Safire Technology Group wins another competition
This one is the Department of Energy's "EPIC Startup Pitch Competition" that also brought a cash prize to the Spark Innovation Center.
Add another win for Safire Technology Group Inc. of Knoxville, winner of the PYA-sponsored Ballard Innovation Award.
The company captured first place in the Fall 2024 “EPIC Startup Pitch Competition,” hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) last week in Anaheim, CA. The prize came with a $50,000 award. And, thanks to its nomination of the company, the Spark Innovation Center at the University of Tennessee Research Park won $25,000.
The pitch competition took place at this year’s RE+ 24 convention in Anaheim, California, which was attended by more than 40,000 renewable energy innovators and professionals. The six competing finalists were competitively down-selected from over 30 startups nominated by previous winners in the Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) program, which is designed to support energy-focused incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurs.
The company is commercializing SAFIRE™, a patented lithium-ion battery safety technology that prevents explosion or fire upon mechanical impact through an instantaneous liquid-to-solid transformation. The additive can be dropped into existing manufacturing processes and is currently being implemented in prototypes for specific use cases.
The EPIC Pitch Competitions and EPIC Prize are managed by DOE’s American-Made program, which fast-tracks innovation through prizes, training, teaming, and mentoring, connecting the nation’s entrepreneurs and innovators to America’s national labs and the private sector. EPIC Prize competitors also have access to the American-Made Network, which provides mentoring, tools, resources, and support to accelerate the transition of ideas into real-world solutions to achieve clean energy goals.
“During every EPIC Pitch Competition, we learn about new, innovative technologies that are helping push the clean energy transition forward,” said Dr. Vanessa Chan, DOE Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of OTT. “We are thrilled to recognize these startups for successfully illustrating the impact and scalability of their technology, and for demonstrating they have the entrepreneurial skills to bring it to market.”
Like what you've read?
Forward to a friend!