The deadline to submit an entry is June 30; finalists will win the chance to pitch their innovative business to the senior leadership team of Saint-Gobain in a live speed-dating format at the 2012 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in San Francisco on November, 15.
"We are investing in innovation across our family of companies to improve the way we construct, sustain and live within the built environment and we anticipate exceptional entries to the 2012 NOVA Innovation Competition as we co-host it alongside USGBC-NCC a partner that shares our passion for innovation," said John Crowe, President and CEO of Saint-Gobain Corporation and its largest North American subsidiary, CertainTeed Corporation. "We believe we have a responsibility to nurture start-up companies that otherwise would not have had the access to bring their innovation, be it sustainable building solutions or renewable energy technologies, to the commercial market."
NOVA External Venturing, an international group of Saint-Gobain representatives that identify and evaluate start-up companies for strategic partnerships with all Saint-Gobain businesses, in partnership with USGBC-NCC, will award a 1st place winner with $50,000 and 2nd and 3rd place winners with $25,000 and $10,000 respectively. Winners will also work with NOVA to explore a variety of working partnerships with Saint-Gobain such as licensing, manufacturing or commercial agreements, equity investment or joint ventures.
The 2012 NOVA Innovation Competition entrants will join the extensive list of progressive companies that NOVA External Venturing has evaluated since 2006, and winners will become part of an elite group of more than 40 existing partnerships.
To learn more about NOVA Innovation Competition, recommend a start-up or apply, please visit:www.saint-gobain.com/innovationcompetition2012.
To receive the latest updates on the Innovation Competition, connect with the NOVA External Venturing team on Twitter (@SGnova) and on Facebook.
