Let there be light! Swedish cleantech start-up Ecospark voted Winner of the Nordic Cleantech Open 2011.

Innovative Ecospark with its light technology solution was singled out by the audience and the jury as the most promising cleantech start-up at the Nordic Cleantech Open 2011 last night in Copenhagen. The award marks the completion of the very first Nordic Cleantech Open, and kick-starts the Cleantech Capital Day - Scandinavia's most prominent cleantech investment day.

The Jury, consisting of 35 noted and influential decision makers from the Nordic countries, motivates the winning solution like this: “The winner is a ground breaking innovation targeting a high growth market. The company’s value proposition incorporates selling points that are crucial for their market. Let there be light…”

Ecospark’s product is a new type of LED chip based on a zinc oxide and nano wire technology. The manufacturing method uses a low temperature wet chemical process that cuts costs drastically. Compared with today’s LED technology, Ecospark’s LEDs will be more energy efficient, have 8 - 10 times lower production costs and at the same time provide a highly improved light spectrum. Ecospark has the potential to change lightning as we know it. 

"It is great to be the final runner up and win the entire competition, especially since the quality of the companies we competed against is extremely high. Additionally the Nordic Cleantech Open has provided us with new important investor and industry contacts. This will surely bring us one step closer to our anticipated large scale international success", says Hans Lindgren, working Chairman of the Board at Ecospark.

"There is clearly a rejuvenated investor interest in the Nordic cleantech sector. Since we started measuring investments in 2007 the amount exceeded the 500 MEUR mark in 2010 – clearly a record year”, says Alexander Lidgren at Cleantech Scandinavia.

“I was very impressed by all the top ten finalists. They hold a very high quality even in a European and international perspective. They act in completely different industries but share the traits that they act on growing markets with ground breaking technologies”, says Bernhard Mohr BASF Venture Capital, who was on stage as live VC jury at the final in Copenhagen.

The next  step and near future for Ecospark is to develop a prototype and test it in cooperation with potential customers. There are several promising contacts in the US that have shown interest in Ecosparks light LED technology. The future looks bright.

Nordic Cleantech Open attracted about 200 participants: among them noted and important investors and financers in the cleantech sector.

Contact Ecospark:
Hans Lindberg, +46705 - 95 83 35
hans.lindberg@ecospark.se

Ecospark´s homepage:
http://ecospark.se

Event organizers, contact:
Alexander Lidgren, Cleantech Scandinavia +46736601007 
bigge@nordiccleantechopen.com

Pictures of the winners and more press releases at:
http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/pressroom/cleantechscandinavia

Official homepage of the event:
http://www.nordiccleantechopen.com/