AquaPoro Wins $75,000 Top Prize in Cleantech San Diego Pitch Competition for Startups
| Press Releases
SAN DIEGO, CA, April 23, 2026 – Cleantech San Diego celebrated Earth Day by hosting a public showcase on April 22 for Southern California Energy Innovation Network (SCEIN) founders to present their clean technologies as part of a winner-takes-all pitch competition with a $75,000 cash prize.
A panel of judges comprised of industry experts and investors selected AquaPoro as the winner for their work engineering scalable atmospheric water systems that turn air into ultra-pure water for uses ranging from residential units to industrial-scale arrays.
AquaPoro Founder and CEO Kyle Cordova delivered the winning presentation and accepted the prize, which was a $75,000 non-dilutive ACE (Accelerate California Entrepreneurship) Award from The Brink SBDC Innovation Hub.
Strong pitches from fellow presenters Alderbuck Energy, Emission Free Generators, Looq AI, and Znrg Innovations – all active members of Cleantech San Diego’s SCEIN accelerator program for clean energy startups – made the showcase a celebration of San Diego’s cleantech ecosystem and the transformative work of its clean energy innovators.
The event also featured an expert panel on investment trends and opportunities for networking with the region’s leading energy pioneers, including Todd Crescenzo of Clear Creek Investments, Richard Jahnke of Honeywell Ventures, and Sheeraz Haji of ENGIE New Ventures.
About Cleantech San Diego
Cleantech San Diego is a member-based business organization founded in 18 years ago that positions the San Diego region as a leader in the cleantech economy by fostering collaborations across the private-public-academic landscape, engaging in advocacy efforts to promote cleantech priorities, supporting energy entrepreneurs through the Southern California Energy Innovation Network, and encouraging more equitable investment across the San Diego region. Stakeholders include more than 130 businesses, universities, governments, and nonprofits committed to advancing sustainable solutions for the benefit of the economy, the environment, and all members of the community. Learn more at cleantechsandiego.org.
About the Southern California Energy Innovation Network
The Southern California Energy Innovation Network (SCEIN) is a free incubator program for clean energy startups based in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Imperial counties that are developing technologies to help California meet its climate goals. The program provides access to the resources and facilities of regional partner organizations and connections with industry in order to accelerate the commercialization of emerging energy technologies. Managed by Cleantech San Diego, the program is the result of multiple grants from the California Energy Commission to help advance California’s energy innovation industry. Learn more at cleantechsandiego.org/scein.
Media Contact:
Shannon Bresnahan, Cleantech San Diego, 858-220-5313, shannonb@cleantechsandiego.org
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