Resolute Marine Energy Wins at Startup Open

It’s not every day that you get invited to visit billionaire entrepreneur and Virgin Group honcho Richard Branson’s private Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, but that’s what Olivier Ceberio of Boston will be doing after winning the grand prize at Startup Open.

Olivier Ceberio won the top prize after presenting a business plan for Resolute Marine Energy (www.resolutemarine.com) at Startup Open, a competition for startups with high-growth potential held during Global Entrepreneurship Week 2010. Resolute Marine Energy aims to develop wave energy converters that generate clean energy from ocean waves to provide for the 1.2 billion people worldwide that lack access to safe drinking water. Ceberio will get a chance, on the island, to interact and network with experienced entrepreneurs.

“Winning this competition gives me the unique opportunity to exchange ideas with leading entrepreneurs and learn the ‘tricks of the trade’ from experienced business owners – all while in paradise,” says Ceberio. “Our company is not just an idea; our goal is to commercialize a wave-driven seawater desalination system by 2012 that operates completely ‘off-grid’ and fills a huge gap in the market for seawater desalination systems.”

Startup Open also saw a panel of judges, including representatives from Kauffman Foundation and DYMO Labeling, who were sponsors of the the competition, assess more than 100 applications based on concept growth projections and knowledge of the markets; 50 of these were named and recognized as “GEW 50“.

“Global Entrepreneurship Week engaged millions of aspiring and inspiring entrepreneurs, helping them embrace imagination and ingenuity,” says Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. “Startup Open not only recognizes many of the companies that made a start during GEW, but it also puts a spotlight on companies that represent what entrepreneurship is all about – innovation and growth.”

The “GEW 50” are:

1. 3SecondReceipts (www.3secondreceipts.com)
2. 501k.org (www.501K.org)
3. Aesir Metals (www.aesirmetals.com)
4. Aethon Advertising
5. Ambassadors of the Environment (www.oceanfutures.org/learning/ambassadors-environment)
6. AppSocial Media / Tingle.com (www.tingle.com)
7. AyoxxA Living Health Technologies (www.ayoxxa.com)
8. Bandywagon (http://bandywagon.blogspot.com/)
9. Belli Ella (www.belliella.com)
10. Capital Resource Center (www.capitalresourcecenter.com)
11. Charity Affairs (www.charityaffairs.com)
12. CubeVibe (www.cubevibe.com)
13. Custom Choice Cereal (www.customchoicecereal.com)
14. Day2Night Convertible Heels (http://convertible-heels.com/)
15. Everloop (www.everloop.com)
16. EZ GO-IN Solutions Inc.
17. Fenix International (www.fenixintl.com)
18. FundHer (www.fundher.org)
19. The Giving Effect (www.thegivingeffect.com)
20. Haiti Ventures (www.haitiventures.com)
21. Image Vision Labs (www.imagevisionlabs.com)
22. Innovrr
23. Integrated People  (www.integratedpeople.org)
24. InVenture (www.inventure.org)
25. JobStock (www.jobstock.com.my)
26. LocalGrown (www.localgrown.com)
27. Love Your Layover (www.loveyourlayover.com)
28. MyNurseToGo (www.mynursetogo.com
29. Nationwide Computer Systems, Inc (www.nationwideinc.com)
30. Neonatal Loving Kare (www.neonatallovingkare.com)
31. NugZee World of Hunts (www.nugzee.com)
32. Oferta, LLC (www.ofertains.com)
33. Omniar (www.omniar.com)
34. OsComp Systems (www.oscomp-systems.com)
35. Prepared Small Business (www.preparedsmallbusiness.com)
36. PreScouter (www.prescouter.com)
37. Proof Sunglass Company
38. PulmoCAD, LLC (www.pulmocad.com)
39. Resolute Marine Energy (www.resolutemarine.com)
40. SecureWaters, Inc. (www.secureaqua.com)
41. Seguro Surgical (www.segurosurgical.com)
42. ShopSuey (www.shopsueymarket.com)
43. Snuggle Cloud (www.snugglecloud.com)
44. SuperAgent (www.superagent.com)
45. Tactical Information Systems (www.tacticalinfosys.com)
46. TekTrak (www.tektrak.com)
47. Unlimited Juice (www.unlimited-juice.com)
48. VisitorsCafe (www.visitorscafe.com)
49. Wikology.com
50. Wing Power Inc (www.wingpowerenergy.com)