Company’s TetraKO is a patented firefighting concentrate.
Minneapolis, Minn. – EarthClean Corporation, a Minnesota-based startup company, announced that it received the top prize in the Cleantech Open North Central Region competition and placed third overall in the national competition. The awards ceremony was held Wednesday night in San Jose, Calif. The Cleantech Open is the world’s largest cleantech business competition. As the North Central Region finalist and, now, the inaugural winner for that Region, EarthClean will receive $40,000 worth of investments and services.
“We are honored and excited to be Minnesota’s first ever North Central Region title winner, and to place third in the Cleantech Open national competition,” said Doug Ruth, EarthClean Corporation founder and CEO. “With our TetraKO product technology, we are poised to provide the fire service with a better performing, and environmentally safer alternative to traditional firefighting foams, first generation gels and retardants. Our plan is on track and we have the technology and team in place to be successful.”
TetraKO is a direct response to the growing concern over the toxicity of existing firefighting foams and super absorbent polymer-based products used by fire departments across the country, as well as the large amounts of phosphorus and ammonia dioxide – harmful to fish, mammals, plants, streams and rivers – contained in the leading fire retardant used on wildfires in our nation’s forests.
TetraKO is a patented firefighting concentrate that transforms water into an adhering solution that can be pumped through standard fire equipment. No modification to that equipment is required to dispense the solution. TetraKO has proven to be far superior because a key attribute of its proprietary dual thickening agent causes it to stick and stay where applied. When heated by fire, adhered TetraKO becomes even thicker and releases a dense steam, dramatically aiding in fire suppression because of the increased, resulting calorie absorption. TetraKO is the first water additive that uses no super absorbent polymers.
TetraKO solution has been independently tested by accredited laboratories, and has been certified ready biodegradable and non-toxic (aquatic and mammalian) using EPA and internationally recognized OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) standards. Independent lab testing has also verified that TetraKO solution passes National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Uniform Corrosion metrics. EarthClean is manufacturing its first commercial lot of five tons of TetraKO, and is establishing distribution in the Upper Midwest. Visit www.tetraKO.com for more information.
About the Cleantech Open
The Cleantech Open is the world’s largest cleantech business competition. Its mission is to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental and economic challenges. The program provides the infrastructure, expertise and strategic relationships to turn ideas into successful global cleantech companies. Since 2006, through its one-of-a-kind annual business competition and mentorship program, the Cleantech Open has helped hundreds of clean technology startups bring their breakthrough ideas to fruition, helping alumni contestants raise over $280M and creating an estimated 2,000 green collar jobs.
About EarthClean Corporation
EarthClean Corporation is a Minnesota-based start-up company whose mission is to develop and introduce environmentally friendly and biodegradable technologies that help firefighters attack, suppress and contain fires. A team of engineers, scientists and firefighters developed the company’s first product, TetraKO next generation Class A firefighting gel. Visit www.tetraKO.com for more information and to see the product in action.