The successful applicants include innovations as varied as toilet paper made of bamboo, zero-emission electric superbikes, soil-less agriculture and technology which uses energy from vibrations to run sensors.
An illustrious judging panel of academics and cleantech industry leaders has selected the first 12 clean technology companies which will present their ideas to an audience of investors. Over 50 cleantech companies applied and of these, 24 will be invited to pitch.
The following 12 companies have made the first shortlist:
- Cheeky Panda – produces sustainable tissue products out of fast-growing bamboo
- Saietta - technology to significantly reduce energy consumption of electric vehicles including zero-emission electric sport bikes
- Airponix - smart soil-less system to grow a broad range of organic quality nutritional food crops including staples
- Origen Power - technology which generates electricity at the same time as taking CO2 out of the atmosphere
- Solar Polar Ltd - refrigeration and air-conditioning system that requires no electricity, has no moving parts, is silent and uses natural refrigerants
- CCm Technologies - transforms captured CO2, Ammonia and Phosphorus into fertilizers and replacements for plastic
- 8Power - technology that powers sensors and wireless systems from vibrational energy, removing the need for batteries or power supply
- Oxfiniti - smart nanobubble generators that can create nanobubbles of gas in any liquid using a patented treatment process
- Wimao - patented technology for recycling different waste streams and turning them into ecological composite products
- Cumulus Energy - grid-level energy storage batteries with minimal cost of storage, using patented battery technology
- Raybased - intuitive management, control and optimization of electrical systems, such as lighting, appliances and HVAC
- Cryptocycle Limited - blockchain technology that transforms the effectiveness of recycling Deposit Return Schemes
Cleantech Venture Day has been a trailblazing event for the cleantech community since its inception in 2006. Over the past decade, more than 220 companies have pitched their ideas at Cleantech Venture Days and as much as 600 million euros has been invested as a result of the events. Investors attending this year’s event include Engie, Cleantech Capital Advisors, First Imagine!, Sustainable Technology Investors Ltd, Grid VC and Saffron Myhill-Hunt, among others.
Martin Garratt, CEO of Cambridge Cleantech, said he was delighted with the quality of the 50-plus entries received. “We have pared down the entries to the most investment-ready and innovative companies. Everything from ultra-high efficiency electric motors for vehicles, to efficient crop growth without soil, to the automated design and management of buildings of the future will be presented on the 31st of October in London. The event will be a wonderful commercial opportunity for investors.”
KPMG, JA KEMP, Hewitsons and Oxfordshire Greentech are event partners for Cleantech Venture Day 2018. Andrew Priest, Head of Technology at Hewitsons, said, “It is a privilege for Hewitsons to once again be sponsoring Cleantech Venture Day. The event offers a great insight into numerous technology innovations, and provides an ideal opportunity for many technology businesses and entrepreneurial individuals to secure necessary funding. Based on last year, it is evident that the UK will continue to be a ‘hotbed’ for cleantech innovation for many years to come and I very much look forward to hearing what our cleantech innovators have to offer this year.”
This is the second year Cambridge Cleantech is hosting the event in London. Last year’s event was a major success with investors and SMEs building mutually beneficial relationships. “I had a great experience and I thought the event was very topical, useful and well organised. We look forward to becoming more involved in the Cambridge Cleantech community going forward,” said Matt McLaren of Entomics Biosystems, one of the companies that pitched last year.