Troy, N.Y. — Three companies that got their start at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Incubator have been asked to present their business plans to more than 100 venture capitalists, angel investors, bankers, and private lenders at one of the country’s largest and most important clean energy venture forums.

Crystal IS Inc., Starfire Systems Inc., and Ecosystem Projects LLC will pitch to businessmen at the 15th annual National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Industry Growth Forum Oct. 29 and 30 at the Desmond Hotel in Albany, NY. Just 46 companies from across the U.S. were invited to present.

Crystal IS, of Latham, N.Y., uses single-crystal aluminum nitride substrates to cost-effectively produce high-power, high-temperature, and optoelectronic devices. Malta, N.Y.-based Starfire Systems designs, fabricates, markets, and distributes pre-ceramic polymers for ceramic composites. Ecosystem Projects of Albany, N.Y., markets environmentally beneficial methods of disposing sewage sludge and municipal solid waste.

Denis Fred Simon, dean of Rensselaer’s Kenneth T. and Thelma P. Lally School of Management and Technology, which oversees the Incubator Program, said: “We hope that the participation of these Incubator companies will spark increased interest in clean energy initiatives, and spotlight the Capital Region in general as a great place to start a business.”

About Rensselaer’s Incubator Program
Since its launch in 1980, the Rensselaer Incubator Program for high-tech start-ups has served over 150 companies, and most have remained in the Capital Region. Currently, the Incubator has 28 tenants and 230 jobs. For more information, visit the program’s Web site at http://www.rpi.edu/dept/incubator/homepage/.

Contact: Caroline Jenkins
Phone: (518) 276-6531
E-mail: N/A