Clarkson's KLAW Industries Sweeps Two National Competitions, Wins $50k in Grand Prizes

Potsdam, NY (04/16/2021) — KLAW Industries, a business owned by two Clarkson seniors and one Binghamton University student, is focused on recycling glass into a product used in concrete manufacturing, has won the grand prizes from two national competitions in two days! On Wednesday, they won $40,000 by taking first place in Texas Christian University's International Values and Ventures Competition, and Thursday, they took first place and brought home another $10,000 by winning the University of Georgia-Athens Next Top Entrepreneur Competition.

KLAW Industries turns recycled glass into a pozzolan that is used in concrete manufacturing. The company is co-owned by Jack Lamuraglia '21, an electrical engineering major, Tanner Wallis '21, a mechanical engineering major and Jacob Kumpon, a junior at Binghamton University.

The TCU competition was a two-month endeavor, where over 1000 participants from 264 teams that spanned 28 states, 11 countries, and four continents participated and showcased their for-profit ventures that aim to make the world a better place.

The UGA Next Top Entrepreneur Virtual Pitch Competition invites student startups from all over the country to pitch their existing business plans or ideas to a live audience and a panel of judges. The teams were evaluated on their business model, the validity of their idea, and their ability to execute.

KLAW Industries submitted their product called Pantheon for the contests, which can be used to replace 30% of cement in concrete. This makes the concrete 11% stronger, more chemically resistant, and very sustainable. Using five tons of Pantheon in concrete has the same CO2 savings as taking a car off the road for a year.

"We're thankful for the people at Clarkson for helping us prepare for these wins. We are opening our pilot plant this summer to produce Pantheon at scale and this prize money will allow us to do that even faster for our partners in concrete and recycling," said Jack Lamuraglia, CEO of KLAW Industries

The business has performed well in other competitions recently. They won the American Society of Civil Engineers Best Student Innovation Award, and in 2020 they took first place in Tiger Tank, a business pitch competition sponsored by Rochester Institute of Technology's Saunders College of Business. KLAW Industries also finished in second place in NYSERDA's Energy & Environment category and also won the concept stage award at the 11th annual New York Business Plan Competition in 2020.

KLAW advanced to the final round of the 12th annual New York Business Plan Competition, which is held next month.

"These young men continue to make our Clarkson community so proud. Their passion, drive, and dedication coupled with their ingenuity are just a few of their keys to success. Winning external competitions such as TCU's and UGA's provides further validation that their approach will work and that the world needs their business," said Ashley Sweeney, Associate Director of the Shipley Center for Innovation.

To learn more about KLAW Industries, visit klawindustries.com. If you are in a field that this technology could be applicable and would like to speak to these students, please reach out to Jack Lamuraglia at Jack@KLAWIndustries.com.

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