In 2020 Cleantech Open Northeast (CTONE) had the largest cohort ever with 47 startups matched with close to 175 mentors. In mid March we pivoted smoothly to 100% virtual programming. Every single startup received assistance with their participation fees from sponsors in Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Canada, as well as from the Wells Fargo IN2 program at NREL. Each of the four regional winners -- Andluca Technologies, Polycarbin, RenewCO2 and T-Omega Wind -- earned $10,000 in cash. Polycarbin and CLIP were recognized as two of the six National Finalists.
We had a special focus on impact investing with a workshop at the Academy, educational webinars, and the chance for each of the startups to have a one-on-one consultation to measure their impact related to their GHG emissions reduction. We also analyzed and documented the impact of Cleantech Open Northeast. Slide three shows 68% of our startups since 2005 are still in business, employing over 3300 people. The cohorts are becoming increasingly diverse, and we aim to continue that trend.
Trish Fleming was recognized as the Cleantech Open National Volunteer of the Year, and she received the Northeast Lifetime Service Award. Roland Scott was recognized as both National and Northeast Mentor of the Year. Thank you to our long-time Regional Premier Sponsors MassCEC and NYSERDA for your continued support. With the help of many, we are combating the climate crisis, and growing the cleantech economy. With the prospective Biden-Harris administration and your support we hope to do even more!
2. Letter from the Director
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
In 2020 Cleantech Open Northeast (CTONE) had the largest cohort ever with 47 startups matched with close to 175
mentors. In mid March we pivoted smoothly to 100% virtual programming. Every single startup received assistance with their
participation fees from sponsors in Maine, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Canada, as well as from the Wells Fargo IN2 program
at NREL. Each of the four regional winners -- Andluca, Polycarbin, RenewCO2 and T-Omega Wind -- earned $10,000 in cash.
Polycarbin and CLIP were recognized as two of the six National Finalists.
We had a special focus on impact investing with a workshop at the Academy, educational webinars, and the chance for each of
the startups to have a one-on-one consultation to measure their impact related to their GHG emissions reduction. We also
analyzed and documented the impact of Cleantech Open Northeast. Slide three shows 68% of our startups since 2005 are still
in business, employing over 3300 people. The cohorts are becoming increasingly diverse, and we aim to continue that trend.
Trish Fleming was recognized as the Cleantech Open National Volunteer of the Year, and she received the Northeast Lifetime
Service Award. Roland Scott was recognized as both National and Northeast Mentor of the Year. Thank you to our long-time
Regional Premier Sponsors MassCEC and NYSERDA for your continued support. With the help of many, we are combating the
climate crisis, and growing the cleantech economy. With the prospective Biden-Harris administration and your support we
hope to do even more!
Sustainably yours,
Beth Zonis, Director, Cleantech Open Northeast, NECEC
3. Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
Cleantech Open is effective, thriving, and diverse
Learn more about
Cleantech Open
Northeast’s 15 years of
impact here.
5. $350,000+
Includes cash prizes
awarded plus in-kind offers
available to startups
2020 Accelerator at a Glance
Graduates
172
Mentors matched
65
Expert judges
40
“I wanted to thank you for such an amazing cohort. I can't thank you and the CTO team enough for pairing me up with
such amazing mentors. They have truly propelled my business forward so quickly. — Michael Servais, GrubTerra
“CTO is life changing. You guys are doing such an impressive and important job!” — Shwan Lamei, Emulate Energy
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
6. 2020 Highlights
Feb-Mar-Apr | Recruiting May | Cohort Selection Jun | Academy & More Jul-Aug | Accelerator
Sept | Final Clinics and Prep for
Regional Finals
Oct | Regional Finals & Global
Forum
Nov-Dec | Wrap Up &
Prep
Kickoff events in Boston,
Somerville, New York City,
Providence, Philadelphia
and virtual info sessions.
75 Applicants
53 Accepted
47 Participants
Virtual Mentor Mixer
events.
Two-day virtual East Coast
Academy.
Go-to-Market Clinic.
Northeast Happy Hour.
Financial Modeling Clinic
Tell Your Story Clinics
Professional video production
Webinars about ESG Principles,
Lifecycle Analysis, IP and
Business Formation
Mock Judging Clinic
Impact Investing Modeling
Webinar and Panel
Semi-Final Judging
Regional Finals Live Pitch
Competition
Finalist Mock Judging
Global Forum and national pitch
competition
Release professional videos
Begin 2020 Recruitment
Release alumni survey.
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
7. Events in Numbers
Average Number of
Event Days per
Month
2214
Total Attendees
45
Events, Majority
Virtual
6.2
“The two day kickoff was exceptional!
I'm honored to be a part of it. I'm sure
that it wasn't easy to convert to a
virtual event, but you guys made it look
like you've done this for years!” —
Dean Berg (Founder), Path to a
Green Home, regarding the CTO
Academy
“You made this year’s virtual session
look easy, which I'm sure was no small
task. Congrats to you and your team!” —
Steve Battista (Judge), Anzu
Partners, regarding Semi-Finals
Judging
“That was a great event. Except for
missing the snacks, couldn’t have gone
better!” — Phil Adams (Mentor),
Energy M&A, regarding Mock
Judging
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
8. Northeast Regional Finals
The two-day event on October 1 and October 2, 2020 brought together more than 300 attendees to
celebrate the graduation of the 2020 Cleantech Open Northeast Cohort. Forty-seven judges reviewed
private pitches during the private semi-finals judging event. The top six companies pitched in front of a live
audience. Seven VIP judges — Bhargavi Chevva of Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Ramsay Huntley of
Wells Fargo, Jiong Ma of Braemar Ventures, Steve Pike of MassCEC, Pat Sapinsley of Urban Future Lab,
Kevin Self of Schneider Electric, and Steve Wolk of NYSERDA — selected the four Northeast regional
winners, each of whom won $10,000 in cash, plus additional in-kind offerings.
Regional
Finalists
Regional
Winners
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
9. 2020 Global Forum
Coreshell Technologies of California won the National Grand Prize.
Aeromutable of California won the National Runner-Up Prize.
Enzinc of Maryland won the People’s Choice Award.
The three-day event on October 20, 21, and 23. 2020 brought together 16 Regional Finalists from across the
country to compete for the Grand Prize. The six Northeast Regional Finalists: Andluca Technologies,
Polycarbin, RenewCO2, T-Omega Wind, Atrevida Science and CLIP, as well as two Runners Up: Harmony
Water and Sunthetics, participated and pitched privately to panels of expert judges. Two Northeast teams,
CLIP and Polycarbin, advanced to pitch in the National Finals Judging on October 21. The Investor Connect
took place over three dates that were split up by cleantech sector. Each company had three one-on-one
meetings with local investors from private investment firms, corporates, and government entities. The cohort
demonstrated their innovations in a virtual public showcase. Twenty-seven Northeast startups participated in
the Expo and Investor Connect.
National Winners
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
11. The 2020 business accelerator cohort consisted of 40
cleantech startups plus 5 development teams
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
12. The 2020 business accelerator cohort consisted of 40
cleantech startups plus 5 development teams
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
13. Geographic Breakdown of 2020 Cohort
New York
13
Pennsylvania
3
Massachusetts
12
Rhode Island
1
New Jersey
6
Canada
5
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
Maine
2
Vermont
2
Florida
1
14. National Finalist &
Regional Finalist:
CLIP
CLIP is a portable e-motor that transforms your own/shared bike to an
e-bike instantly thanks to its proprietary auto-grip handle. Instead of
positioning e-motors on bikes as a permanent feature, their unique
approach provides e-motors as an on-demand upgrade. Clip's business
model is Direct to Consumers, online sales initially.
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
"We are so fortunate to have
been able to participate in the
Cleantech Open!"
— Somnath Ray, CLIP
15. National Finalist
& Regional Winner:
Polycarbin is a software-enabled sustainability company
attempting to capture the three billion lbs. of scientific plastic in
the biomedical waste streams of today and turning it into the lab
products of tomorrow. They accomplish this mission utilizing a
front-end diversion system informed by waste analytics. Polycarbin
diverts this stream of plastic and converts it into laboratory
products valued at $25.00/lbs, turning scrap worth hundreds of
millions into laboratory products worth tens of billions.
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
“Cleantech Open helped
Polycarbin to better quantify our
impact and monetize our mission.”
— James O’Brien, Polycarbin
16. Regional Winner:
Andluca, a Princeton University spin-out, has developed
UV-solar-powered smart glass for improving the energy
efficiency of buildings. Andluca’s patented UV solar-
powered smart glass can reduce building energy use by up
to 30% and improve occupant productivity by 2+%
compared to traditional windows. Unlike competing
electrochromic glass products, which are wired, Andluca’s
wireless smart windows can be easily installed in existing
buildings, which make up 40% of US consumption.
"Thank you to the CTO leadership team! With the
support of our amazing mentors, Andluca identified
game-changing customers, deepened our investor
pipeline, and refined our go-to-market plan. To other
entrepreneurs reading this - go for it! CTO is time well
spent, and the alumni network is already paying
dividends."
— Nick Davy, Andluca Technologies
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
17. Regional Winner:
CO2 is a massive waste product of many industries
and is emitted to the atmosphere on the scale of 300
billion tons/year globally, causing major
environmental damage, losses in agricultural
productivity, and health. RenewCO2’s disruptive
technology uses the direct electrochemical CO2
reduction reaction to produce precursors
(monomers) of some of the major polymers and
chemical feedstocks used today.
“Our participation in Cleantech Open (CTO)
accelerated our business development
exponentially. As first time entrepreneurs, the only
thing that was as valuable to us as the program
content was the advice from our mentor team and
the connections to the community. CTO helped us
get the first calls with 20% of the major customers in
our industry to validate our business model and
perform our market analysis."
— Anders Laursen, RenewCO2
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
18. Regional Winner:
Offshore wind could supply all US electricity via
120,000 10MW turbines, but existing units are so
expensive ($35M each) that electricity must be
subsidized down to $0.07/kWh. T-Omega Wind’s
patent pending design uses existing blades and a new
tower/base. The cost is $10M, electricity $0.04/kWh.
Thousands a year are buildable by existing small
businesses with little investment.
“We have been impressed with the
operation throughout Cleantech Open. The
staff runs a remarkably tight ship and have
developed an inspired program to
accelerate ideas like ours. We're grateful for
that!"
— Andy Myers, T-Omega Wind
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
19. Regional Finalist:
Atrevida Science has the patent and licensing rights for an active
morphing wind turbine blade. Their blade adapts to an optimal
shape based on wind conditions. This capability increases
efficiency, mitigates loads, and improves stability. Bigger blades,
environmentally unfriendly static designs and insistence on land-
based systems are the old paradigms. Their blade delivers active
control and is the new paradigm.
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
“Atrevida Science is working hard to bring novel
blade technology to the offshore wind industry
and Cleantech Open was exactly the shot in the
arm we needed. Our hard work and their
incredible program of curriculum, mentors,
networking, and support propelled us forward
and we are grateful for it!"
— Claudian Maldonado, Atrevida Science
20. Company Development Program (CDP)
The Cleantech Open Company Development
Program provides development support for a
limited number of very early stage companies.
CDP companies can take advantage of workshops
and clinics while they work with their mentor.
Companies that participate in the CDP program
are eligible to apply to participate in the full
CTONE accelerator in a succeeding year.
5 CDP Participants
“CTO was a fabulous experience and a lot of fun for team
Greenovation. A big thank you to other CTO mentors who
helped as well with my pitch deck presentation, legal
affairs and financials.”
— Kathleen Hefferon, Greenovation (CDP team)
“We really enjoyed the CTO program, thank you so much
for the amazing work you put into organizing!”
— Chui-Lian Lee, Werewool (CDP team)
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
22. Alumni Engagement
436Total Cleantech Open
Northeast Alumni
Alumni in the 2020
News
95+
Alumni referenced
in 2020 social media
27
Alumni who took on
a new active CTO
role for the 2020
accelerator
80+
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
23. Anax Power (2019)
$2.4M Awarded
by ERA
New Jersey
Alumni Fundraising Highlights (1 of 2)
GrowFlux (2020)
BlocPower (2013)
$100K Awarded by
Exelon Foundation
Pennsylvania, New York
Radical Plastics (2019)
$1.4M Raised from
Good Growth Capital
New York
Blackburn Energy
(2014)
$2.1M Raised from
Geekdom Fund
Massachusetts
SparkCharge (2016)
$3.3M Raised from
Point Judith Capital,
$1M Raised from Shark Tank
Massachusetts
Enersion (2019)
$1.8M Awarded
by ERA
Canada
AeroShield (2019)
$400K Awarded by
MassCEC BRIDGES
Massachusetts
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
24. Teratonix (2019)
$100K Awarded
MassChallenge
Diamond Winner
Massachusetts
Alumni Fundraising Highlights (2 of 2)
Onvector (2018)
$500K Awarded
By EPA SBIR USAF
Masscahusetts and
Pennsylvania
Natel Energy (2005)
$11M raised from
Schneider Electric and
Breakthrough Energy Ventures
California
Magnomer (2018)
$200k raised from TBD Angels
Massachusetts
Quatcare (2019)
$15K Recipient of
Cleantech Open
Resiliency Challenge
New York
Capro-X (2018)
$100K Awarded
By EPA SBIR
New York
Muon Vision (2020)
$266K raised from NSF
Massachusetts
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
25. Alumni in the News (1 of 2)
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
29. Mentor Program
172
Mentors matched to
a team this year
97
315+
Active volunteers
Mentors returning
from the previous
year
“I will forever treasure my
experience knowing CTO’s
professional caliber staff. CTO
mentors and advisors have taught
me more about entrepreneurship
than business school or family
business.” — Julie Liu, Founder,
Centsible House
“I love being a Cleantech Open
mentor! It’s fun and I know I’m
making an impact. I’m learning a
lot from the other mentors, and the
team is brilliant. It’s a great
concept.” — Amy Perlmutter,
Mentor Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
30. 2020 Lifetime Service Award
Trish is the Director of Mentoring at North Shore
InnoVentures, a technology business incubator that
nurtures innovative early-stage companies in the
biotech and clean tech sectors. Trish has been
dedicating her time and expertise to wear many hats
in the 2020 Cleantech Open program. In addition to
being a vital member of the Mentor Committee, she
has served as mentor, judge, mock judge, advisor and
speaker throughout the program. In 2020, Trish was
the Lead Mentor for Atrevida Science. Thank you
Trish, we couldn't do all of this without you!
Mentor for Atrevida Science
TRISH FLEMING
“It is so rewarding to see the business and leadership
growth of the CTO participants. As a mentor, you get
the immediate reward of working with a team, but
you also appreciate all the time, energy, and
thoughtfulness that the professional staff and
leadership bring to making the program work for you
and your teams.”
— Trish Fleming, Mentor
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
31. 2020 Lead Mentor of the Year
“CTO provides a fabulous service to cleantech entrepreneurs. Plus, I
have found the mentoring experience both personally rewarding
and a great way to improve my skills as a leader. I highly
recommend the experience to entrepreneurs and mentors alike.”
— Deborah McConchie, Mentor
Mentor for Greenovation
DEBORAH MCCONCHIE
“I joined Cleantech Open to explore possible commercial
applications of some research I had developed in an academic lab. I
am leaving with a pitch deck, a lot more confidence and a clear
path for the future of this company. I would not have advanced this
far without the support and guidance of Deborah.”
— Kathleen Hefferon, Founder, Greenovation
Deborah has been a Cleantech Open
Mentor since 2018, as a Generalist
Mentor and CDP Mentor.
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
32. 2020 Lead Mentor of the Year
“I am excited to be a CTO mentor not just because of the reward
in learning about new sustainability solutions, but involvement
at a very personal level with dynamic passionate individuals.”
— Roland Scott, Mentor
Mentor for GSR Solutions
ROLAND SCOTT
Roland Scott is an energy and management
consultant and specializes in investment
due diligence and business development
advising. He is a NYSERDA (New York
State Energy Research and Development
Authority) Entrepreneur-in-Residence
supporting energy start-ups. He has been a
lead mentor with Cleantech Open since
2018. In 2020 Roland mentored GSR
Solutions.
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
33. 2020 1st Year Lead Mentor of the Year
Mentor for ADC Technologies
In his first year as a CTONE mentor, Steve Moritz was
recognized as 2020 Lead Mentor of the Year. Steve is the
founder & CEO of Encentive Energy, with expertise in
Negotiation, Strategic Planning, Team Building, Energy
Efficiency, and Management. In 2020, he was the Lead
Mentor for ADC Technologies.
STEVE MORITZ
“The mentor program really helped us
keep an eye on our goal, and Steve was
relentless in making sure we were
thinking about exactly what our
business would look like when it was
profitable and how we were going to
deliver value to both customers and
investors.”
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
“As the founder and CEO of a 10 year old cleantech company, I know
firsthand how much of a struggle it is to bring cleantech solutions to full
scale in the market. I volunteer as a mentor because Cleantech Open has a
fantastic model that gives every startup company the chance to get high
quality technical and business feedback that dramatically accelerates their
opportunity for success." — Steve Moritz, Mentor
— Niall Davidson, Founder, ADC
Technologies
36. Regional Premier Sponsor
MassCEC
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
“Massachusetts has aggressive plans to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. To
do so quickly and cost-effectively, we need to develop new
technologies and new ways of doing business. Cleantech
Open Northeast supports these next-generation companies
and is a critical component of the innovation ecosystem that
will help deliver our clean energy future.”
— Stephen Pike, CEO, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
37. Regional Premier Sponsor
NYSERDA
“NYSERDA is proud to support Cleantech Open
Northeast and the growing number of innovators
participating in their programming as part of New
York’s efforts to scale up the cutting-edge low-
carbon technologies we need to achieve
Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading goals under the Climate Leadership and Community
Protection Act. This program provides a forum that accelerates the product development and
market entry phases to foster healthier communities, cleaner air, and lower costs, while
delivering solutions that help all sectors shrink their carbon footprint.”
— Doreen M. Harris, Acting President & CEO, NYSERDA
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report
38. Northeast Regional Affiliate
NECEC
NECEC leads the Cleantech Open
accelerator and business plan
competition in the Northeast.
"For 15 years, Cleantech Open Northeast (CTONE) has provided a
supportive and inspiring environment for startups to start, scale,
and succeed. NECEC is a proud affiliate partner of Cleantech Open
Northeast and its community of entrepreneurs who are taking bold
steps to address our world's biggest environmental and energy
challenges. While 2020 was a year unlike any other, Cleantech
Open Northeast has continued to accelerate success for its diverse
cohort of startups through virtual programming and mentorship,
and we are thrilled to celebrate CTONE's success and impact this
year."
— Peter Rothstein, President, NECEC
Cleantech Open Northeast | 2020 Impact Report