GreenBeat

On Nov. 18 and 19, VentureBeat will be hosting its inaugural GreenBeat conference, the premier executive summit on the Smart Grid this season. One of its major goals: To spotlight the brilliant technology only now emerging to mold a cleaner, more efficient electrical grid on the global level. And that’s what the GreenBeat 2009 Innovation Competition is all about.

Right now, we’re still calling for applications — from startups, big business and research institutions. If you are working on an idea that could disrupt the way we think about the grid today, then we want you in the running. The deadline to submit an application is Nov. 4. There’s still plenty of time.

Participating in the competition will mean exposure in front of an audience of Smart Grid industry leaders spanning venture capitalists, utility executives, other entrepreneurs and the best of the green press — not to mention keynote speakers Al Gore and John Doerr.

VentureBeat will announce the names of the top 10 entries, judged by some the of the grid’s most prominent stakeholders, during the conference on Nov. 19, and on its New York Times-syndicated newsblog. We’re proud to announce that The Mayfield Fund will be our host for the Innovation Competition and a sponsor of GreenBeat 2009. On top of that, DEMO, the leading launch platform for emerging technologies, and sponsor of GreenBeat 2009, will be offering winners of the Innovation Competition the opportunity to launch their products at DEMO in 2010 — a prize valued at $18,500. The products in question will be reviewed at the time of application submission and must meet all the standard requirements before being “officially invited” to launch at either DEMO Spring or DEMO Fall next year.

“We are excited to partner with VentureBeat on this program helping to facilitate growth in this important category,” says Neal Silverman, executive vice president of DEMO.

In particular, the Innovation Competition is looking for projects, companies and products that will further the primary goals of the Smart Grid:

• Lower emissions generated along the electrical supply chain.
• Transmit energy consumption data along with power to utilities and their consumers
• Drive increased efficiency and conservation of power

It is imperative that the world community begin to revamp and decarbonize its electrical systems if we’re going to have any hope of hitting renewable energy targets and slashing damaging greenhouse gas emissions. It’s equally imperative that we give the most promising entrepreneurs and projects in the space the attention, funding and support they need to gain traction. Become one of these Smart Grid heroes. Apply today.

VentureBeat is hosting GreenBeat, the seminal executive conference on the Smart Grid, on Nov. 18-19, featuring keynotes from Nobel Prize winner Al Gore and Kleiner Perkins’ John Doerr. Get your discounted early-bird tickets before Oct. 31 at GreenBeat2009.com.

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