The Department of Energy has awarded KLAW Industries and the Koffman Incubator with $125,000 to expand low-carbon concrete throughout New York.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BINGHAMTON, N.Y., July 14, 2023 – KLAW Industries and the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator won first place in the Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Prize Pitch Competition, bringing home $125,000 to help expand KLAW’s footprint in the City of Binghamton and support the Koffman’s role in bringing clean energy companies to the Southern Tier.
As part of the larger Department of Energy (DOE) American-Made Program and funded by the DOE Office of Technology Transitions, the EPIC Prize provides the nation’s most innovative clean energy business incubators with DOE funds to support energy entrepreneurs.
Nominated by competing incubators in the EPIC Prize, companies from across the country were selected to compete this past week in New Orleans, Louisiana, for the top prize funded by the DOE Office of Technology Transitions and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.
KLAW was set apart from its competition due to the company’s partnership with the City of Binghamton, which started in 2022 to install stronger, more sustainable sidewalks throughout the city. This distinction allowed them to beat out venture capital-funded companies from Stanford and Notre Dame.
“This is a major win that allows us to invest in and expand our operations on Griswold Street in Binghamton,” said Jacob Kumpon, COO of KLAW Industries. “The continued collaboration between the City, Barney & Dickenson, and Albert Torto Construction Corp. has brought federal funding and recognition to the cutting-edge work being done right in our backyard.”
“KLAW has been leading the development of an advanced carbon-neutral concrete for sustainable construction,” said Mike Jagielski, Director of the Koffman Clean Energy Incubator. “Both Jacob and Jack, epitomize the true essence of entrepreneurship and are selfless in their efforts to reduce the effects of glass waste in our landfills while providing a solution that significantly affects CO2 remediation for the concrete industry. ”
“The American-Made EPIC Pitch Competition prize is a testament to the KLAW team’s hard work, ingenuity, and dedication,” said Olga Petrova, Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships at Binghamton University. “It’s been truly rewarding for our team at the Koffman Incubator and Binghamton University to support and watch a group of aspiring undergraduate entrepreneurs grow into seasoned founders with a groundbreaking cleantech startup poised to make major moves in the concrete industry.”
The award was presented by the United States Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, and is an example of how the Koffman Incubator has continued to bring transformational technologies and growth to the Southern Tier. Of the prize money, $100,000 will go to KLAW and the additional $25,000 will be given to the Koffman.
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About the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator
The Koffman Southern Tier Incubator of Binghamton University’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships is a state-of-the-art facility in downtown Binghamton, NY that provides key resources to entrepreneurs developing successful startups. The Koffman’s 60+ members connect and collaborate throughout 35,000 sq. ft. of offices, laboratories and co-working space. Binghamton University’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships offers numerous programs to guide business growth and development. For more information, visit: https://thekoffman.com/.
About KLAW Industries
KLAW Industries is a tech-driven glass recycling company radicalizing the market by diverting waste glass away from landfills by developing their high-performance, low-carbon concrete product Pantheon™. Founded at the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator by Binghamton locals Jacob Kumpon and Jack Lamuraglia, KLAW has raised over $1.2 million in funding and purchased a production facility in Binghamton to scale their product. For more information, visit: https://klawindustries.com/.
Press Contact:For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Taylor Pastrick, communications and public relations specialist at the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator, at tpastrick@binghamton.edu.
