Puralytics of Beaverton, Oregon, a company developing photochemical water purification products won the National Grand Prize in the Cleantech Open competition.
The full list of winners was released today for the National Business Competition and the Cleantech Open Global Ideas Competition, which included entries from the winners of national Cleantech Open competitions in 20 countries, including the United States.
Puralytics was one of five regional winners in the Cleantech Open Business Competition. The company’s products are designed for critical water contaminants such as petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. Unlike most current water purification technologies, which can create known health risks or return all of the sequestered contaminants back to the environment, Puralytics uses light (from LEDs or natural sunlight) to create processes that totally remove contaminants from the environment without any wastewater or chemicals.
Initially targeting industrial and commercial facilities, the company aims to expand to provide a solution for water treatment in small communities and remote rural areas.
Mark Owen, CEO of Puralytics, said the idea for Puralytics occurred to him during a trip to Tokyo, where he noticed sunlight-activated, self-cleaning windows. "I wondered if it would be possible to take the light of the sun, and the surface area of a building, and put them in a can to purify water. This became the seed of an idea that now involves multiple wavelengths of LED light that illuminate a high-surface-area nanotechnology coating to cause five photochemical reactions that purify water of heavy metals, microorganisms, and organic chemicals."
Owen said Puralytics’ technology addresses an emerging need, and the Cleantech Open has already opened doors for his company. "Water quality is a growing problem in our world today, and removing organic contaminants is the greatest unmet need. We are excited that the Cleantech Open committee recognizes, with us, this important business, environmental, and societal problem. This award is great validation to our team and our investors, and will help us move forward to the next level in our business. Through the Cleantech Open we’ve already met customers, channel partners, investors, and advisors, and this National Award has put these new networks in overdrive."
As Grand Prize Winner, Puralytics receives a total of $280,000 in cash and services (of which $100,000 is awarded in the form of a seed investment).
The judges also nominated two runners-up for the National Grand Prize: OnChip Power of Boston for its high-efficiency, miniaturized power-supply technology; and EarthClean of Minneapolis for its non-toxic and readily biodegradeable fire suppressant. Meanwhile, audience members used SMS voting to select the People’s Choice Business Competition winner from all 18 finalists: Silicon Solar Solutions, with its large-grain, polysilicon technology that reduces the material needed to manufacture solar cells, while increasing the power they can generate.
2010 Alumni Award winner
Each year, the 2010 Alumni Award recognizes a Cleantech Open Alumnus that has achieved significant momentum during the year. This year, the Alumni award, which is sponsored by CalCEF, went to Mission Motors, the Transportation category winner in the 2007 Cleantech Open Business Competition.
2010 National Sustainability Award winner
The sustainability factor of the technologies and ideas of the teams that enter the Cleantech Open is given additional scrutiny by the mentors and judges, and each team receives specific mentoring to ensure this critical attribute is baked into each team’s plan and investor pitch. This year’s National Sustainability award goes to BioVantage Resources, for its algae-based wastewater treatment technology.
2010 Global Cleantech Open Ideas winner
For the second year, cleantech innovations from around the world were featured at the Cleantech Open. The Global Cleantech Open Ideas Competition looks to find ‘big ideas’ by working at a grassroots level and to support and foster those ideas. Orchestrated in conjunction with the Kauffman Foundation, startups from around the world competed for a prize worth $100,000 in startup services. Entries were received from 20 countries, 14 of which traveled to attend the Cleantech Open Gala and Expo in San Jose. Five teams were presented to the audience, who voted Abeo of Denmark the winner, with its patented Super-Light Structure technology that aims to reduce the energy and materials needed in building construction.
The lists of finalists in all competitions is available at the link below.
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