This year’s Environmental Innovation Challenge at the University of Washington featured new technologies for drones, transportation, and filtration of gases and waste. One team is developing self-charging drones that use AI to survey electrical lines to look for potential threats that could knock out power or spark a fire. Team Voltair competed against 22 student-created startups from around the Pacific Northwest in the final pitches of the challenge held Thursday at Seattle Center and was awarded the $15,000 grand prize.
Voltair was one of eight teams to win awards — the most teams ever in one EIC — in the 17th year of the competition hosted by the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship in the Foster School of Business. Nearly 100 cleantech entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors awarded $42,000 total in prizes after hearing the record 23 teams selected for the Final Round pitch and showcase their innovations on-stage and in front of their own custom booths.
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