T-Omega Wind is featured in a blog post by Northeastern University's College of Engineering.

Unocup (2020)

• Unocup wins the Packaging category in the Fast Company's 2020 Innovation by Design Awards.

Virimodo (2018)

• Virimodo is selected to participate in the 2020 Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator.

The following companies are announced as 2020 Ray of Hope Prize Finalists.

• change:WATER Labs (2017)

• Metalmark (2018)

• Werewool (2020)

The following companies received grants from Emissions Reductions Alberta as part of the Natural Gas Challenge.

• Anax Power (2019) is awarded $2.4 million

• Enersion Inc. (2019) is awarded $1.8 million.

Each of the following companies is awarded $100,000 in funding from MassCEC’s Bridging Recovery for Innovators Driving Green Energy Solutions (BRIDGES) Program.

• AeroShield (2019)

• Blackburn Energy (2014)

• EnergySage (2012)

• Solstice (2015)

Funding from MassCEC’s Catalyst and InnovateMass programs are awarded to the following Cleantech Open alumni.

• Aeroshield (2019)

• Flux Marine Ltd. (2019)

• Gridtwin Energy (2019)

• Medley Thermal (2017)

• Techstyle Materials (2018)

• T-Omega Wind (2020)

The following companies are recipients of $200,000 from EPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants.

• Littoral Power Systems (2019)

• Natel Energy (2005)

• Resolute Marine Energy (2011)

The following companies join the 2020 Canadian Technology Accelerator program.

• ADC Technologies (2020)

• Greenr Technologies (2020)

• QD Solar (2020)

To read more about the Cleantech Open alumni highlights in 2020 and the 2020 accelerator program, check out the 2020 Impact Report.

You can learn more about the Cleantech Open Northeast here.