Eight EnergyTech University Prize Bonus Prize Winners have been selected and awarded $25,000 each! Please join us in congratulating the winning teams.

Bonus Prize Finalists were selected by regional Explore Event judges in different technology areas. The corresponding U.S. Department of Energy technology offices then reviewed the presentations and selected relevant Bonus Prize Winners from amongst the finalists.

The Office of Technology Transitions selected the following National Lab Technology IP Licensing Bonus Prize Winner:

  • Prairie View A&M University and the University of Houston, “Revolutionizing Hydrogen with Ceramic Membranes”

This team and the 15 Regional Winners will now move onto the Refine Phase to further hone their business plans in advance of the EnergyTech UP National Pitch Event at Zpryme’s Energy Thought Summit in Austin, Texas, on April 3. After the pitches conclude, judges will select a first-place National Winner to be awarded $50,000; a second-place National Winner to be awarded $30,000; and a third-place winner to be awarded $20,000.  

Additionally, eight teams were chosen as Technology Bonus Prize Winners and awarded $25,000 each for their compelling solutions that leverage specific technologies:

  • Geothermal: Team Visionergy, University of Maryland, “Cow Cooling Before Climate Catastrophe”
  • Electricity / Grid Enhancing Technologies: Team RLGrid, Cornell University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “RLGrid: AI-Driven Grid Management and Expansion”
  • Electricity / Large Power Transformers: The University of Texas at Austin, “Solid-State Transformer for the New Electric Grid”
  • Fossil Energy and Carbon Management: Team Biocharm, Appalachian State University, “Biocharm - the Pursuit of Carbon Negative Concrete”
  • National Lab Technology IP Licensing: Prairie View A&M University and the University of Houston, “Revolutionizing Hydrogen with Ceramic Membranes”
  • Nuclear Energy: Boise State University, “Additively Manufactured Sensors for Nuclear Energy”
  • Solar Energy: Team UW Madison Helios, University of Wisconsin-Madison, “Low-Cost Heliostat for CSP and PV”
  • Water Power: Team Magnetic Gears for Wave Energy, Texas A&M University, “Magnetic Gears to Unlock Wave Energy”

These teams are invited to attend Energy Thought Summit in Austin, Texas, on April 3 to optionally present their business plans at a lunchtime plenary session and network with industry attendees but will not be competing in the National Pitch Event. 

Learn more about all winning teams and what’s next in the competition. Join us in congratulating the EnergyTech UP 23 Bonus Prize Winners!