The winners of the first 2024 EPIC Pitch Competition have been announced!
Hosted at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Small Business Forum & Expo in Minneapolis, six startups took to the stage to pitch their clean energy technologies to industry experts and a diverse audience of investors, government officials, National Labs, and small businesses.
Four winning startups won more than $160,000 in total for their presentations on groundbreaking technologies and market strategies.
Competing startups were nominated by incubators who have successfully participated in the EPIC program, and the incubator that nominated the first-place winner was awarded $25,000.
Congratulations to the winners!
Summer 2024 EPIC Pitch Competition Winners:
First Place: Hertha Metals (Conroe, TX) - Hertha Metals is at the forefront of environmentally responsible steel. Their technology reduces steelmaking process emissions by 95% with advanced solutions using existing infrastructure for a scalable economy. Hertha Metals technology offers affordable green steel for a low-carbon future via a process accessible to all without a premium price tag. Hertha Metals won $100,000.
- Nominating Incubator: Greentown Labs Houston won $25,000 for nominating the first-place startup, Hertha Metals.
Second Place: Sensatek Propulsion Technology, Inc. (Daytona Beach, FL) - Sensatek Propulsion is commercializing a technology that makes wind energy systems more cost-competitive and resilient using video images with pixel vibration sensors. The technology incorporates video cameras, software, and algorithms to eliminate drone inspections, mitigate blade failures, and increase turbine uptime. Sensatek Propulsion Technology, Inc. won $40,000.
- Nominating Incubator: mHUB Innovation Center
Third Place: Torev Motors (Arlington, VA) - Torev Motors is a next-generation electric motor capable of increasing electric vehicle (EV) range while cutting rare earth content in half. Designed for the electric vehicle (EV) transportation space, Torev’s next generation motor uses a revolutionary, patented double axial flux motor, which reduces the use of rare earth metals and improves vehicle efficiency and performance. Torev Motors won $20,000.
- Nominating Incubator: Dominion Energy Innovation Center
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Prize: NitroCat Energies (Fort Collins, CO) - is a clean chemical manufacturer focusing on decarbonizing the fertilizer industry. Their proprietary technology converts nitrogen feedstock into ammonia and urea fertilizer while capturing carbon and creating valuable chemicals. This process avoids energy-intensive industrial production methods while increasing efficiency, scalability, and environmental sustainability. NitroCat Energies won $5,000.
- Nominating Incubator: Colorado State University.
At the event, DOE also announced the Fall 2024 EPIC Pitch Competition happening this September in Anaheim, CA. More details will be shared on HeroX soon!
