Congratulations to the 28 student teams selected as the EnergyTech University Prize (EnergyTech UP) 2024 Finalists! Fifteen Regional Finalists and 13 Bonus Prize finalists have been awarded $3,000 each for their business plans and will compete for increased cash prizes in the EnergyTech UP National Pitch Event this April. 

The following post-secondary student entries, out of an outstanding, innovative, and competitive pool of 225 multidisciplinary teams from 117 schools, were selected: 

Regional Finalists

  • Applying PCM to Cut Down on Energy of Reefers, University of Colorado Boulder
  • Blaze Power, University of California, Los Angeles
  • Biomass to Jet Fuel, University of Arkansas
  • Carbon Negative Chemicals from Plastic Waste, The University of Chicago
  • Charge Bay, University of South Florida
  • EarthFlow AI, Stanford University
  • Flow Battery Diagnostics for Energy Reliability, University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University
  • GarboCarbo: Decarbonizing the Paper Industry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Harvard University, and the University of California, Berkeley
  • “LiSED”—Lithium Selective ElectroDialysis Systems, Rice University
  • Non-Toxic Bio-Solvents for Lithium-Ion Batteries, Northeastern University and The University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • On Demand Electricity, Emory University
  • Oxylus Energy: Novel CO2 Electrolysis to Methanol, Yale University
  • Removing the Barrier to Entry to Net-Zero Biofuels, Purdue University
  • State-of-the-Art Power Generation Dispatch, Duke University
  • Touchless Electrostatic System for PV Cleaning, Hawai’I Pacific University

Undergraduate-Only Finalist

  • Redefining Renewable Fuel, University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania

National Lab IP Licensing Finalist

  • EcoGrains – ‘Sustainable Bioenergy Solutions,’ University of Notre Dame

Technology Bonus Prize Finalists 

  • Building Technologies Office: Heat Recovery as a Service, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Geothermal Technologies Office: Advanced GDHC + Thermal Storage System at Colleges, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Hydrogen Fuel Technologies Office: ECHO Solutions, University of Houston
  • Office of Electricity:
    • MASTERI Commercialization, Rice University
    • Marketing Gaussian Process Voltage Distribution, Purdue University
    • ElectroFlow: Accelerating Adoption of Flow Batteries, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management: Helix Carbon: Unlocking CO2 as a Viable Feedstock, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Office of Manufacturing & Energy Supply Chains: COMPScan, Texas A&M University 
  • Office of Nuclear Energy: Computational Molten Salt Research Company, Snow College
  • Solar Energy Technologies Office: Agrivoltaic Design Studio, Cornell University
  • Water Power Technologies Office: KelpNext, University of Michigan 

All finalist teams will now move onto the Refine Phase to further hone their business plans in advance of the EnergyTech UP National Pitch Event at the Energy Thought Summit in Austin, Texas, on April 15. 

After the finalist pitches conclude, up to three National Winners will be selected to share an $80,000 prize pool. Finalist teams will compete for the National Lab IP Licensing, Undergraduate-Only Team, and Technology Bonus Prizes of $22,000 each, funded by the respective DOE technology offices. 

Congratulations to all of the finalist teams and thank you to all of the student teams that presented during the Regional Pitch Events. We are excited to learn more from your innovative ideas!