EnergyTech University Prize 2025

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) announced winners of the EnergyTech UP 2025 National Pitch Event at Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

At the event, prize finalists—multidisciplinary teams of post-secondary students from universities across the U.S.—pitched their innovative business plans to bring a DOE National Laboratory-developed or other high-potential energy technology to market.   

For the 2025 round of the prize, winners were chosen from a large group of teams, representing dozens of schools and regions across the country. Finalist teams competed for the top three spots in the National Competition, as well as relevant Technology Bonus Prizes.   

“This competition is an exciting sneak peek into the next generation of energy entrepreneurs,” said DOE Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of OTC, Anthony Pugliese. “Each team’s thoughtful and creative approach to their business plans showcases the power of young minds entering energy spaces across geothermal, grid, electricity delivery infrastructure, and more.” 

The national winners, chosen from among the finalists named earlier this month, were awarded cash prizes as follows:  

• First Place, awarded $50,000: Team Seal the Deal from Georgia Southern University. This team presented a novel seal design for supercritical carbon dioxide turbomachinery, addressing a critical bottleneck in next-generation nuclear and microreactor technologies.     
• Second Place, awarded $35,000: Team AlchemII from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who presented their business plan on a combination of pyrolysis and electrolysis techniques to efficiently produce hydrogen and graphite in one pot.   
• Third Place, awarded $25,000: Team Nanoborne from University of Texas at Austin, who presented a nanoparticle-surfactant technology designed to improve the control of subsurface fluid flow.     

In addition, 11 teams took home $20,000 cash bonus prizes sponsored by eight DOE program offices in the following categories: 

Office of Technology Commercialization Undergraduate-Only Bonus Prize 

• Team Bay State Energy from Boston University for their business plan on a cost-effective fission power system that relies solely on thermoelectric generators for energy conversion, potentially decreasing costs and improving reliability.     

Office of Technology Commercialization National Lab IP Licensing Bonus Prize 

• Team Stanford Maestro from Stanford University for their business plan on a software application based on an innovative GOOML framework from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), designed to deliver agentic optimization for geothermal operations.   

Arctic Energy Office Bonus Prize 

• Team Graystone from University of Alaska Fairbanks for their business plan on utilization of carbon dioxide in its supercritical state (where it behaves as both a liquid and a gas) allowing it to penetrate solids and dissolve target materials with very high efficiency.     

Geothermal Technologies Office Bonus Prize 

• Team GasS Station from Duke University for their business plan on driving adoption of Geothermal Energy Hubs that can power co-located data centers.     

Office of Nuclear Energy Bonus Prize 

• Team Seal the Deal from Georgia Southern University for their business plan on a novel seal design for supercritical carbon dioxide turbomachinery, addressing a critical bottleneck in next-generation nuclear and microreactor technologies.     

Office of Electricity Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) Bonus Prize 

• Team Project Solstice from CornellTech for their business plan on a unified data platform with a no-code interface that standardizes fragmented information from grid operators and utilities, providing interconnection risk modeling, feasibility assessments, and predictive analytics for data center site selection.     

Office of Electricity Grid-Scale Power Electronics (PE) Bonus Prize 

• Team Powerbox from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign for their business plan focused on a scalable, modular power integration device designed to provide 100% electrical uptime for industrial facilities by stabilizing unreliable grids and seamlessly integrating solar power with energy storage.   

Office of Electricity Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Bonus Prize 

• Team SoHara from University of Alabama for their business plan on a technology that provides fast and accurate State-of-Health estimation and failure prediction for electrochemical batteries retired from electric vehicles for second use in other applications.   

Solar Energy Technologies Office Bonus Prize 

• Team IdealPV from Harvey Mudd College for their business plan on a solar technology that prevents hotspots by continuously monitoring dynamic conductance and intelligently adjusting current in milliseconds, preventing reverse bias before it starts.     

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office Bonus Prize 

• Team AlchemII from University of Tennessee, Knoxville for their business plan focused on combination of pyrolysis and electrolysis techniques to efficiently produce hydrogen and graphite in one pot.   

Water Power Technologies Office Bonus Prize 

• Team Pittsburgh Coastal Energy from University of Pittsburgh for their business plan for an onboard wave energy converter for charging underwater vehicle batteries at sea.

Thank you to everyone who applied and competed in EnergyTech UP 2025! 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC, formerly OTT) has announced the 24 student finalist teams selected to compete in the Energy Technology University Prize (EnergyTech UP) 2025 National Pitch Event this summer at the Colorado School of Mines. 

“The 24 finalist teams have shown great potential,” said DOE Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of OTC, Anthony Pugliese. “By offering mentorship, learning resources, and a cash prize pool of over $430,000, EnergyTech UP is propelling the commercialization of high-potential energy technologies and empowering the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs with skills in market analysis and business.”

The following teams were awarded $5,000 each and will now advance through the final phases of the competition: the Refine and Pitch Phases. Each team will leverage tailored mentorship over the next few weeks to refine their market analyses and business opportunities in preparation for their final pitches in front of a panel of industry stakeholders and OTC leadership on June 30, 2025. 

Regional Finalists

• Bay State Energy (Boston University) — a cost-effective fission power system that relies solely on thermoelectric generators for energy conversion, potentially decreasing costs and improving reliability. 
• Carmine Minerals (California State University San Bernardino) — selective extraction of lithium from low concentration solutions, with over 95% selectivity while consuming 75% less energy and water. 
• Ciaran Fitzgerald's Team (The University of Notre Dame) — a heating solution that captures waste heat from hyperscale data centers and delivers it to nearby buildings using high-efficiency thermal storage systems. 
• CSU Vikes 4 Energy (Cleveland State University)— electrolyte technology that addresses the need for batteries that can perform in freezing temperatures, which is important for industries and arctic energy production. 
• GaaS Station (Duke University) — driving adoption of Geothermal Energy Hubs that can power co-located data centers.  
• HydroCore (University of Central Florida) — a system that enables local utility providers to create merchant hydrogen fueling stations using purple bacteria and carbon nanotubes to prevent sewage overflow by converting waste into hydrogen for greater cost benefit. 
• Lamino (University of Hawaii at Manoa) — a passive cooling technology that helps data centers, mining farms, and other heat-intensive operations save 20% of their energy usage and 80% of the water compared to traditional cooling techniques. 
• Nanoborne (University of Texas at Austin) — a nanoparticle-surfactant technology designed to improve the control of subsurface fluid flow. 
• New Mexico Tech Power Rangers (New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology) — a safe and efficient thorium-based Molten Salt Reactor System with increased fuel efficiency for grids, industries, and remote sites. 
• Project Solstice (Cornell Tech) — a unified data platform with a no-code interface that standardizes fragmented information from grid operators and utilities, providing interconnection risk modeling, feasibility assessments, and predictive analytics for data center site selection. 
• Pittsburgh Coastal Energy (University of Pittsburgh) — an onboard wave energy converter for charging underwater vehicle batteries at sea. 
• RadonLock Innovations (Hampton University, University of Puerto Rico) — a noble gas trapping mechanism that can be used for radon mitigation and measurement. 
• ReAsh (University of Virginia) — a process to extract rare earth elements from coal ash.
• Transfinity (Mississippi State University) — a power take-off system to provide a more consistent and efficient tidal energy production.

Bonus Prize Finalists

• Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office Bonus Prize: AlchemII (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) — combination of pyrolysis and electrolysis techniques to efficiently produce hydrogen and graphite in one pot.
• Arctic Energy Office Bonus Prize: Graystone (University of Alaska Fairbanks) — utilization of carbon dioxide in its supercritical state (where it behaves as both a liquid and a gas) allowing it to penetrate solids and dissolve target materials with very high efficiency. 
• Solar Energy Technologies Office Bonus prize: Ideal PV (Harvey Mudd College) — a solar technology that prevents hotspots by continuously monitoring dynamic conductance and intelligently adjusting current in milliseconds, preventing reverse bias before it starts. 
• Office of Technology Commercialization - National Lab IP Licensing Bonus Prize: Jeremy Drew’s Team (Carnegie Mellon University) — a cathode recycling technology to advance the Lithium-Ion Battery supply chain. 
• Water Power Technologies Office Bonus Prize: Mickey Henson’s Team (Western Carolina University) — AI-driven Unmanned Surface Vehicles with turbines and Wave Energy Converters that harness hydrokinetic energy. 
• Office of Electricity – Grid-Scale Power Electronics Bonus Prize: PowerBox Technology, (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) — a scalable, modular power integration device designed to provide 100% electrical uptime for industrial facilities by stabilizing unreliable grids and seamlessly integrating solar power with energy storage. 
• Office of Nuclear Energy Bonus Prize: Seal the Deal (Georgia Southern University) — a novel seal design for supercritical carbon dioxide turbomachinery, addressing a critical bottleneck in next-generation nuclear and microreactor technologies. 
• Office of Technology Commercialization – Undergraduate Bonus Prize: SoHara (University of Alabama) — a technology that provides fast and accurate State-of-Health estimation and failure prediction for electrochemical batteries retired from electric vehicles for second use in other applications. 
• Office of Electricity – Grid-Enhancing Technologies Bonus Prize: SSS Corporation (University of Illinois at Chicago) — a technology that balances supply and demand of local power grids to ensure that EV batteries will be viable when energy is constrained. 
• Geothermal Technologies Office Bonus Prize: Stanford Maestro (Stanford University) — a software application based on an innovative GOOML framework from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), designed to deliver agentic optimization for geothermal operations.

At the conclusion of the pitch competition, up to three National Winners will receive a portion of the $110,000 prize pool. Additionally, teams will compete for the National Lab IP Licensing, Undergraduate-Only Team, and technology bonus prizes of $20,000 each from the respective sponsoring DOE program offices. 

Thank you to all student teams who submitted to EnergyTech UP 2025!

This post was edited on Feb. 28, 2025.

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) announced 10 Faculty Explorer award recipients in the EnergyTech University Prize (EnergyTech UP) Faculty Track. OTT awarded each faculty competitor $5,000 for showing promising interest, ideas, and/or materials that promote energy entrepreneurship at their collegiate institutions.

Those competing in EnergyTech UP 2025 as faculty are challenged to develop innovative educational activities to engage more students in energy technology commercialization and entrepreneurship at their institution. This track is designed to incentivize and support faculty directly, with $110,000 in cash prizes available for their efforts. 

The EnergyTech UP 2024 Faculty Explorers are as follows (organized alphabetically by last name): 

• Sevki Cesmeci, Georgia Southern University (Statesboro, GA)
  • Developing programming to equip students to bridge technical innovation and market application, preparing future leaders in the energy sector.
• Jeff Dusek, Baldwin Wallace University (Berea, OH) 
  • Creating a pathway for energy innovation in the Baldwin Wallace engineering program through industry-engaged curricular enhancements and entrepreneurship.
• Pejman Kazempoor, The University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK) 
  • Combining technology and business strategies to explore innovative entrepreneurship in energy solutions.
• Charles McElroy, Cleveland State University (Cleveland, OH)
  • Engaging students, faculty, government, nonprofit stakeholders in the use of AI to make business plans for commercializing energy technologies.
• Selvaprabu Nadarajah, University of Illinois Chicago (Chicago, IL)
  • Creating a digital badge to train students in energy technology commercialization, bridging education and energy careers.
• Nelson Pizarro, University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, VI)
  • Integrating energy tech and entrepreneurship at the University of the Virgin Islands to foster innovation and resilience in tackling Caribbean energy challenges.
• Amy Quarkume, Howard University (Washington, D.C.)
  • Developing a 7-week accelerator empowering HBCU students to create energy tech solutions.
• Arif Rahman, Hawai’i Pacific University (Honolulu, HI)
  • Empowering students to develop market-ready clean energy solutions by integrating entrepreneurial fundamentals into curriculum.
• Jian Shi, University of Houston (Houston, TX)
  • Creating an energy technology commercialization course and certificate that will enable students to develop business plans, receive mentorship, and participate in pitch competitions.
• Liwei Zhou, The University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, TX)
  • Developing a four-step program to educate, research, and commercialize energy technologies, bridging students with industrial practice.

As part of EnergyTech UP, faculty develop a proposal throughout three phases of competition: the Explore Phase, the Develop Phase, and the Implement Phase. 

Faculty Explorers, as well as any other interested faculty, are encouraged to submit a plan by April 25 as part of the Implement Phase to reflect how their idea could be integrated into educational activities for students. Up to eight faculty teams will split the $60,000 prize pool as winners and runners-up.

Don’t forget: Students interested in participating in EnergyTech UP 2024 can join a final informational webinar on Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. ET.  To enter the competition, students must upload a submission that is focused on an energy technology commercialization business plan by Feb. 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET. 

Congratulations to the 2025 Faculty Explorers!

This post was edited on Feb. 28, 2025.

The submission deadline for EnergyTech UP is just a few weeks away. Have questions about how to enter? Join the final informational webinar to get answers directly from prize administrators! 

During the webinar, the prize team will discuss submission requirements, team building, bonus prizes, and preparing a successful submission. Bring your questions and make sure you’re ready to meet the Feb 3. submission deadline! 

• Informational webinar: Jan. 23, 1–2 p.m. ET—Register here

Even if you are unable to attend at that time, please consider registering for the webinar so that you will be automatically emailed the session recording. 

A Reminder About Bonus Prizes

Don’t forget, the competition offers 12 additional bonus prizes related to technology focus, team location, or student makeup. Below are the U.S. Department of Energy technology offices and their corresponding bonus prize challenges:

• Arctic Energy Office Bonus Prize:  As a team made up of Alaska-based students, demonstrate and propose an innovative business model for an emerging energy technology that helps meet the energy, science, and security needs of the U.S. and its Arctic allies. 
   
• Geothermal Technologies Office Bonus Prize: Develop innovative business models to increase the adoption of geothermal technologies that address key exploration and operational challenges.
   
• Office of Nuclear Energy Bonus Prize: Develop innovative business models to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced technologies supporting advanced reactors and fuel cycle technologies. 
   
• Office of Electricity Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) Bonus Prize: Develop innovative business models to increase the adoption of GETs to benefit the U.S. power grid. 
   
• Office of Electricity Grid-Scale Power Electronics (PE) Bonus Prize: Develop innovative business models to stimulate the adoption of advanced power electronics in the U.S power grid. 
   
• Office of Electricity Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Bonus Prize: Develop innovative business models to propose an LDES technology solution, explain the technology’s use case, and address market challenges to enable greater adoption of LDES in the U.S. power system. Innovative energy storage use cases are encouraged. 
   
• Solar Energy Technologies Office Bonus Prize: Develop innovative business models to improve the performance, affordability, reliability, and value of solar technologies in the U.S. grid and to tackle emerging challenges in the solar industry. 
   
• Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office Bonus Prize: Develop innovative business models to identify mechanisms for commercially viable hydrogen technologies to achieve market liftoff, supporting domestic competitiveness, and job creation. 
    
• Water Power Technologies Office Bonus Prize: Develop innovative business models for a novel hydropower or marine technology of your choice that tackles emerging challenges in the water power industry and aims to improve the performance, affordability, reliability, and value of hydropower or marine energy in the United States. 

Below are additional bonus prizes offered by the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT): 

• As in past years, the Office of Technology Transitions: National Lab IP Licensing bonus prize is awarded to a team who develops innovative business models to help accelerate the commercialization of technologies available on the Lab Partnering Service website.
• OTT will also offer a bonus prize to an undergraduate-only team. Eligible teams must be made up of only undergraduate students, including those pursuing an associate degree or bachelor’s degree.

Student Track competitors will soon have the opportunity to pitch their innovative technology and associated business idea to a panel of judges based on their geographic region. (Read more about the Explore Phase pitch process in the official prize rules document.) The virtual events will take place March 4-6. 

Meet the regional conveners leading these exciting events and learn more about them at the next informational webinar on Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. ET. Register here to reserve your spot! 

Eastern Conveners

• Cleantech Open Northeast, the Alliance for Climate Transition
• Partnership for Southern Equity
• Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster
• University of South Florida
• Urban Future Lab, New York University
• Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University 

Central Conveners

• Circular Venture Lab
• Evergreen Climate Innovations
• Grid Catalyst
• Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
• University of Kentucky

Western Conveners 

• Activate – California
• Clean Energy Institute - University of Washington
• Colorado School of Mines, McNeil Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• Hawaii Innovation Lab (in joint effort with Applied Research for Communities in Extreme Environments, NREL)
• University of Arizona Center for Innovation

More details about the regional conveners during the next webinar. Prize administrators will also discuss teams will be divided, and tips for preparing a successful virtual pitch, and answer any lingering questions you may have.

Register here to reserve your spot at the Jan. 23 informational webinar!