2011-02-25

Serial entrepreneur Stephen Voller's newest cleantech company, Cella Energy, was the winner of this year's Shell Springboard Award. Voller previously founded fuel cell company Voller Energy, which was at one point listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market. Cella, his latest venture, also focuses on a hydrogen. Cella Energy has developed a micro-bead nanotechnology hydrogen storage technology and is developing applications in the transport industry. Voller says the £40,000 prize will enable Cella to scale up its technology "to an industrial scale".

Runner up was Vphase plc, which has developed a technology for regulating household voltage. The other finalists were Ashwoods Automotive (for its technology for regulating the lifespan of batteries for electric vehicles); Cambridge Carbon Capture (which has created technology for capturing carbon from the atmosphere); and Naked Energy (which has developed a solar panel for cool climates).