Judges Selected for Clean Energy Prize Final Rounds

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The judges who will determine the winner of the 2009-2010 Clean Energy Prize know what it takes to turn a new idea into a successful business. Clean Energy Prize organizers have assembled 13 leaders from venture capital firms, major industrial companies and new-technology businesses to judge the semi-final and final rounds of the competition on Feb. 12 at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

The competition, presented by DTE Energy and the University of Michigan, challenges teams to develop business plans that promise to move a new, clean-energy technology from the laboratory to the market place.

On the morning of Feb. 12, each of the eight teams will make a 15-minute oral presentation to a panel of four judges, and then respond to judges' questions for another 15 minutes.  

Two four-judge panels have been assembled for the semi-final competition.  Each panel will judge four of the remaining eight teams.

The judges for the semi-final round are:

• Patrick Finn, principal, McKinsey & Company, Detroit.
• Michael Finney, president and CEO, Ann Arbor Spark, Ann Arbor.
• Matt Garratt, senior associate, Battery Ventures, Menlo Park, Calif.
• Michael Gross, managing director, Beringea, Farmington Hills.
• Mark Huang, partner, Novus Energy Partners, Alexandria, Va.
• Dhiraj Malkani, principal, Rockport Capital Partners, Boston, Mass.
• Alex Taussig, senior associate, Highland Capital Partners, Lexington, Mass.
• Maria Thompson, general manager, A123 Systems, Ann Arbor.

Three or four teams will advance to the final round on the afternoon of Feb. 12. The finalists will present a five-minute "pitch" to a panel of six judges, who will then have 25-minutes to ask questions of the teams. After hearing from all the teams, the judges will recess to deliberate for about 30 minutes, after which the winners will be announced.

The judges for the final round are:

• Scott Everly, director of business development, North American Builder Group, Masco Corporation, Taylor, Mich.
• Rodrigo Prudencio, partner, Nth Power, San Francisco.
• Dipender Saluja, managing director, Capricorn Investment Group, Palo Alto, Calif.
• Knut Simonsen, president, DTE Energy Ventures, Ann Arbor.
• Ken Van Heel, director, Dow Ventures, Midland.

"I am honored to be associated with the other 12 individuals who have agreed to serve as judges for these final two rounds," said Simonsen. "They exemplify the vision, drive, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that the Clean Energy Prize represents. They will challenge the teams to excel and provide them with an invaluable experience.  All eight teams that will compete on Feb. 12 have the potential to launch a successful business and bring a new technology to the market."

A total of 32 teams made up of students from six Michigan colleges and universities began the 2009-2010 competition.  All eight teams in the semi-final field are based at U-M.  The finalists will compete for the largest shares of a $100,000 prize pool.  

The First Place team will receive $50,000.  The other top prizes are $25,000 for second place, $10,000 for third place and $7,000 for fourth place. In addition, the top three teams will receive a share of in-kind services valued at $60,000.

The Clean Energy Prize competition was established by DTE Energy and the University of Michigan to encourage entrepreneurship in Michigan and the development of clean-energy technologies.  The Masco Corporation Foundation and The Kresge Foundation were Clean Energy Prize founding sponsors and they continue to support the competition.  Additional sponsors include UBS Investment Bank, Google and Nth Power, a clean-tech venture capital company.

The U-M Ross School of Business' Ross Energy Club along with the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute and the Michigan Initiative for Innovation and Entrepreneurship are organizing the current competition.  Several other University of Michigan entities also are providing support.  They include the College of Engineering's Center for Entrepreneurship, the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, the U-M Business Engagement Center and MPowered Entrepreneurship.

Details of the competition are available on the Clean Energy Prize Web site: www.dtecleanenergyprize.com.

DTE Energy Ventures is a DTE Energy company that invests in emerging energy technologies and to date has invested more than $100 million in energy-related companies and funds, making us one of the largest Michigan-based venture capital operations. Information about DTE Energy Ventures is available at www.dteenergyventures.com.

DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan, MichCon, a natural gas utility serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan and other non-utility, energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, gas midstream, unconventional gas production and energy trading. Information about DTE Energy is available at www.dteenergy.com.

The Ross Energy Club is a group of talented business students who share an interest in energy. REC promotes career development by providing a forum for education about all aspects of business in the energy sector.

The Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute develops, coordinates and promotes multidisciplinary energy research and education at U-M. Some 75 faculty in disciplines ranging from engineering to policy to environmental science to urban planning are a part of the institute.

The Kresge Foundation is a $2.8 billion private, national foundation that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations through its support of nonprofit organizations in six fields: health, the environment, arts and culture, education, human services and community development. In 2009, it awarded 405 grants totaling $167 million. For more information, visit www.kresge.org.

Masco Corporation is one of the world's largest manufacturers of brand-name consumer products for the home and family. A Fortune 500 company, Masco's products include faucets, kitchen and bath cabinets, bath and shower units, spas and hot tubs, shower and plumbing specialties, electronic lock sets and other builders' hardware, air treatment products, ventilating equipment and pumps.  Through its foundation, the Masco Corporation Foundation, Masco actively supports a number of very specific arts, cultural, educational (through our matching gifts program), human service and civic initiatives in the cities where it does business or where a long-term relationship exists.

SOURCE DTE Energy