Sustainabli Wins a $1,000 prize from the Maryland Department of Commerce at Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator Pitch Event
Clean energy innovators, business leaders, and government supporters celebrate MEIA’s 2024 Cohort.
Sustainabli was named the Grand Prize winner of the pitch competition during the Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator (MEIA) 2024 Pitch Competition Finale, held on June 13. Four Startup Teams showcased their innovative clean energy products or services for a panel of esteemed judges. The event was the culmination of work by teams participating in the latest MEIA cohort.
Sustainabli has created a “Fitbit for labs”, allowing facility and sustainability managers to monitor and incentivize safer and more energy-efficient fume hood use. Sustainabli’s mission is to decarbonize scientific research. Fume hoods consume as much energy as 4 American houses and are a significant driver of energy waste within research labs. The fume hood management platform, Sashimi, is built to help research organizations reduce mechanical energy use by up to a third and meet energy reporting benchmarks. Sustainabli is the first Startup Pitch Finale winner who first participated in MEIA’s pre-accelerator.
Sustainabli was awarded a $1,000 Grand Prize sponsored by the Maryland Department of Commerce.
Maryland Climate Tech ventures Archer Power Solutions, JJ Innovative Materials, and Terra Fusion also gave pitches at the event.
- Archer Power Solutions is a start-up that’s reimagining the air-conditioner, creating energy-efficient, DC-powered products that leverage off-grid, clean energy and battery solutions while creating a much-needed cooling.
- JJ Innovative Materials has developed prototypes for drywall and wall tiles that are 95% made of sustainable ingredients or recycled by-products of existing industries like industrial hemp, pumice powder, hydrated lime, and fly ash.
- Terra Fusion has come up with a technology that will generate a competitive energy source through plasma confinement at thermonuclear conditions to gain net energy from fusion energy.
Kevin Tu CEO of Sustinabli, delivers the $1,000 prize-winning pitch presentation during the Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator’s 2024 Pitch Competition Finale.
Congratulations to Archer Power Solutions, JJ Innovative Materials, Terra Fusion and Sustainabli, who made tremendous progress in developing impactful ventures with commercial opportunities. “MEIA has accelerated the development of 47 climate tech startups over the last 4 years with the help of the Maryland Climate Tech Ecosystem. These startups will help the state meet its clean and climate goals while catalyzing a dynamic sector for future economic growth. “ said Mike Ducker, Acting Director of the Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator.
MEIA is a venture development program, commercializing climate technologies from Maryland-based businesses, universities, and laboratories. MEIA takes an ecosystem-based approach to innovation by surrounding Startup Teams with the people, services, and connections they need to form and accelerate a Maryland-based clean energy and climate technology business.
MEIA sponsors, supporters, and partners include U.S. Economic Development Agency, Banner Witcoff, Nemphos Braue, Points North Studio, Snyder Cohn, Exelon, The Butz Foundation, Constellation, Whiteford Law, and Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEI2), Johns Hopkins Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute (ROSEI), providing both financial and in-kind support to MEIA and Startup Teams. MEIA is an initiative of the Maryland Clean Energy Center. The program welcomed its inaugural cohort in January 2020. The program is now looking to expand its relationship with Maryland Universities to get more students, lecturers, and researchers to join the Climate-Tech Ecosystem with the passage of Maryland Clean Energy Center – Climate Technology Founder’s Fund (SB0960). The Climate Technology Founder’s Fund could provide as much as $1,200,000 in each fiscal year- 2025 through 2028, and authorizes the Governor, on or before June 30, 2024, to transfer up to $2,200,000 of funds in the Small-, Minority-, Women-, and Veteran-Owned Businesses (SMWVOB) Account to the Climate Technology Founder’s Fund. The additional funds available through SB0960 would allow MEIA to provide expanded support services for prototype development and manufacturing.
MEIA is also currently accepting applications for inventors and newly formed companies and for business executives who want to become energy executives in residence. To learn more about MEIA and participation opportunities, please visit www.mdeia.org.
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The Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator, a Maryland Clean Energy Center project, facilitates early-stage technology commercialization in partnership with Maryland-based businesses, universities, and labs to support Maryland’s Clean Energy and Climate Goals. MEIA’s mission is to create investible clean energy businesses in Maryland. An investible business has the momentum and credibility to obtain third-party investment to grow its operations and launch/grow its business.