Cleantech Open Northeast, the Northeast division of Cleantech Open, the world’s largest cleantech accelerator, announced its 2018 regional winners: Acoustic Diagnostic Systems, Aquova Water Technologies, Radical Plastics, and Social Solar. Each of these companies will receive $10,000 in cash plus additional in-kind services and will go on to represent the Northeast at the Cleantech Open Global Forum in Los Angeles, CA in January. There, they will compete with emerging environmental and energy technology firms throughout the nation for the national grand prize.

The four regional winners were selected and announced by a judging panel of top cleantech and business leaders at the Cleantech Open Northeast Regional Finals at Hynes Convention Center on October 11. The evening featured top startups from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Forty-five expert judges from around the Northeast vetted 30 teams by reviewing curriculum and investor pitch presentations. The judges selected the top eight teams to have the opportunity to pitch in front of a live audience and a panel of VIP judges.

Nearly 150 attended the event, including entrepreneurs, business leaders and public officials. The VIP judges included Tom Burton of Mintz, June W. Choi of Serval Ventures, Gail Greenwald of CEVG and LaunchPad, Andy Haun of Schneider Electric, Mackay Miller of National Grid, Stephen Pike of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), and Nick Querques of NYSERDA.

The four winning teams demonstrated a strong trend towards information and communications technologies, chemicals and advanced materials, and water and waste. Of the 30 companies graduating from the 2018 Cleantech Open Northeast accelerator, 17 hailed from Massachusetts, six from New York, two from Rhode Island, and one each from Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ontario, and Spain respectively. In addition, there were four development teams that participated in the Company Development Program: one from Massachusetts, one from New York, and two from Rhode Island.

Two additional teams from the top eight were selected to represent the Northeast in competition at the Global Forum in Los Angeles. Magnomer, of Watertown, MA, is a versatile magnetic material marker technology which can be inexpensively applied to any rigid plastic packaging. TechStyle Materials, of Providence, RI, is a multifunctional material that improves the energy efficiency, comfort, and durability of buildings in new ways. All Cleantech Open Northeast graduating teams are invited to attend the Global Forum.

About the 2018 Cleantech Open Northeast Regional Winners

Acoustic Diagnostic Systems

Category: Information & Communication Technologies

Based in: Boston, MA

Summary: Acoustic Diagnostic Systems (ADS) provides a novel automation solution for oil and gas wells. Currently more than 90% of wells are ran manually, and the few existing automation solution are designed and priced for the top 1% producing wells. Using their novel patented sensor, ADS can infer the state of the pump deep underground by processing sound signals at the surface of the well. Their solution is 50x cheaper than what’s on the market and allows every producer to pump 5-10% more oil with a significantly reduced power consumption and maintenance costs while eliminating gas leaks at the wellhead.

Aquova Water Technologies

Category: Agriculture, Water, & Waste

Based in: Toronto, Ontario

Summary: Aquova’s intelligent power supplies utilizes Active Electrochemical Management Systems (AEMS) to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of electrochemical wastewater treatment plants. The AEMS is a combination of patentable hardware and software that utilizes distinct real-time control procedures to enhance the performance of electrochemical wastewater treatment systems, by reducing total energy consumption required for treatment, improving final effluent quality so it may be recycled, and providing useful insights into maintenance scheduling to reduce OPEX.

Radical Plastics

Category: Advanced Chemicals & Materials

Based in: Marblehead, MA

Summary: Radical Plastics has developed a novel technology for the manufacture of economically attractive, ecologically friendly, soil biodegradable plastics. At a time when the planet is choking on plastic waste, finding ways of making non-polluting plastics has become a major global priority. Soil biodegradable plastic films with targeted onset and rates of biodegradability for agricultural applications (e.g. mulch films) is the initial focus. The technology (patent pending) involves the utilization of a naturally-occurring byproduct from industrial processing which otherwise accumulates in the environment as waste. Radical Plastics is looking for financing and partnerships to expedite the commercialization of this novel biodegradable technology in response to the global crisis of plastic pollution.

Social Solar

Category: Information & Communication Technologies

Based in: New York, NY

Summary: Social Solar is driving urban green energy adoption where consumers, channel partners, and energy suppliers all win! City residents can go green within minutes with the help of their algorithms and machine learning utility bill web app. This is a $10B+ opportunity within 17 USA states with deregulated energy markets.

About Cleantech Open

Cleantech Open is the world’s largest cleantech accelerator and is dedicated to providing entrepreneurs and technologists the resources needed to launch a successful cleantech company. Our mission is to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental, and economic challenges. A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, Cleantech Open provides the infrastructure, expertise and strategic relationships that turn clever ideas into successful global cleantech companies. Over the past eight years, Cleantech Open has trained over 1,200 early-stage clean technology startup entrepreneurs. A majority of alumni have survived the merciless technology startup "valley of death" and gone on to raise $1.2 billion and create over 3,000 clean economy jobs. Fueled by a network of more than 2,000 volunteers, Cleantech Open unites the public and private sectors in a shared vision for making America’s cleantech sector a thriving economic engine. For more information, visit us online or follow us on Twitter.