Cleantech Scandinavia Top-25 startups are better startups We have the proff! Another indication is the news we just recived from Fourdeg:

1.       Fourdeg financing round is now completed. Fourdeg raised 250 000 € private financing from Finnish venture capitalist and business angels on Oct 21st 2015. After the successful piloting period during winter 2014/2015 the raised financing will now enable Fourdeg to start shipping the pre-orders to customers and further develop the business in Scandinavia.
2.       Fourdeg has won two major startup events during 2015. On October 23rd 2015 Fourdeg won KasvuOpen startup growth planning competition among over 300 startups in Jyväskylä Finland. On May 27th 2015 Fourdeg won the Arctic15 pitching competition in Helsinki Finland.

Fourdeg is Espoo Finland based smart heating startup making better quality heating with less energy, currently specializing on district heating. The solution is based on internet of things architecture and smart energy efficiency algorithms cloud software.

When we talk to entrepreneurs and tell them the benefits of applying to Nordic Cleantech Open we often hear that it sounds all great but they do not have the time to enter all these competitions. This is why we think it makes sense to join forces with other initiatives. This year we join forces with non-less than the WWF Climate Solver initiative. Climatesolver.org is a climate innovations portal developed by WWF. The objective is to strengthen the development and to increase the use of transformative technologies, which have a great potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase energy access around the globe. All Nordic Cleantech Open applicants from Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway now have the opportunity to also become WWF Climate Solver entrepreneurs 2016 with the same application.

• Yes that is correct, by applying to the Nordic Cleantech Open you also apply to WWF Climate Solvers if you are eligible!

We are very happy about this solution and think it will strengthen both initiatives and, more importantly, make things easier for the entrepreneurs.

Already last year we cooperated with Malmö Cleantech City Award and this cooperation continues. The Jury for this years Malmö Cleantech City Award includes most important real estate actors in southern Sweden and again: It is the same application!

This means that by applying to Nordic Cleantech Open you also, if eligible, apply to both these two great initiatives.

We are very proud and honoured to have set up cooperation with WWF Climate Solvers and it feels great to be able to include the panda logo in our communication from now on.

We have now opened applications for the fifth round of Nordic Cleantech Open. Applicants are wellcome,

First prize winner of the fourth year of Nordic Cleantech Open is Nordic Power Converters who’s technology cuts the size of a power converters to a fifth and the cost in half while increasing lifespan 2-5 times. The company’s first focus will be on better LED power converters, where the products will be on the market by the start of 2016. Second prize-winner is RecondOil. The company offers a closed loop that makes it is possible to extend the life of lube oil almost endlessly. This enables the same oil to be sold over and over again, in a fully circular economy. Winner of the third prize is Wirepas that is all about uncompromised low power wireless networking for connecting things. It is a solution enabling reliable and deterministic performance with scale up to millions of nodes without regression.

Download the press release here, press release in Swedish here.

We would like to congratulate Disruptive Materials and Orbital Systems as they are on this years edition of the top 33 list of hot new Swedish technology companies that was published today.

For new Swedish technology companies the most well known top list to be on is unfortunately not the Nordic Cleantech Open top 25 (we are working on it but not there yet). Instead the most spread and well known list is the top 33 published by Ny Teknik and Affärsvärlden. On the latest issue of this list published yesterday you find both Disruptive Materials and Orbital Systems that were on the Nordic Cleantech Open top 25 list 2013/14.

Other exciting clantech companies at the new top 33 list are:

Chargestorm

Climeon

Exeger

Ifoodbag

Metasphere

SimrisAlg

Today we announce the top 10 finalists in the Nordic Cleantech Open competition. these are the result of narrowing down 111 applicants to only 10! This has been done through a very thorough process, involving the most competent jury possible and including the jury meeting the best candidates. We are very happy about the top 10 and we are convinced that these are the best bets for future cleantech success cases you can possibly find. The top 10 will present their cases at the Nordic Cleantech Open finals at Cleantech Capital Day in Malmö 19/5, this will be the largest cleantech event in northern Europe this year. The winner will be chosen with the help of audience votes at the finals.

Here are the top 10; Nordic Cleantech Open finalists:

3eflow
3eflow develops and sells an innovative tap water flow solution. The technology auto-fill the pipeline only when you open the tap. The tubes are thus empty 98-99% of the time. The solution delivers increased comfort, 30% savings in water usage and huge energy savings.

Bioextrax
Bioextrax is focused on the development and commercialization of a unique bio-extraction platform technology. The technology platform can be used, among other things, for the efficient extraction of PHA plastics (bio-based plastics), protein hydrolysate from protein rich waste, and bio-oils from micro algae.

Bioptech
Bioptech’s mission is to prevent eutrophication, ensuring access to clean water, and to recycle phosphorus, thus securing food supply for a growing population. Bioptech’s filter bed technology can both treat and recycle phosphorous in a cost effective manner. The technology is flexible and modular allowing it to be used for different needs and environments. It is easy to operate and requires limited investment.

Cleanfield
Cleanfields BioBox is an automatically driven installation, which removes or reduces organic pollution, especially hydrocarbons from large volumes of soil or sludge. It can be installed as a plug and play unit and can after completion of a cleaning service, be moved to a new location.

Free Energy Innovation
By taking the best from the solar industry crossing it with state of the art within the heat pump industry, Free Energy Innovation has developed HYSS Hybrid Solar System. The combination of the new generation of inverter controlled heat pumps and thermal solar panels, gives a SCOP (Seasonal Coefficient Of Performance) in the range 6-8, which is 2 times higher than a traditional ground source heat pump.

Icesolution
Icesolution has developed a microwave-absorbing coating and intends to offer it as a retrofit de-icing for existing wind turbines. Over 10 000 large existing turbines lack de-icing functionality.

Nordic Power Convertors
Nordic Power Convertors technology cuts the size of a power converters to a fifth and the cost in half while increasing lifespan 2-5 times. The company’s first focus will be on better LED power converters, where the products will be on the market by the start of 2016.

Paxymer
Paxymer has a patented, novel, flame retardant system for polyolefin plastics. Completely free from toxic chemicals, resulting in improved usability, fire safety and environmental properties. A functional, green substitution to brominated flame retardants.

RecondOil
RecondOil offers a closed loop for industrial use of lube oil. By using the unique remanufacturing technology it is possible to extend the life of lube oil almost endlessly. This enables the same oil to be sold over and over again, in a fully circular economy use.

Wirepas
Wirepas Pino is all about uncompromised low power wireless networking for connecting things. Pino is a solution for multi-hop mesh network, boasting reliable and deterministic performance with scale up to millions of nodes without regression. With Pino, you can maximise your application efficiency and reliability and build a successful IoT service business.

Pressrelease in English

Pressrelease in Swedish

We are very happy about the outcome of this years Nordic Camp. We wrote an article on it that you can read here. There will also be a photo gallery with all the photos from the photo quest; “best portrait of the weekend” that we held at the camp.

We are very happy with this years selection of the very best Nordic cleantech startups. It is 25, all very good, all very innovative and all very different companies. Read more about then on the top 25 page or in the press release in English or Swedish.

Running a startup competition is a nerve wrecking business. Early Sunday evening the 7th of December there were still not very many applicants to the 4rth round of Nordic Cleantech Open. Then it started… And it continued up till midnight and beyond. 111 is a new record in the number of applicants and the quality is overall great, at least as god as previous rounds. The applications have now been sent to the jury members for assessment and the top 25 will be notified by the end of January.

Download English press release here

Download Swedish press release here

Finnish internet swap service Netcycler was in the top 25 the first round of Nordic Cleantech Open. The company has since redefined their business model, changed name to Swap.com and moved operations to the US. The result is a growth of 20% a month and additional investments to further increase growth. read more here.