at the Fall 2024 EPIC Startup Pitch Competition, three startups were named winners by the DOE Office of Technology Transitions after pitching their groundbreaking energy technologies.
Office of Technology Transitions
September 11, 2024
minute read time
Anaheim, CA – Today, at the Fall 2024 EPIC Startup Pitch Competition, three startups were named winners by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) after pitching their groundbreaking energy technologies. The three winning startups and one nominating incubator were awarded a total prize pool of more than $100,000.
The pitch competition took place at this year’s RE+ 24 convention in Anaheim, California, which was attended by more than 40,000 renewable energy innovators and professionals. The six competing finalists were competitively down-selected from over 30 startups nominated by previous winners in the Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) program, which is designed to support energy-focused incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurs.
During their pitches to a live audience and panel of expert reviewers, finalists presented their technology, market opportunity and strategy, business model, and team. Reviewers considered each team’s presentation skills, technology, content, and investment potential before selecting the winners, which were announced in front of an excited audience at the conference later in the day.
“During every EPIC Pitch Competition, we learn about new, innovative technologies that are helping push the clean energy transition forward,” said DOE Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of OTT, Dr. Vanessa Chan. “We are thrilled to recognize these startups for successfully illustrating the impact and scalability of their technology, and for demonstrating they have the entrepreneurial skills to bring it to market.”
The pitch competition event, which debuted for the first time at RE+, also featured impactful remarks from Chan and OTT Associate Director for Commercialization Programs Mary McManmon, both of whom helped to present large checks representing cash prizes to the winners.
Meet the Winners
Congratulations to the winners of OTT’s Fall 2024 EPIC Pitch Competition!
First Place: Safire Technology Group, Inc. (Knoxville, TN) - SAFIRE™ is a patented lithium-ion battery safety technology that prevents explosion or fire upon mechanical impact through an instantaneous liquid-to-solid transformation. The additive can be dropped into existing manufacturing processes and is currently being implemented in prototypes for specific use cases. Safire Technology Group won $50,000.
Nominating Incubator: Spark Innovation Center won $25,000 for nominating the first-place startup, Safire Technology Group, Inc.
Second Place: Helix Earth Technologies (Houston TX) - Helix Earth Technologies has developed a solid-state, high-efficiency, and low-energy droplet filtration method called Helix MICRA™. Helix MICRA™ was designed to revolutionize air conditioning, reducing energy use by more than 50% and dramatically reducing the size of carbon dioxide capture systems. Helix Earth Technologies won $20,000.
Nominating Incubator: Greentown Labs, Houston
Third Place: AtmosZero, Inc. (Fort Collins, CO) - AtmosZero has developed a drop-in, steam-generating heat pump. This solution can apply to industrial and built applications, providing a low-cost approach to decarbonizing steam and replacing fossil fuel-fired boilers. AtmosZero, Inc. won $10,000.
Nominating Incubator: Colorado State University
Other Featured Startups
Congratulations to the following startups not selected to receive a cash prize, though very deserving of recognition for their innovative technologies that are driving our nation’s sustainability efforts forward:
Blip Energy (Chicago, IL) - Blip Energy has developed a software and hardware platform that lowers user electric bills and operating costs for utilities. Blip’s smart battery is ideal for hard-to-retrofit multi-unit residential, hotel, and commercial properties, helping manage the building’s power draw while providing grid operators with a new demand-side tool for grid stabilization.
Nominating Incubator: Grid Catalyst
DG Matrix (Raleigh, NC) - DG Matrix is redefining the electric vehicle (EV) charging, microgrid, and datacenter markets with revolutionary power electronics technology. Their Power Router technology integrates multiple energy sources and loads simultaneously with a single power electronics unit that offers versatility, efficiency, and size advantages.
Nominating Incubator: Joules Accelerator
Earth X Energy Corporation (Atlanta, GA) - Earth X has designed an entirely new EV charging system specifically for multi-family communities. Their service-oriented solution can be custom designed for each property and ensures that all individuals, regardless of their income level or living situation, can seamlessly transition to electric vehicles.
Nominating Incubator: Alpha-X LLC
Up Next for EPIC
The EPIC program is exploring additional pitch competitions in 2025. Current competitors in EPIC Prize Round 3 are working on their Phase 2 submissions, which will be due in late September 2024. Winners of EPIC Round 3, Phase 2 will be selected to negotiate a 3-year cooperative agreement with OTT.
Learn More
The EPIC Pitch Competitions and EPIC Prize are managed by DOE’s American-Made program, which fast-tracks innovation through prizes, training, teaming, and mentoring, connecting the nation's entrepreneurs and innovators to America's national labs and the private sector. EPIC Prize competitors also have access to the American-Made Network, which provides mentoring, tools, resources, and support to accelerate the transition of ideas into real-world solutions to achieve clean energy goals.
EPIC Round 3 is part of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) program that provides funds and support to place-based incubators to encourage the robust growth of regional energy innovation ecosystems across the United States. The prize is administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Visit the EPIC Round 3 official prize page to learn more and contact the prize team.
About the Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions
The Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) is one of the largest supporters of technology commercialization in the federal government. Founded in 2015, OTT bolsters the technology industry's market skills and enables clean energy technologies to progress through research, development, demonstration, and deployment into the private sector to meet our nation’s climate goals. Visit energy.gov/ott to learn more and subscribe to receive opportunities and accomplishments via email. Follow us on X and LinkedIn.
Media contact: [email protected]