Welcome to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions’ American-Made EnergyTech University Prize (EnergyTech UP)! In EnergyTech UP, student teams will compete for $370,000 in cash prizes for successfully identifying a promising energy technology, assessing its market potential, and creating a business plan for commercialization.

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EnergyTech UP aims to cultivate the next generation of energy innovators while accelerating the transfer of energy technologies to market. This prize seeks to attract the talented students of today and help them develop into the engineers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, market analysts, and project developers of tomorrow. Multidisciplinary student teams will develop and present a business plan that leverages National Laboratory-developed or other high-potential energy technologies, including university-developed technologies or other technologies of interest to student competitors. 

This prize is sponsored by the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as well as several other program offices. EnergyTech UP, in partnership with American-Made Challenges, is designed to be approachable, equitable, and scalable nationwide. Winners will be chosen based on the strength of their business proposal. Students interested in participating in this prize will be provided with a curated list of National Lab technologies that are ready for commercialization and that can be used for their business plan. 

Student teams compete for a total of $370,000 in cash prizes as they explore business opportunities for lab-developed or other high-potential energy technologies, assess commercialization opportunities through market analysis, and present a viable business plan to industry judges. Throughout the competition, they receive mentorship and materials to help them succeed.

The top teams compete for a share of $100,000 in prizes funded by OTT. In addition, several DOE Technology Offices offer $25,000 bonus prizes for the best teams in their respective fields. 

Understanding that energy is often inherently local, competitor teams first present at their designated regional events in February, where regional winners are identified. Teams that are invited to participate in the regional events receive free access to OTT’s Energy I-Corps curriculum. First-place regional winners are provided exclusive mentorship to help students refine their ideas throughout February and March. Finally, the regional winners pitch their complete business plan as part of Zpryme’s 2023 Energy Thought Summit in Austin, Texas on April 3, 2023.

For the Bonus Prizes, teams present a comprehensive business plan that leverages a National Lab-developed or other promising energy technology. Eight DOE technology offices are offering up to $25,000 each in bonus prizes for the best teams in their respective fields. The offices include: 

• Building Technologies Office
• Geothermal Technologies Office
• Office of Electricity (offering two technology bonus prizes)
• Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
• Office of Nuclear Energy
• Office of Technology Transitions
• Solar Energy Technologies Office
• Water Power Technologies Office.

Are you a collegiate student interested in transitioning energy technologies to market? The American-Made EnergyTech University Prize is for you! 

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