Cleantech Entrepreneurs From Around the Globe Compete for Funding to Realize Sustainable Ideas

Cleantech Entrepreneurs From Around the Globe Compete for Funding to Realize Sustainable Ideas


SAN FRANCISCO, CA-- November 11, 2009 - While American cleantech startups are competing for the $250,000.00 grand prize from the Cleantech Open business plan competition, forward-thinking entrepreneurs from around the world will face off for the Global Ideas Competition, a signature event for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, sponsored by Global Entrepreneurship Week. Both competitions will come to a close at the Cleantech Open Awards Gala in San Francisco on November 17. The Global Cleantech Open Ideas Competition aims to accelerate the discovery and development of groundbreaking cleantech solutions.



Each entrant will have five minutes to engage the audience as they pitch an innovative concept for technologies, products, marketing campaigns or systems that will solve large-scale energy and environmental issues. Gala attendees will vote for their favorite via text message to determine the winners. Prizes, designed to jump-start the fledgling companies, are valued at $100,000.

The Global Cleantech Open Ideas Competition looks to find 'big ideas' by working at a grassroots level and to support and foster those ideas. More informal than the current Cleantech Open business plan competition, the Global Cleantech Open Ideas Competition is open to entrants across the globe, even if they are only in beginning stages. Already confirmed are teams from Brazil, China, Denmark, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, and the United States.
Details:
2009 Cleantech Open Grand Expo & Awards GalaNob Hill Masonic Center1111 California StreetSan Francisco, CA 94108November 17, 200910 am PT - 8pm PTRSVP/REGISTRATION REQUIRED at www.cleantechopen.comAll Cleantech Open Green Card Holders receive free admission including Premier seating at the Awards Gala, as well as unlimited access to all the public Cleantech Open events. To sign up for a green card, visit http://www.cleantechopen.com/app.cgi/green_cards/signup. For more information or for general registration, visit http://www.cleantechopen.com
Journalists are encouraged to visit http://www.cleantechopenmedia.com/ for news and updates.
Relevant Web resources
Global Cleantech Open Ideas Competition website:www.ideas.cleantechopen.comCleantech Open blog: www.cleantechopen.com/app.cgi/blog/Cleantech Open on Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid%3D21709779424Cleantech Open on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/companies/73589Cleantech Open on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cleantechopen -- @cleantechopenGlobal Entrepreneurship Week website: www.unleashingideas.orgEwing Marion Kauffman Foundation website: www.kauffman.orgThe Cleantech Open is made possible by the generous support provided by National Expansion Sponsor: U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Platinum Sponsor: PG&E; Gold Sponsors: Autodesk, The Cleantech Circle, Google, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas and Electric, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati; Silver Sponsors: Accretive Solutions and RoseRyan; and Program Sponsors: California Clean Energy Fund, Ernst and Young, and Korn/Ferry International.
The Cleantech Open is the world's largest cleantech business competition. It finds, funds, and fosters entrepreneurs with revolutionary ideas, technologies, and products that address today's most urgent energy, climate, and economic challenges. Through its one-of-a-kind annual business competition and mentorship program, the Cleantech Open has helped hundreds of clean technology startups bring their breakthrough ideas to fruition since 2006, helping alumni contestants raise over $125m and making thousands of green collar jobs possible. In addition to the original competition held in California, the 2009 Cleantech Open was expanded to include two new regions: the Rocky Mountain region, including Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming; and the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Cleantech entrepreneurs will compete for a total of more than $1 million in prizes. Fueled by a network of over 400 volunteers and sponsors, the Cleantech Open unites the public and private sectors in a shared vision for making America's cleantech sector a thriving economic engine. Past alumni successes include Adura Technologies, Cool Earth Solar, Enverity, Federspiel Controls, GreenVolts, GroundSource GeoThermal, Lucid Design Group, Mission Motors, and Syncromatics. For more information, visit www.cleantechopen.com and follow @cleantechopen on Twitter.
About Global Entrepreneurship Week
With the goal to inspire young people to embrace innovation, imagination and creativity, Global Entrepreneurship Week will encourage youth to think big, turn their ideas into reality, and make their mark. From Nov. 16-22, 2009, millions of young people around the world will join a growing movement to generate new ideas and seek better ways of doing things. Tens of thousands of activities are being planned in dozens of countries. Global Entrepreneurship Week was founded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Make Your Mark campaign. For more information, visit www.unleashingideas.org and follow @unleashingideas on Twitter.






News & Stories Published at Clean Energy Stocks Blog.
Green Investors:
Research Renewable Energy and water stocks as an Investor Ideas member and gain access to global green stock directories.
Visit the Renewable energy stocks directory - the largest online green stock directory for investors.

Green Funding Directory