WERCBench Labs, a 12-week incubator for innovative technology startups run by the Mid-West Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC), has released the names of 10 startup companies that will participate in its fall 2016 program.
The 10 start up firms will make up the second class of WERCBench Labs participants. Of them, six are based in Milwaukee and four are from outside the U.S.
Each company will receive a $10,000 grant at the beginning of the program. If the companies meet all program expectations, they will receive an additional $10,000 upon completion in the form of a royalty-based financing investment.
Here’s a list of the companies and their projects:
- enDrone is a company that is developing a multi-copter drone to be used for agricultural crop spraying and dusting.
- Half Moon Power has invented a proprietary inverter technology that could allow homeowners and businesses to go “off-grid” — or rely on alternative energy sources, such as solar or wind power — at a much lower cost.
- Iconac helps water utilities and district heating and cooling systems inspect and assess the condition of buried pipe infrastructure through their “Toanl Pipe Assessment” technology.
- Improovment is developing sensor-based technology to give manufacturers insight into the utilization and flow of company resources on plant floors.
- Navasard Technologies invented a new solar system called PURESINE they hope will maximize efficiency.
- Process Machine, provides technology solutions for Smart Grid, Smart Building, Water & Waste Water, Smart Rail, Smart City applications.
- SciArt, LLC has developed a cloud-based design generation tool for design engineers.
- STEMhero uses energy and water usage data collected by students and teachers to find solutions for large-scale water and energy problems.
- Terraoak has developed a patent-pending stove with reduced smoke emissions and the ability to generate electricity from heat.
- Hydroponics Innovation is developing an intelligent environmental control system that regulates heat, lighting, nutrients and humidity for hydroponically-grown crops.
WERCBench Labs has partnered with The Center for Technology Commercialization, The Commons and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for the fall 2016 program. The organization is looking for more businesses to partner with for future programs that will help participating startups build and test new technologies.
“WEDC congratulates the new teams and we look forward to seeing the progress of these entrepreneurs as they work closely with some of the top mentors in the field to spur innovation,” said Tricia Braun, deputy secretary and chief operating officer of WEDC, in a statement. “WERCBench Labs is a great example of how WEDC can help extend the investment of private industry to support future long-term competitiveness and economic growth in Wisconsin.”
For more information on WERCBench Labs, visit wercbench.com.
