Congratulations to Bob Guimarin, CEO of Off the Wall Energy, on winning the Sacramento Regional Competition for the StartUp World Cup with his portable smart energy storage device designed to help renters save money. He was one of four competition participants that came from our cleantech cluster here. The others were SOAR Optics, Purpuratus, and Solir (formerly Thermeshade).  

Since 2017, Pegasus Tech Ventures has hosted the annual “Startup World Cup” in San Francisco, bringing together nearly a hundred of the world’s most promising startups to compete for a grand prize of a one million dollar (minimum) investment. This high-stakes event provides incredible exposure and opportunity for entrepreneurs on a global stage. To select the finalists, regional pitching contests are held around the world, where the best startups in each area vie for the chance to represent their region at the grand event.

For the past three years, the Sacramento Regional has been hosted by our partner organization, Humanbulb, led by Charlotte Danielsson and Henry Chang. Last year the winner was Chuck Hansen, CEO of ElectroScan, another cluster member. Humanbulb has already started its next cohort of potential winners. This year’s judging panel included previous winners, and important faces from Sacramento’s entrepreneurial sector.
Here is a list of the judges;

• Brooke Borseth – Moneta Ventures
• Chuck Hansen – Electro Scan Inc. (2023 Sacramento Regional Winner)
• Gary Simon – CleanStart
• Mathew Magno – JAPA (2022 Sacramento Regional Winner)
• Shera Mui – California Department of Technology

Here is the list of all ten companies who competed;

• GibiPay: A fintech company optimizing credit card points and rates.
• Humolyte: A drink that makes chemotherapy more tolerable.
• LearnHaus AI: An edtech platform using AI to transform human learning.
• Off The Wall Energy: A personal energy platform empowering renters to control their energy usage.
• Powertechs: Workforce development technology using AI and XR for the clean energy transition.
• Purpuratus: A company turning invasive sea urchins into products to incentivize kelp forest restoration.
• Soar Optics: A scanning technology that detects microplastics in the environment quickly and inexpensively
• Solir: Developing advanced materials for the passive cooling of buildings.
• Stuart Energy: Offering an EV charging station diagnostic tool to reduce downtime.
• Thirty One and Bounty: An urban gardening startup focused on making gardening accessible for all.