For the 16th year, the CleanTech Open is ready to accept applicants for its Accelerator program, leading to the competition in the fall.  Early-bird applications are due Feb. 28 with a hefty discount ($30 vs $75 thereafter).  If accepted, a further fee of $1350 ($975 for student-teams) is charged if your company is selected to enter the 12-week coaching program.  This is a national program and gets companies lots of exposure.  Over 70% of participating companies raise money, and in the history of the competition, companies have raised about $1.2 billion.  It favors companies that are far along on developing their products, not companies at a conceptual stage.