15 finalists announced for Hawaii startup pitch competition

Fifteen clean-economy startups have been selected to advance to the final round of the VERGE Hawaii Accelerate fastpitch showcase.

The finalists are: Buoy Labs, Challenergy Inc, Go Electric, GridCure, HiVE Energy Systems, Iteros, ProsumerGrid, Repower Capital, RetroLux, Software Motor Corporation, Solstice Energy Solutions, Solstice Power Technologies, Swiftmile, TouchLight Innovations and Wedge Global.

During the public voting period, thousands of votes were cast to help choose which of 22 semi-finalists would be invited to pitch on the main stage of VERGE Hawaii. In addition to public votes, finalists were selected based on eligibility criteria that include:

• Developing technology solutions (commercially applicable products or services) related to at least one of the following VERGE Hawaii topics: distributed or renewable energy; transportation; agriculture; water; or infrastructure resilience;

• Being incorporated with a product ready for testing or deployment;

• Having less than $5 million in combined investment and current revenue.

"This startup showcase is a key program in furthering VERGE’s mission to accelerate the clean economy," said Shana Rappaport, director of strategic programs for GreenBiz Group. "Innovation is going to play a critical role in getting us to 100 percent renewable energy, both in Hawaii and beyond, and we are excited to elevate another group of early-stage entrepreneurs who have potentially valuable solutions for achieving that goal."

VERGE Hawaii Accelerate provides exposure for early-stage entrepreneurs whose technology innovations support the transition to 100 percent renewable energy in Hawaii and beyond. Finalists will deliver their pitches from the VERGE Hawaii stage to hundreds of business leaders, government officials and investors, as well as thousands more tuning into the global VERGE Virtual livestream.

"VERGE Hawaii Accelerate was a great experience for me and our company," said Phillip Kopp, CEO of Conectric Networks, a VERGE Hawaii Accelerate 2016 finalist. "It gave us direct access to major industry executives, enabling us to 'sit at the table' and build relationships in a way that's often challenging for startups. I had meaningful discussions with potential partners and customers like MGM, Maui Electric Company, Trane and many others."

This year’s VERGE Hawaii Accelerate program received more international submissions than before, due in large part to GreenBiz Group’s partnership with F6S, an online platform that enables entrepreneurs to interact with investors, accelerators, incubators, talent and others.

"F6S is all about supporting startups and the entities that fuel their growth," said Matt Philippe, co-founder of F6S. "We delivered $2.4 billion in resources to startups last year and our partnership with leading organizations like GreenBiz, around programs like VERGE Accelerate, help us achieve our mission. Events like VERGE Accelerate get our network of founders in front of high-profile audiences, the kind of value we're all about partnering to provide."

VERGE Hawaii Accelerate is a program within VERGE Hawaii: Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit, taking place June 20-22 in Honolulu. Produced in partnership between GreenBiz Group and the Hawaii State Energy Office, VERGE Hawaii brings together more than 800 key stakeholders — from government, military, utilities, corporate leaders, energy producers, entrepreneurs and other solution providers — to have candid, action-oriented conversations addressing the challenges and opportunities in transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy.

In addition to more than 50 action-oriented sessions led by more than 100 industry leaders, VERGE Hawaii offers numerous special programs that identify innovative technologies and nurture deeper partnerships between clean energy stakeholders, including the first VERGE Hawaii Sustainable Tourism Summit, an expanded Interconnect Expo showcase, tours of a 100 percent renewably powered microgrid and in-person demos during the Startup Showcase.

To learn more about VERGE Hawaii, visit: www.greenbiz.com/verge-hawaii