DATTUS announced as finalist for 2016 Clean Energy Trust Challenge

Anurag Garg, DATTUS co-founder and CEO, and Lokesh Gupta, Ph.D., CTO, survey locations to install the company's sensors that monitor industrial rotating systems. DATTUS has licensed a Purdue University innovation, to provide an industrial Internet-of-Things hardware and software platform, to make industrial machinery smarter and help industrial facilities compete in the rapidly evolving industrial environment through data-driven intelligent decision-making. (Purdue Research Foundation photo) Download Photo

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  – DATTUS, a Purdue-affiliated startup, is one of 10 finalists in the early stage track of the 2016 Clean Energy Trust Challenge, a nationally recognized accelerator program for clean energy innovation, and the largest single-day clean energy pitch competition in the nation. It is run by Chicago-based nonprofit Clean Energy Trust and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The challenge will be April 12 in Chicago and will bring together venture capitalists, industry executives, civic leaders and the public to watch startup officials pitch their businesses and hear keynote addresses by prominent thought leaders.

DATTUS, a company originally founded at Purdue University, provides an industrial Internet-of-Things hardware and software platform, to make industrial machinery smarter and help industrial facilities compete in the rapidly evolving industrial environment through data-driven intelligent decision making.

Anurag Garg, co-founder and CEO of DATTUS, said that he is excited to again be part of the Clean Energy Trust Challenge.

"The Clean Energy Challenge is very special to us because this is where the company received its first seed money in 2013 when we won the student track competition. We're very excited to be back and compete in the early-stage track this year," he said. "The Clean Energy Trust organization has been amazing to us in the last three years. They have continued to support and mentor us, and have opened a number of doors to mentors, customers and investors. We're happy for this opportunity to continue to build on our relationship."

Garg said that the company has significantly developed and improved since winning the student track.

"Since 2013 we've evolved from Bearing Analytics to DATTUS, and have a differentiated product portfolio that was the result of a lot of customer development," he said. "Talking to customers and learning from them was the first lesson the Clean Energy Trust taught us. Since then we've built a full team, we operate across two continents, we've raised nearly $1 million in funding and we have quite a few big name customers. We have a lot more momentum behind us now, compared to 2013 when we were just a couple of guys with an idea."

Garg acknowledged the Purdue community and Purdue Foundry, an entrepreneurship and commercialization hub located in the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship in Purdue's Discovery Park that provides assistance for Purdue-affiliated startups.

DATTUS licensed part of its technology from the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization.

About DATTUS

DATTUS' IoT platform monitors industrial machines for performance, efficiency, and reliability, in real-time. DATTUS' hardware gathers data on a wide range of parameters (e.g. temperature, vibration, cycle counts) and DATTUS' software translates this data into actionable insights through packaged analytics algorithms. The turnkey solution maximizes machine ROI for industrial facilities and helps turn cost-centers into revenue drivers, enabling growth. DATTUS is a Delaware C-corp., headquartered in Indianapolis.

About Clean Energy Trust

Clean Energy Trust fuels clean energy innovation in the Midwest. A Chicago-based nonprofit, CET helps launch, fund and grow Midwest clean energy companies to ensure a more prosperous, sustainable future for generations to come. CET does this through direct investment, commercialization assistance, mentorship, access to its broad partner network and the promotion of a supportive clean-energy community and business climate. For more information, visit cleanenergytrust.org.

About Purdue Research Foundation

The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires property; protects Purdue's intellectual property; and promotes entrepreneurial activities on behalf of Purdue. The foundation manages the Purdue Foundry, Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, Purdue Research Park and Purdue Technology Centers. The foundation received the 2014 Incubator Network of the Year by the National Business Incubation Association for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org

Purdue Research Foundation contact: Hillary Henry, 765-588-3586, hkhenry@prf.org

Source: Anurag Garg, 317-688-1639, agarg@dattus.com