Liquor Converter, BBQ Logs Win €20K Prizes at UK Innovation Showcase

London, United Kingdom, February 22, 2014 --(PR.com)-- British start-ups Straw Fuels and AdFerTech have won prizes worth €20.000 each this month in an award-scheme supported by the EU’s main climate innovation initiative, Climate-KIC.

Sustainable fertiliser start-up AdFerTech took home the Climate-KIC Early Stage Entrepreneurs Prize, which will see the start-up entering the €20.000 first stage of Climate-KIC’s pan-European start-up Acceleration Programme. Straw Fuels, which produces eco-friendly fire logs, won the €20.000 Climate-KIC Business Creation prize.

The sell-out Cleantech Innovate 2014 event, held at the headquarters of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in London on 12 February, featured a key-note speech by Greg Barker, Minister of State for the UK’s Department of Energy & Climate Change.

“I am delighted that we were able to support CleanTech Innovate once again this year,” said Climate-KIC UK director Richard Templer, “As the UK’s largest clean-tech innovation showcase it is important to demonstrate the cutting-edge technologies developing in the clean-tech sector.”

Headquartered in London, the EU’s largest public-private climate innovation partnership is focused on practical short- and long-term solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change and creating sustainable growth an jobs.

Forty British growth-oriented and venture-ready companies pitched their technologies at the event organised by green-industry business network ecoConnect.

Waste liquor
AdFerTech has developed technology to turn waste liquor, a by-product of biogas generation, into low-cost, organic granular fertiliser.

The nutrients contained within the liquor are concentrated onto solids to higher levels which can be stored, transported easily and later used as a fertiliser.

“AdFerTech would like to thank Climate-KIC for their support and fantastic award,” said Quinton Fivelman, director at AdFerTech. “We are thrilled to have won – the financial and mentoring support will assist us with developing our prototype system.”

Fivelman received his prize from last year’s winner, satellite and ground data start-up Rezatec, which “have had a great year, signing a number of major customer contracts and recently graduating to the final stage of our programme,” said Climate-KIC UK director Richard Templer.

“They continue to go from strength to strength. I look forward to seeing AdFerTech and Straw Fuels follow in their footsteps – they constitute dynamic additions to our growing ecosystem of companies,” he said.

Making a difference one fire at a time
strawfuelsStraw Fuels produces eco-friendly fire and BBQ logs, made from straw created from a crop and formed into octagonal logs. The company will get access to Climate-KIC experts to refine, test and develop their product portfolio.

“We are looking forward to working with Climate-KIC and its partners to further expand our business and deliver what is a game changing product to the world – to help us make a difference one fire at a time,” said David Scott, Straw Fuels CEO.

After identifying the right partner within Climate-KIC’s community, Straw Fuels will be able to redeem a €20.000 Climate-KIC SME Voucher to exchange knowledge in small business development projects.

Straw Fuel markets its product as a clean, easy and convenient alternative to burning wood, which is suitable for all types of burning including open fires, wood burners, chimineas, fire pits, stoves and BBQs.

Start-up support
Climate-KIC operates through centres across Europe to support start-up companies, to bring together partners on innovation projects and to educate students to develop products and services that help mitigate and adapt to climate change.

The initiative consists of over 200 large companies, small and medium sized enterprises, academic institutions and the public sector, including world leaders such as Bayer, Imperial College London, KLM, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, ETH Zurich and GDF Suez.

Climate-KIC is one of the first three Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) created in 2010 by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), the EU body tasked with creating sustainable European growth while dealing with the global challenges of our time.

Pan-European footprint
Climate-KIC has centres in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK and a Nordic centre in Denmark.

The organisation is also represented in the European regions of Valencia, Spain; Central Hungary; Emilia Romagna, Italy; Lower Silesia, Poland; Hessen, Germany and the West Midlands in the UK.

Though its regional outreach programme, Climate-KIC works with partners in Slovenia, Cork/Dublin, Ireland; Helsinki/Uusimaa, Finland; North Portugal (and Lisbon); South Moravia, Czech Republic and Timis, Romania.