NEPTUNYA Ocean Power wins 2022 Cade Prize  

NEPTUNYA Ocean Power founder Griesi Rodrigo presenting at the Fibonacci Finalists Forum at the Cade Museum in September.
NEPTUNYA Ocean Power founder Griesi Rodrigo won the 2022 Cade Prize for Innovation.
Courtesy of Cade Museum

At Thursday night’s Cade Prize Ceremony Awards dinner, judges selected NEPTUNYA Ocean Power of Boca Raton as the 2022 Cade Prize for Innovation winner.  

NEPTUNYA won after developing OCTOPODZ, a technology that unlocks renewable energy. The new wind turbine design of OCTOPODZ lowers energy costs through reduced weight and a floating design that eliminates the need for a separate foundation substructure.  

Founded by Rodrigo Griesi, NEPTUNYA focuses on tapping the oceans for clean and affordable energy while protecting marine life.  

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According to the NEPTUNYA website, the ocean’s powerful dynamics, like currents, tides, and waves, hold enough power to potentially power the entire global energy needs. 

The invention increases renewable energy adoption by power companies and other energy consumers.  

The Cade Prize provides funding for early-stage inventors.  

“Our competition is unique because the inventors don’t have to have a working prototype,” said Jennnifer Dempsey, marketing manager for the Cade Museum, in an interview. “We award just phenomenal ideas. Then with the seed money, they can go on to create their prototype and help get them closer to commercialization.”  

The museum received nearly 100 applications from Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. The judges narrowed down the applicants to 21 finalists —the Fibonacci Finalists — and then filtered through another round where the final six teams were selected.  

The winners will share $67,000 in cash prizes.  

The list of winners includes:  

  • First place: NEPTUNYA Ocean Power, of Boca Raton, for developing OCTOPODZ, a technology that unlocks renewable energy.  
  • Second place: Ambulero, Inc., of Miami, for a gene therapy for rare vascular diseases with the potential to prevent limb and digit loss. 
  • Third place: Ilika Geospatial, Orlando, for Earth Observation Indices, transforming raw satellite data into simple metrics to track drought, crop health and fire risk. 
  • Fourth place: SG Endocrine Research, LLC, Athens, Georgia, for a nanoparticle for non-surgical spaying and neutering that is intravenously administered to pets. 
  • Fifth place (tie): Polymer Solutions Inc., Atlanta, Ga. for its Transient, Self-Immolative Polymers, a plastic that decomposes quickly into recyclable materials.  
  • Fifth place (tie): Sustainable Landfill Solutions LLC, Newberry, for RO BOX – A Modular On-site Landfill Leachate Treatment System, treating dangerous landfill runoff. 

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