CleanBeta

San Jose Sponsors Third Annual Clean Tech Open

Clean Tech Open, an organization dedicated to helping great ideas become viable businesses that will drive the new green economy, announced the launch of its third annual California competition last week. The competition aims to promote early-stage companies in the clean technology sector and create a forum bringing together entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, business leaders, government officials and others to drive economic growth and ensure environmental sustainability.

Clean Tech Open’s California competition speeds clean technologies from the lab to the market by providing winners with both early-stage capital and expertise. The goal of the competition is to foster innovative new companies focused on energy efficiency, smart power, renewable energy, transportation, green building materials, pollution control and resource management. The competition, which focuses solely on clean technology, seeks entries from professionals, scientists and students who plan to locate their operations in California.

The opening event will take place on Wednesday, April 9th from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM at the San Jose City Hall Rotunda and will feature San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, Clean Tech Open Co-Founder Marc Gottschalk, Cool Earth Solar Founder Eric Cummings and Steve Jurvetson, Managing Director of Silicon Valley venture capital firm, Draper Fisher Jurvetson.

Clean Tech Open’s California competition prize package of cash, services and office space goes above and beyond other awards and presents a rare opportunity for early-stage start-ups. This year’s competition will give awards, valued at a total of more than $600,000, to early-stage innovators in six critical technology categories: renewable energy, transportation, smart power, energy efficiency, green building, and air/water/waste management. In addition to prizes for the winners, finalists have the opportunity to engage in six months of mentorship and networking exercises including business-process workshops, technology symposia, and presentations designed to impart the skills and knowledge needed for success.