Heat Inverse and Combplex Selected as 76West Semifinalists

Rev members, Heat Inverse and Combplex are among twenty startups, selected from 183 applicants worldwide, to compete in the fifth year of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) 76West Clean Energy Competition for up to $1 million in funding and the opportunity to further clean energy commercialization in the Southern Tier of New York State.

Heat Inverse has developed a photonic metamaterial that cools with none of the energy input or waste heat associated with conventional cooling. The startup is on a mission to revolutionize cooling technologies across a number of industries and profitably reduce greenhouse gasses by more than a gigaton.

Combplex has developed a smart beehive frame capable of detecting and eliminating parasitic Varroa mites that are responsible for the devastation of bee colonies without harming the bees themselves.

Both Ithaca-based startups are rising quickly. Heat Inverse received a $225K National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research award in 2019 and competed as a semifinalist in last year’s 76West Competition. Combplex was awarded $250K at the 2019 Grow-NY food and agriculture competition, an innovation and technology startup challenge focused on enhancing the emerging food, beverage and agriculture hub in the Grow-NY region, comprised of Central New York, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier.

The 76West Clean Energy Competition supports New York State Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading clean energy and climate agenda that has set the state on the path to economy-wide carbon-neutrality, and complements “Southern Tier Soaring,” the region’s comprehensive strategy to generate robust economic growth and community development in the Southern Tier Region.

Each semifinalist will be paired with a local company for mentorship and guidance on advancing through the competition. The semifinalists will present their final business pitches to a panel of judges on August 18-19 in a virtual event hosted by the Southern Tier Startup Alliance. Following the pitch competition, the judges will select four winners who will be awarded a total of $2.5 million in funding at a ceremony this fall—with a $1 million grand prize winner and three $500,000 award winners.

For more details about this year’s 76West semifinalists and the competition, check out NYSERDA’s semifinalist announcement, or RSVP to attend the 76West Competition on August 18-19, 2020.