Pitch Day Event
Connecting Emerging Ethanol Start-ups with Capital
On Thursday, June 4th, the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo will be hosting two 90-minute pitch sessions for startups in the ethanol industry. All pitches will be open door. Each finalist will receive 10 minutes to pitch, followed by a 10 minute Q&A session with a panel of judges and other investors in attendance.
The six companies selected to give an in-person pitch at the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo are:
ucrop.it
ucrop.it is a verified MRV and field-to-market traceability platform for agriculture and biofuels. With 29 million verified hectares across 17 countries and 58 corporate clients—including Nestlé, Heineken, Bayer, Mondelez, COFCO, and Neste—the platform delivers ISO 14065-grade verified feedstock data. For U.S. ethanol and biodiesel producers, ucrop.it supports qualification for §45Z Clean Fuel Production Credits under the February 2026 proposed rules.
Gross-Wen Technologies (GWT)
Gross-Wen Technologies provides sustainable, algae-based wastewater treatment solutions using its patented Revolving Algal Biofilm (RAB™) system. The technology removes nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, reduces energy consumption and carbon footprint, and converts waste into valuable algae-based products—helping municipalities and industrial facilities improve water quality while recovering resources.
Rimba
Rimba is an AI-powered compliance and operational intelligence platform purpose-built for energy and industrial companies. It supports enterprise-grade security requirements, including data isolation, audit logs, and deployment within customer-controlled environments, ensuring full compliance with internal IT and regulatory policies.
Universal Fuel Technologies (UFT)
Universal Fuel Technologies is commercializing Flexiforming, a catalytic process that converts mixed hydrocarbons and alcohols into gasoline and low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The process offers approximately 50% lower operating costs than conventional ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) pathways and achieves carbon intensity below 20% of the feedstock CI. By repurposing existing refining infrastructure instead of building greenfield plants, UFT enables scalable SAF deployment in 15–16 months at significantly reduced capital costs.
Integrated Dynamics
Integrated Dynamics is a Chicago-based startup developing advanced, high-temperature biocatalysts for producing solvents from agricultural residues within existing ethanol infrastructure. Its High-Temperature Fermentation (HTF) process utilizes extremophilic archaea to enable high-throughput production of chemicals such as ethanol, acetone, isopropanol, and hydrogen from both starch- and cellulosic feedstocks. The platform offers advantages in energy efficiency, sterility, product recovery, and continuous processing, with record-setting high-temperature enzyme performance.
Biosimo
Biosimo is a Houston-based chemical technology company converting bioethanol into high-value platform chemicals—beginning with bio-acetic acid—through a proprietary catalytic process. Designed to compete with fossil-based chemicals on cost and scale, Biosimo partners with ethanol producers to expand into higher-margin markets and diversify revenue streams.
Interested in becoming an Angel Investor?
Looking to invest in up-and-coming technologies, solutions or services in the ethanol industry? Consider attending our pitch day as an investor.
On Thursday, June 4th, the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo will be hosting two 90-minute pitch sessions for startups in the ethanol industry.
To apply to sit in the room as an investor, you will need to meet the following criteria:
- The federal securities laws define the term "accredited investor" in Rule 501 of Regulation D, in part, as: "a natural person who has individual net worth, or joint net worth with the person's spouse, that exceeds $1 million at the time of the purchase [of securities], excluding the value of the primary residence of such person, or a natural person with income exceeding $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint income with a spouse exceeding $300,000 for those years and a reasonable expectation of the same income level in the current year."
- Individuals who represent an investment firm or state enterprise may also qualify. Consult your advisors to determine your status as an accredited investor.
All pitches will be
open door.