NREL News Release:

NREL's Industry Growth Forum Brings Together Energy Innovators

Event recognizes the top clean energy technologies and startup businesses

Thursday, December 05, 2013

The Industry Growth Forum hosted by the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) this week attracted nearly 400 investors, entrepreneurs, scientists and thought leaders to Denver. Last night, three companies where honored with Best Venture and Outstanding Venture Awards.

The two-day forum highlighted clean energy industry technology and business developments. In addition to hearing business case presentations from 30 clean energy companies, including seven Colorado companies, participants participated in a comprehensive agenda of in-depth panel discussions and networking opportunities.

"The union of R&D successes, a receptive investment community, and favorable clean energy policies will accelerate renewable energy and energy efficiency technology innovations into the marketplace," NREL Director Dan Arvizu said. "The relationships built and information shared at this forum are vital to the advancement of clean energy technologies. We are pleased to be able to leverage the convening power of the laboratory to facilitate this critical discussion. "

Since 2003, the presenting prototype, pre-commercial, and expanding cleantech companies who have presented have collectively raised more than $5 billion in growth financing.

Three entrepreneurial companies were singled out from the 30 competitively-selected presenters to win the 2013 Clean Energy Venture Awards. Award winners will receive in-kind commercialization support to help increase their chances of becoming commercially successful.

Ener-G-Rotors received the top prize, the Best Venture award. This New York based company sells devices that are a breakthrough in the economic generation of electricity from low temperature heat.

An Outstanding Venture award went to Boulder Ionics Corp.; this Arvada, Colo. company is a commercial supplier of ionic-liquid based high-performance electrolytes and related chemicals for energy storage devices.

An Outstanding Venture award also went to HIECO. This Canadian company is focused on developing and commercializing a nonthermal pasteurization method.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.