Element 8 Wins 2014 CleanTech Achievement Award

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwired - Nov 12, 2014) - Element 8 (http://www.element8angels.com/), an angel investment group focused on advancing clean technologies by investing in highly promising, early-stage companies across North America, won the inaugural CleanTech Achievement Award sponsored by Perkins Coie. The CleanTech Achievement Award honors a business or organization that is making significant contributions in Washington State's cleantech industry, and was presented at CleanTech Alliance's Annual Meeting.

"It is a great honor to receive the award, especially given the tremendous impact of the other nominees and finalists," said Lars Johansson, co-chair of Element 8. "Element 8's role is to provide not just funding for innovative and viable cleantech startups, but by working within the cleantech ecosystem to also give entrepreneurs the business knowledge and network to bring their ideas to market success. We are a multiplier of our collective savvy."

A total of 35 nominees were reviewed by a panel of six judges representing the cleantech industry, finance, consulting, government, economic development and elected officials. The panel evaluated nominees based on three criteria:

1) Impact on the cleantech sector in Washington state
2) "Freshness" of innovation
3) Ability to represent the CleanTech Alliance well

The three finalists selected were Element 8, UniEnergy Technologies and Washington State University. In fact, 11 of the 35 nominees were companies or organizations whom Element 8 has funded or with whom it has partnered, a testament to the power of collective action, and of the growing success of companies in Washington state.

CleanTech Alliance is the largest state-level trade association of its kind in the nation, representing hundreds of businesses and organizations from the entire state of Washington. Founded in 2007 by business and cleantech leaders, the Alliance facilitates the generation and growth of cleantech-focused companies and jobs, educational programs, research, products, and services.

About Element 8
Founded in 2006 as Northwest Energy Angels and renamed Element 8 in 2014, the organization was the first angel investment group in North America to focus exclusively on cleantech, and continues to be a leading funder of early stage companies across the continent. Element 8's angel members are committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through clean technologies. Element 8 partners with outstanding entrepreneurs to build successful companies, and leverages its members' collective expertise to accelerate the transition to a cleaner future and better world. To date, members have invested more than $18.5 million in 50 companies in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Montana, New York, Oregon, Washington (state), Washington, D.C. and British Columbia, Canada. More information is available at: www.element8angels.com.