DETROIT – NextEnergy

was announced as a winner of the U.S. Small Business Administration Growth

Accelerator Fund Competition during Tuesday’s White House Demo Day receiving a

$50,000 grant to use to accelerate smart city cluster development in Michigan.

Cluster

development will form a bridge between global tech-based corporations in smart

city technology areas – energy, automotive/mobility, infrastructure,

communications, and software solutions – and the innovation pipeline –

start-ups, universities and national labs – to accelerate smart city technology

demonstrations and neighborhood pilots.

“NextEnergy’s

history with cluster development in energy and transportation technologies, and

the convergence of the built environment and mobility options as a basis for

smart city technologies, makes smart city technologies cluster development a

logical next step for us,” said Jean Redfield, president and CEO, NextEnergy.

“The SBA Growth Accelerator Fund is an important source of funds for supporting

smart city technologies cluster development in Detroit and southeast Michigan.”

Applications

were judged by more than 40 experts with entrepreneurial, investment, startup,

economic development, capital formation and academic backgrounds from both the

public and private sector. The first panel of judges reviewed over 400

applications and presentations and established a pool of 180 highly qualified

finalists. The second panel evaluated the finalists’ presentations and pitch

videos they prepared and selected the 80 winners.

“The

entrepreneurial ecosystem in America is incredibly exciting and very powerful,”

said Javier Saade, Associate Administrator for Office of Investment and

Innovation. “Administrator Contreras-Sweet and I welcome this year’s

Growth Accelerator Fund Competition winners and the important and inclusive

work they do in support of innovative and high-growth small businesses.”

The SBA fund

was established to draw attention and funding to the entrepreneurial ecosystem

around the country. Judges paid extra attention for applicants who filled gaps

in the accelerator and entrepreneurial ecosystem space including applicants

filling geographic gaps in the accelerator and entrepreneurial ecosystem space

and organizations run by women or other underrepresented groups. Special

consideration was also given to any accelerator models supporting

manufacturing.