Erie Hack, the months-long water-innovation competition from the Great Lakes region hosted by Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA), has culminated with the naming of two winning teams and over $60,000 awarded November 18.
The 2021 Erie Hack winning teams are:
- In first place: RNA Power, Cleveland, awarded $30,000 for their harmful algal bloom forecasting model
- In second place: Agri-Tech Ohio, Cleveland awarded $18,000 for their patented Combined Remediation Biomass and Bio-Product Production Process
In addition to the first and second place grand prizes, four teams won Mini Challenges for their innovative products and solutions to specific water-related problems outlined by sponsoring organizations:
- Cleveland Metroparks awarded $2,500 to Team Curbing Sediment for “The Road Salt IoT Mini Challenge”
- The Rotary Club of Toledo awarded $5,000 to Team I Love Lake Erie for “The Data Mining to Support Water Quality Investigations Mini Challenge”
- The Rotary Club of Toledo also awarded $5,000 to Team Water Warriors for “The Nutrient Capture & Reuse at the Edge-Of-Field Mini Challenge”
- Cleveland Water Alliance and the GLOW Partnership awarded $1,000 to Team Let’s Float Some Sensors on the Lake for “The Water Sensor Kit Mini Challenge”
Six finalist teams pitched innovations on everything from synthetic RNA manufacturing to microfluidic chips for toxin detection. Erie Hack is the flagship competition of CWA, a nonprofit organization that is working to solidify the Great Lakes region’s position as a critical player in the global water economy.
“In 2017, we issued a challenge to ‘Innovate The Lake,’ and forward-thinkers from across our region answered the call,” said Bryan Stubbs, President and Executive Director at CWA. “Now, in 2021, we are excited to have named the winners of the third iteration of Erie Hack. This year’s competition activated some of the best innovations we’ve seen to-date, and we’re looking forward to collaborating with these teams as we continue to accelerate the economic impact and conserve the vitality of our freshwater ecosystems.”
Erie Hack is a program of CWA in partnership with local champions at TechTown Detroit, Midstory, Blackstone LaunchPad at The University at Buffalo, and WEtech Alliance. Erie Hack is presented by the First Solar Community Giving Fund of the Greater Toledo Community Foundation and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District.
