Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Prize Round 2

Congratulations to the four winners of the EPIC Prize Round 2! During the final phase, teams demonstrated that their plans were successful, and their programs could replicate and scale. Selected teams will take home a total of $500,000 for their impactful solutions that strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems, energy startups, and America’s clean energy future.  

Join us in congratulating the EPIC Prize Round 2 winners! 

The Deployment Engine (Charleston, WV) – ADL Ventures is creating a low-carbon, mass deployment accelerator that connects innovative decarbonization technologies with construction industry customers and deployment opportunities in Appalachia.  

REACHing founders @ the Food, Energy & Water Nexus (Fort Collins, CO) – REACH's accelerator is dedicated to supporting founders at the nexus of food, water, and energy through innovative programming and embedded engineers-in-training (EITs). 

Energy & Mobility Innovation in Michigan (Hadley, MA and Detroit, MI) – Ascend by VentureWell bridges the gap between customer discovery and investment readiness in Detroit by focusing on emissions reductions, smart mobility technologies, infrastructure development, and job creation. 

LabStart: Accessibility to Lab IP Entrepreneurship (Golden, CO) – LabStart is helping launch and accelerate clean energy companies led by people from underrepresented communities and based on technology from DOE National Laboratories. 

You can find more information about the prize, winning teams, and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions on energy.gov. 

Read the full announcement on energy.gov. 

Congratulations to the five winners of the second EPIC Prize Pitch Competition! Hosted in New Orleans at the DOE Small Business Forum and Expo, eight startups took to the stage to pitch their clean energy technologies to four industry experts and a diverse audience of investors, government officials, national labs, and small businesses.

Each startup was selected by competing incubators in the American-Made EPIC Prize, and five startups won over $160,000 for their groundbreaking technologies. 

Secretary of Jennifer M. Granholm delivered an inspiring speech and presented their checks, and the EPIC Prize incubator that nominated the first-place startup won $25,000. 

All competing startups each showcased impressive technologies that are driving sustainability forward in our nation. 

EPIC Pitch Competition Winners: 

• First Place ($100,000): KLAW Industries
• Second Place ($40,000): Renewell Energy
• Third Place ($20,000): C-Motive Technologies, Inc.
• Fourth Place ($5,000): ReJoule
• Fifth Place ($3,500): Plantd

Read the full press release on energy.gov.

We’re excited to invite you to the next EPIC Pitch Competition happening at DOE’s 2023 Small Business Forum & Expo on July 11-12 in New Orleans. Come out and support your fellow competitors as our eight nominated teams pitch their cutting-edge clean teach ideas to a panel of expert judges.

Connect with potential investors, network with other industry experts, and gain insight on the rapidly growing world of clean tech during one of the many breakout sessions. Plus, the Department of Energy’s Secretary Granholm will be there at the announcement of winners on Day 2!

Learn more about the event and register to attend here.

Nominated by contestants in the EPIC Prize, 8 teams have been selected to compete in the upcoming EPIC Pitch Competition July 11-12 at the Department of Energy Small Business Forum and Expo in New Orleans.

These eight teams are headed to the Big Easy to pitch their clean tech ideas to a panel of judges for a chance to win the $100k grand prize:

• New Iridium (Boulder, CO)
• Renewell Energy (Bakersfield, CA & Houston, TX)
• ElectricFish (Fremont, CA)
• ReJoule(Signal Hill, CA)
• Superclean Glass Inc. (Stony Brook, New York)
• Plantd(Durham, North Carolina)
• Klaw Industries (Binghamton, NY)
• C-Motive Technologies, Inc. (Middleton, WI)

Congratulations to our finalists! Cheer on the teams at the competition, and join Secretary Granholm on Day 2, where the winners will be announced! 

Register today for the Small Business Forum and Expo to attend: https://www.energy.gov/osdbu/2023-small-business-forum-expo

Congratulations to the teams selected to move onto Phase 3 as EPIC Prize Round 2 finalists! These 10 incubators and accelerators will each be awarded $100,000 in cash prizes for implementing their high-impact ideas that are catalyzing place-based energy innovation. See below for the full list of finalist teams.

All Phase 2 participants will receive reviewers’ comments within the next few weeks. For those teams selected to move onto Phase 3, check your email for next steps. We will be sharing a registration link to the Phase 3 informational webinar soon. 

EPIC Prize Round 2 Finalists:

• ADL Ventures (Charleston, WV)
• Black and Veatch (Overland Park, KS)
• Clean Energy Business Incubator Program (Stony Brook, NY)
• VentureWell (Hadley, MA)
• FORGE (Somerville, MA)
• GPV Solutions (Austell, GA)
• Positive Deviancy (Sterling, VA)
• LabStart (Golden, CO)
• REACH (Fort Collins, CO)
• Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (Los Angeles, CA)

You can find more information about the prize, semifinalist teams, and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions on energy.gov. 

Read the full press release on energy.gov. 

Congratulations again!