Newberry Firm Takes Fifth Place & People’s Choice In Cade Prize Competition

GAINESVILLE ‒ A Newberry firm has placed fifth in the 2022 Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention competition as well as claiming the People’s Choice award: Newberry based Sustainable Landfill Solutions LLC, received an award for its RO BOX – A Modular On-site Landfill Leachate Treatment System, treating dangerous landfill runoff.

Tied for fifth place, along with Sustainable Landfill Solutions, is Polymer Solutions Inc., Atlanta, for its Transient, Self-Immolative Polymers, a plastic that decomposes quickly into recyclable materials.

The winning 2022 Cade Prize went to NEPTUNYA Ocean Power of Boca Raton for developing OCTOPODZ, a technology that unlocks renewable energy.

Octopodz’s new offshore wind turbine design drastically lowers energy costs through reduced weight and a floating design that eliminates the need for a separate foundation substructure. The invention could dramatically increase renewable energy adoption by power companies and other energy consumers.

Other Cade Prize winners are:

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, GA, for a nanoparticle for non-surgical spaying and neutering that is intravenously administered to pets.

“We’re inspired by both the high-caliber and record number of submissions this year,” said Richard Miles, Cade Prize Committee Chair, and son-in-law of Dr. Robert Cade, the lead inventor of Gatorade, after whom the Cade Prize is named. “We’re looking for the next big invention and are excited to celebrate innovation through the Cade Prize.”

Winners were announced Oct. 6 at an awards ceremony in Gainesville. They will share $67,000 in cash prizes. The two teams that tied for fifth place will each receive $2,000 of in-kind legal services.

The Cade Prize draws innovators from research universities and the private sector with groundbreaking, early-stage ideas before they reach the marketplace. Often, these life-changing ideas take years to materialize and become successful.

Beginning as a Florida competition, the Cade Prize now includes Georgia and Alabama, with plans for further expansion.

The Cade Prize is sponsored by Scott R. MacKenzie, Florida Trend, Modern Luxury, the Community Foundation of North Central Florida, James Moore Certified Public Accountants and Consultants, and Saliwanchik, Lloyd & Eisenschenk. Visit cademuseum.org/cadeprize to learn more.

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