Overlooked Rising Clean Tech Stars?

By definition, all contestants are either early-stage startups and/or mostly self-funded.In fact, many of them are outright moonlighting ventures. However, if history is any guide (past winners have now raised more than $115M), some of these companies should advance to secure venture backing, and generate revenue and profits. 

Naturally, the winners are already receiving wide exposure elsewhere.  However, the competition was very steep.  Whether or not other contestants were underrated is debatable, but can we all agree that many deserve more attention. So, I shall focus this post on runner-ups and finalists that lay low in the media radar screen, but that may have a good shot at earth and/or market game-changing, potentially disruptive or explosive growth.

San Francisco-based Porifera, led by Jeff Jensen, is developing ultra-low-friction filters based on carbon nano-tube membranes (CNM) for reverse osmosis and other uses.Their value proposition comes from the fact that overcoming filter friction is extremely energy intensive in flow distribution systems.

San Francisco-based NexChem, led by Bob Patterson, is developing low-energy chemical solutions for heavy industry applications which are currently energy hogs, such as those used on zinc galvanizing.  Its is worth noticing that the chemical engineering market is plagued by processes that were developed under the old cheap-oil paradigm, particularly those in organic chemistry.

Redwood City-based Ground Source Geo, led by Dennis Murphy, offers shallow geothermal drilling systems for heat pumps.Geothermal heat pumps are as energy-efficient as they come, but costs of ground drilling for a heat source/sink could be a barrier to adoption. (This company was also the competitions’ sustainability award co-winner).

Foster City-based led by Joe Augenbraun, cuts the cost of solar installation in half with its proprietary roof mounting technology.Once back-ends of this type become modular and commoditized, why would anybody in their right mind buy any other roof system?

San Mateo-based Renewable Fuel Technologies, led by Mark Wechsler, has technology to convert agricultural waste biomass into renewable coal.

Standford-based , led by Saumya Garg, offers a home display and control system to reduce standby power usage.  One measure of their potential is that PG&E estimates that stand-by power may account for up to 50% of residential consumption in their service area.

Seattle-based , led by Zac Corker, offers a dynamic scheduler web service for car/vanpools. Imagine the possibilities if every new building would came with a web-service based transportation kiosk?

Last, but not least, the following finalists were neither winners nor runner-ups, but I think they hold promise:

Santa Clara-based Atomic Precision Systems, co-led by Rafael Gomez, offers a new semiconductor process for ultra-cheap LED lighting. It could push LED beyond the bright light signs market.

Costa Mesa-based Enovative Group, co-led by Gab Ayala, offers commercial building energy-efficiency heat delivery systems and products, including a modular demand-controlled pump.HVAC modularization and mass-customization are inevitable.

San Francisco-based Parco Homes, led by Ray Meadows, offers turnkey custom-designed modular homes manufactured offsite. Imagine six-sigma for home-builders?

>Berkeley-based SequesCO, led by Lisa Dayson, is developing a microbial CO2 capture and conversion to bio-fuel process. If scalable, it could eradicate the human carbon footprint on the planet!

Are you interested in competing? We would love to see more Hispanic representation.  The competition is already taking applications for 2009. All it takes is a three-page executive summary and a small entrance fee.

Clean Tech Open is a Palo Alto-based nonprofit that promotes clean tech businesses.