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Congrats to the 2025 Startup Village Energy Startup Competition Winners

Best In Show

prepad

sean

PrePad
Sean Hervo, CEO
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Rising Star

daphne
 

jamie

Daphne Technology
Jamie Brick, CEO
Ecublens, Vaud, Switzerland

Rising Star

acqualung

andrew

Aqualung Carbon Capture

Andrew Robbins, CEO
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

People's Choice

daphne1
 

jamie1

Daphne Technology
Jamie Brick, CEO
Ecublens, Vaud, Switzerland

Welcome to the vibrant and innovative Startup Village at ATCE!

Designed to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in the energy industry, this competition showcases a remarkable competition for emerging startups in the energy field.

This is your chance to promote your ingenuity and creativity by presenting your groundbreaking solutions, technologies, and business models that will revolutionize the energy sector. Compete with other energy startups to win prizes, gain visibility and recognition by industry leaders, obtain mentorship and network with energy investors!

Meet Our 2025 Energy Startup Competitors and Alternates

Thank You to Our Sponsors


 

SPE Live Pre-ATCE Series: Scaling Core Oil and Gas Technologies Through Investment and Trials

Choose the graphic to the right to access this SPE Live segment, moderated by  Bryant Mueller, Chairman, SPE Startup Village Energy Competition. This session explores how startups and corporations are advancing core oil and gas technologies through venture capital investment and proof-of-concept trials. The SPE Startup Village connects energy-based startups with corporations through its pitch competition at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE), fostering partnerships that drive innovation. Discover how equity funding and strategic trials are shaping the industry’s future.

Speakers:
•  Ishan Rao, VP of Commercial, Syzygy Plasmonics
•  Richard Jahnke, Venture Director, Honeywell ESS

Startup Village Energy Startup Competition Factoids

   award

 

So far, the Startup Village program has awarded almost USD 460,000 in prize money to startups through its Energy Startup Competition.

network

Startup Competitors receive visibility and recognition as technology leaders, cash prizes, and networking opportunities with leading energy investors, including a one-on-one coaching session before the Competition.

    Money

The Energy Startup Competition is funded entirely by Startup Village Sponsors.

   globe

Competition winners are from around the globe, including Canada, France, The Netherlands, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Join Our Circle of Winners

2022 Award Winners

Best in Show  (First Place)
LongPath Technologies, Inc.       
 

Rising Star (Runner Up)            
Arolytics
 

Rising Star (Runner Up)             
Vidya Technology
 

People's Choice 
Vidya Technology


2021 Award Winners

Best in Show (First Place)
Hivecell

Rising Star (Runner Up)
CRA-Tubulars

Rising Star (Runner Up)
Cheetah Networks Inc

Rising Star (Runner Up)
Spotlight

People’s Choice
Spotlight


2020 Award Winners

Best in Show (First Place)
FLITE Material Sciences

Rising Star (Runner Up)
Nesh

Rising Star (Runner Up)
OriGen.AI

Rising Star (Runner Up)
Tri-D Dynamics

People’s Choice
ViiBE Communication

2019 Award Winners

Best in Show  (First Place)
Ingu Solutions Inc.

Rising Star (Runner Up)
Nanoprecise Sci Corp

Rising Star (Runner Up)
Enersoft Inc.

Rising Star (Runner Up)
Modern Wellbore Solutions Ltd

People’s Choice
Nanoprecise Sci Corp


2018 Award Winners

Best in Show  (First Place)           
MicroSilicon Inc

Rising Star (Runner Up)            
Belmont Technology

Rising Star (Runner Up)             
Interface Fluidics

Rising Star (Runner Up)             
ResFrac Corporation

People's Choice    
ResFrac Corporation


2017 Award Winners

Best in Show  (First Place)         
Veros Systems, Inc.

Rising Star (Runner Up)            
Rheidiant

Rising Star (Runner Up)             
Factor Technology

Rising Star (Runner Up)             
16S Technologies

People's Choice    
Veros Systems, Inc.

Meet Our Past Startup Village Energy Startup Competition Finalists

2022 Competition Finalists

Ai Exploration

Arolytics

Criterion Energy Partners

DeepIQ

DrillDocs

Drishya AI Labs

Geolumina Corporation

LongPath Technologies, Inc.  

Qube Technologies    

Saher Flow Solutions

SeebeckCell Technologies

Vidya Technology


2021 Competition Finalists

Cheetah Networks Inc

Cnergreen

Connectus Services

CRA-Tubulars

DrillDocs

Hivecell

Hydrotell

Khaos

Lelantos

Matidor.com

Pandata Tech

Roboze

SeebeckCell Technologies

Senslytics Corporation

Spotlight


2020 Competition Finalists

Ai Exploration

AquaNRG

BitGas

CarbonGauge

Entech Solutions

FLITE Material Sciences

Hydromea

Iconic Air

Mission Zero Technologies

Nesh

OriGen.AI

Tri-D Dynamics

ViiBE Communication

Virtuio

 

 

 

2019 Competition Finalists

Eden GeoTech

Enersoft Inc.

IDARE LLC

Ingu Solutions Inc.

Kaia Corp.

Modern Wellbore Solutions Ltd

Monashee Pumps Inc.

Nanoprecise Sci Corp

OCEANCOMM, INC.

Sensorfield LLC

Sensytec, Inc.

TOKU

Vita Inclinata Technologies


2018 Competition Finalists

AI Driller

Advantek International

Alabastron

Belmont Technology

Engage Mobilize

Factor Technology

Interface Fluidics

MicroSilicon Inc

PetroleumETC

ResFrac Corporation

SW Energy Technologies

WISER Systems

 


2017 Competition Finalists

16S Technologies

8SIgma Energy Services Incorporated

DataNova Analytics Incorporated

Factor Technology

Kinetic Pressure Control Limited

Mims Well AS

QuantumPro, Inc

Rheidiant

Sinsal LLC

Veros Systems, Inc.

Vertice Oil Tools

Voxaya

Meet Some of Our Previous Competitors 

Hear from Qube Technologies, DrillDocs, Drishya AI Labs (Alternate), and DeepIQ (Alternate)


 

Hear from Vidya Technologies, Ai Exploration, Arolytics, and Longpath Technologies


 

Hear the Experiences of Our Startup Village Committee Members

Hear Past Winners Testimonials about the Startup Village Program

Listen to Habib Al Khatib, CEO of SpotLight Earth, the 2021 Startup Village Energy Startup Competiton Rising Star and People’s Choice winner. 


 

Hear Michael McCallen, CEO of Cheetah Networks explain why competing and attending the Startup Village program is worth your investment.

Startup Village Committee

Chairperson

Bryant
Bryant Mueller 
SVP Sales, Western Hemisphere
Datagration


Committee

ervell temp

Alex Biholar
Manager, Devon Energy Ventures
Devon Energy


ervell temp










Ervel Boyd
Financial Analyst
Devon Energy


Brad Burke

Brad Burke
Managing Director
Rice Alliance


nayeem

Nayeem Chowdhury
Director- Integrated Climate Solutions 
Honeywell

sean ebert








Sean Ebert
Partner
Altira Group


etkind
Josh Etkind
Upstream Deepwater Digital Transformation Manager & Business Opportunity Manager
Shell


diana temp

Diana Grauer
Director 
Grauer Consulting LLC


joao

João Guandalini
Innovation Manager
Foresea


Jesse Guerra

Jesse Guerra
Venture Principal
Chevron Technology Ventures

Nikhil

Nikhil Kulkarni
Expert, Sustainability and Energy CoE
JSW


ali

Ali Marzban
Director of Data Science and Analytics
NOV


Nii

Nii Nunoo
Energy Strategy & M&A
PwC


ashan
Ishan Rao
VP, Commerical
Syzygy Plasmonics


David

David Reid
Chief Technology Officer and Chief Marketing Officer
NOV and past Chairperson

 jose temp

Jose Silva
EVP Business Dev and Strategy
Xecta Digital Labs


Anouk
Anouk van Pol
Co-Founder and COO
INGU



Tara

Tara Williams
Director of Venture Programs
Rice Alliance


J Willis

John Willis
VP Technology Ventures
Oxy

Startup Village and the Energy Startup Competition

spe           Startup Village logo         rice

 

The ATCE Startup Village is a partnership between SPE and the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship at Rice University.

Launched in 2017, the Energy Startup Competition is a fast-paced competition showcasing emerging energy technology companies.

Competitors will receive visibility among leaders in the upstream energy industry, recognition as technology leaders, the opportunity for cash prizes, networking with leading energy investors, and mentoring.

The 12 finalist companies selected to present (10 primary and 2 alternates) will have the opportunity to participate in a mentoring session before the Competition and will receive complimentary admission to ATCE.

The Startup Village will take place in person this year. The Energy Startup Competition and the Competition Awards Announcements will occur on Tuesday, 21 October.

During the competition, each company will have 7 minutes to provide information about their company and technology to a group of venture capitalists, angel investors, and industry leaders. They will have an additional 7 minutes of Q&A to further promote their company.

After the Competition, plan to join the Competition winners and the incoming SPE President for the Award Ceremony. 

The ATCE Startup Village is a partnership between SPE and the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship at Rice University.

 

Questions?

For ATCE Startup Village or event sponsorship, contact Gail Smith, SPE Senior Event Manager.

For the Energy Startup Competition, contact Tara Williams, Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship Program Manager. 

Call for Paper Proposals is OPEN NOW

Call for Paper Proposals is Open Now

Speak. Publish. Lead. Submit your ATCE 2026 paper proposal by 9 March 2026 and shape the future of energy.

 SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL NOW