California Clean Tech Open: Two for the Road

Six clean technology startups won cash, office space and consulting, as well as a year of incubationa services from the City of San Jose, at the California Clean Tech Open awards event Thursday night at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

The Clean Tech Open is a business plan competition that offers mentoring and business plan help to finalists and then prizes to help winning plans get off the ground.

The Sustainability Prize was awarded to GroundSource Geo, which also was the Runner Up in the Green Building Competition.

Prizes were awarded in six clean technology categories from transportation to air, water and waste.

To sweeten the $600,000 in prizes, Mayor Chuck Reed made a surprise announcement at the event, saying that he’d offer the winners free rent for a year at one of two incubators in San Jose, either the San Jose BioCenter or the Environmental Business Cluster.

“We know our young companies need a place to work, and a nice warm place with lots of nutrients for companies to grow and grow and grow,” Mayor Reed said.

“We’re not asking much, we’re just asking you to change the world,” he told the companies.