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TAG: Contests
California Clean Tech: No Beauty Contest!!
TheFunded.com Advice
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-04-20
Tags: Funding Sources Contests
Each year over 160 small startups apply to the CCTO for recognition of their new clean tech technology. The contest is "supposed" to determine who has promising clean tech technology in five categories. The sponsors of this tech event pay lots of sponsor fees. The contestants are well treated with lots of educational events, food, beer, wine and pseudo comradeship.
Beware of the innocence or do good image of the CCTO organization. This is a commercial enterprise that wants to take your technology to benefit themselves. Some of the Utility sponsors actually want to thwart your business. Some of the CCTO sponsors are professional "green washers". While they say one thing in public, behind the scenes they are doing activities that will undermine your renewable business technology and strategy. Take for example all of the CTTO Utility sponsors are opposing pending 2008 legislation in Sacramento AB1807 and AB1910 that would significantly reduce Green House Gases in California. These bills are mirror bills of successful European Renewable programs that now has 445 million people operating under a Feed in Tariff (FIT). A FIT would significantly grow the market for renewable energy in California over 20x+ from the paltry .2% to a significant market share. The California CCTO Utility sponsors and their hired lobbyists are doing everything behind the scenes to thwart AB32 (mandates reduction of GHG's) and keep the status quo.
The sponsors and judges seek competitive business plans and technology. Contrary to publicly stating they they reveal the names of the judges at or before the judging event, the CCTO keeps the names of the judges top secret to allow the sponsors and their associates to have free access to any of your private and confidential business plan materials. You would never give your business plan to your competitor but if you compete in the CCTO, your best plans, technology and business strategy is being given to your competitors for free analysis. Would you want your business strategies resold by a consultant to a competitor" Would you want your pending patents scrutinized by a competitor so they can clone them. The patent attorneys at the Wilson Sonsini firm represent some of your competitors. Do you educate your competitors.
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