A new Southeast Region of Cleantech Open is launching in Miami and Sean O’Hanlon has been named the Area Director for Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America. The Cleantech Open is a source of potential funding for cleantech entrepreneurs. Startups submit their ideas and technologies and compete for funding and along the way experts help mentor the entrepreneurs on how to take their ideas to market.
“Cleantech Open is the world’s oldest and largest cleantech accelerator that is currently working with entrepreneurs in more than 30 countries,” said O’Hanlon. “It’s the most effective way for promising startups to reach a broad national and international network to receive the investment and mentoring support in order to truly be transformative and provide solutions in diverse areas such as energy, agriculture, and water/wastewater.”
Together with Cleantech Open business development co-chairs, Marianne Canero and Sonia Succar Ferré, O’Hanlon is launching Cleantech Open in South Florida during an event on March 28th starting at 6pm and will be hosted in partnership with Wexford Science & Technology at the state-of-the-art University of Miami Life Science & Technology Park.
William D. Hunter, Wexford Project Leasing Manager who is currently leading the $110 million Phase 1 project for the urban research park said, “This is an ideal synergy to bring together innovators in the cleantech industry to our facilities where we provide the infrastructure and interdisciplinary opportunities to foster the development of life sciences, technology, and biotechnology innovations. We are excited to be part of the Cleantech Open initiative.”
The launch event will be the start of an eight-month business accelerator program in which clean and green entrepreneurs from around Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin America are invited to submit their business concept to receive training and mentoring from business leaders that cultivate into funding for their business. The accelerator program will culminate in November when finalists go on to compete at the national level competition.