Emerging Market For Green Companies Prominent In DC
Green Technology Company Wins Big for Second Year in a Row in WDCEP’s $150,000 Business Plan Competition
Contact: Daour Diawara
Manager, Business Development
Washington, DC Economic Partnership
202 661-8673
ddiawara@wdcep.com
July 27, 2011
Washington, DC– Skyline Innovations, an energy savings solar company, has emerged as the winner of 2011 Washington, DC Economic Partnership’s (WDCEP) annual Business Plan Competition. The company, which competed against a pool of stand-out startups and other DC business ventures, was selected by a panel of judges over the course of the last month to receive the $150,000 award: a $100,000 investment made possible through Enhanced Capital Partners and Advantage Capital Partners via the CAPCO program, and $50,000 of in-kind services.
Skyline Innovations is a unique business concept as it guarantees immediate energy savings to customers through solar water heating and energy efficient HVAC systems, with zero capital outlay. The company was incubated in, and graduated from, WDCEP’s 2009 Business Plan Competition winner, the Affinity Lab, a co-working space for entrepreneurs.
“This is the second year in a row that a green business has emerged as the winner of our Business Plan Competition, after last year’s win by EnviRelation, a food composting company. I think this demonstrates the trend we’re seeing in DC of how new and emerging companies are staying in the black through green products,” said Steve Moore, President and CEO of the WDCEP. “The fact that Skyline Innovations is also a green company further strengthened its impressive business plan, and it was immediately recognized by the judges and venture capitalists as a smart company to invest in.”
Skyline Innovations was honored at yesterday morning’s Small Business Awards ceremony, an annual initiative of the Washington, DC Economic Partnership and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. The Small Business Awards showcased the importance DC’s small business community by honoring the following awardees: Artfully Chocolate Kingsbury Confections (ACKC) LLC (Small Business of the Year), Alperstein Furniture Company (100 Year Old Business of the Year) and the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce’s Hilly Awards (Small Business Initiative of the Year). DC’s own entrepreneur champion, Andy Shallal, owner of DC restaurant favorite Busboys & Poets, provided keynote remarks on how small businesses are the backbone of DC’s economy.
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It is the mission of the Washington, DC Economic Partnership, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to promote business opportunities throughout the District of Columbia and to contribute to business retention and attraction activities