What's happening at SolarScope Diagnostics
Product updates, company milestones, and industry insights from the SolarScope Diagnostics team.
SolarScope Triumphs at NYS Business Plan Finals Despite Technical Glitch
ROCHESTER, NY — In a display of entrepreneurial grit that left judges and competitors inspired, TriTech-Labs Inc. secured the Concept Stage Award (Safety, Power, and Mobility) at the New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC) state finals this week. The Buffalo-based startup, led by University at Buffalo Honors Scholar DJ Ruszkowski and Co-Founder Max Clarke, emerged as a top-tier contender, officially ranking in the Top 20 student startups in New York State. Performance Under Pressure The victory was anything but easy. Just minutes before taking the stage at the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, a technical failure compromised the team’s presentation, breaking slide designs and disabling critical video embeds. Faced with a choice between panic or persistence, the TriTech-Labs team chose the latter. Pitching the vision for SolarScope—an advanced lead intelligence and sales scoring platform—without visual aids, Ruszkowski and Clarke proved that the strength of their logic was more powerful than any PowerPoint. "This win was a true test of grit," said DJ Ruszkowski, CEO. "If we can place at the state level with a broken deck, we are going to be unstoppable. When the visuals failed, the data spoke for itself." A "Top 20" Vision in New York Competing in a field that included elite research teams from Cornell and Columbia, SolarScope’s recognition in the Top 20 validates its mission to solve the solar industry's "soft cost" crisis. By utilizing their proprietary Grading Assistant, SolarScope helps installers move from manual lead generation to high-precision sales scoring, drastically reducing customer acquisition costs. The judges recognized the platform's potential to stabilize and scale the renewable energy market, awarding it top honors in the Safety, Power, and Mobility track. Buffalo-Built, State-Validated The win marks a massive momentum shift for TriTech-Labs as they return to Western New York. The team credit much of their success to the support of the UBuffalo CoLab Powered by Blackstone LaunchPad and their mentors, who helped refine the "Lean Startup" methodology that carried them to the finals. May 20th Beta Launch The NYBPC victory serves as the perfect springboard for the SolarScope Beta Launch, scheduled for May 20, 2026. In celebration of the state-level win, TriTech-Labs has announced a "Founder’s Price Lock." The first cohort of users to sign up during the beta launch month will secure a rate of $49 per month, guaranteed for one full year. Solar professionals are encouraged to visit solarscope.net to "Save Their Spot" before the first month's capacity is reached.
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SolarScope Triumphs at NYS Business Plan Finals Despite Technical Glitch
ROCHESTER, NY — In a display of entrepreneurial grit that left judges and competitors inspired, TriTech-Labs Inc. secured the Concept Stage Award (Safety, Power, and Mobility) at the New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC) state finals this week. The Buffalo-based startup, led by University at Buffalo Honors Scholar DJ Ruszkowski and Co-Founder Max Clarke, emerged as a top-tier contender, officially ranking in the Top 20 student startups in New York State. Performance Under Pressure The victory was anything but easy. Just minutes before taking the stage at the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, a technical failure compromised the team’s presentation, breaking slide designs and disabling critical video embeds. Faced with a choice between panic or persistence, the TriTech-Labs team chose the latter. Pitching the vision for SolarScope—an advanced lead intelligence and sales scoring platform—without visual aids, Ruszkowski and Clarke proved that the strength of their logic was more powerful than any PowerPoint. "This win was a true test of grit," said DJ Ruszkowski, CEO. "If we can place at the state level with a broken deck, we are going to be unstoppable. When the visuals failed, the data spoke for itself." A "Top 20" Vision in New York Competing in a field that included elite research teams from Cornell and Columbia, SolarScope’s recognition in the Top 20 validates its mission to solve the solar industry's "soft cost" crisis. By utilizing their proprietary Grading Assistant, SolarScope helps installers move from manual lead generation to high-precision sales scoring, drastically reducing customer acquisition costs. The judges recognized the platform's potential to stabilize and scale the renewable energy market, awarding it top honors in the Safety, Power, and Mobility track. Buffalo-Built, State-Validated The win marks a massive momentum shift for TriTech-Labs as they return to Western New York. The team credit much of their success to the support of the UBuffalo CoLab Powered by Blackstone LaunchPad and their mentors, who helped refine the "Lean Startup" methodology that carried them to the finals. May 20th Beta Launch The NYBPC victory serves as the perfect springboard for the SolarScope Beta Launch, scheduled for May 20, 2026. In celebration of the state-level win, TriTech-Labs has announced a "Founder’s Price Lock." The first cohort of users to sign up during the beta launch month will secure a rate of $49 per month, guaranteed for one full year. Solar professionals are encouraged to visit solarscope.net to "Save Their Spot" before the first month's capacity is reached.
SolarScope Heads to Rochester for New York State Business Plan Finals
[Buffalo, NY] – SolarScope is thrilled to announce its advancement to the final round of the 2026 New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC). After a rigorous regional qualifying round, the team behind the innovative lead-grading platform will travel to Rochester on April 22nd to pitch their venture on the state’s largest stage for collegiate entrepreneurship. The state finals, held at the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, bring together the most innovative student-led startups from across New York’s ten regions. SolarScope will join an elite group of finalists competing for a share of over $100,000 in prize money and invaluable mentorship from industry leaders. Building Momentum in ClimateTech This milestone follows months of intensive development, customer discovery, and refining the SolarScope algorithm. The platform, which identifies high-value prospects for the solar industry, aims to reduce customer acquisition costs and accelerate the transition to clean energy. The competition provides a critical platform to showcase the team's hard work and the potential impact of this technology on the renewable energy market. "We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue building and sharing what we’ve been working on," said the SolarScope team. "The support from our mentors, peers, and the Buffalo community has been instrumental in getting us to this stage. We’re looking forward to connecting with other visionary teams and the panel of judges in Rochester." The Road to the Finals The NYBPC is a premier venture creation competition that fosters entrepreneurship across New York State. By advancing to the finals, SolarScope has demonstrated not only a viable business model but also the technical excellence and passion required to scale a modern software solution in the "Smart Infrastructure" space. The upcoming pitch in Rochester will feature: Live Pitch Sessions: Presenting to a panel of venture capitalists, angel investors, and experienced energy professionals. Startup Expo: Engaging with ecosystem leaders and potential pilot partners. Grand Prize Round: Competing for the top honors and critical seed funding to fuel SolarScope’s next phase of growth. What’s Next As the team prepares for the April 22nd competition, the focus remains on perfecting the pitch and finalizing the latest iterations of the lead-grading software. Stay tuned to our website and social media channels for live updates from Rochester and behind-the-scenes looks at our preparation as we compete for the state title.
SolarScope Concludes Standout Run as Panasci Competition Semifinalist
[Buffalo, NY] – SolarScope, the innovative lead intelligence platform developed by TriTech Labs, has officially concluded its participation in the 2026 Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition. While the team will not be moving into the final five, their selection as a semifinalist marks a significant achievement and a major step forward for the venture. The Panasci TEC is known for its rigorous selection process, identifying the most promising technology-driven startups in the region. Out of a record number of applicants this year, SolarScope was recognized for its unique application of machine learning to the solar sales sector—a field currently facing significant market shifts and a demand for higher operational efficiency. A Milestone Achievement Earning a spot as a semifinalist is a high honor that provided the SolarScope team with more than just a title. Over the past several weeks, the team has worked closely with industry-leading mentors and business coaches to stress-test their business model and refine their go-to-market strategy. "While we would have loved to take the stage at the finals, being named a semifinalist is an incredible validation of the problem we are solving," said a representative from TriTech Labs. "The feedback from the preliminary judges and the guidance from our Panasci coaches has been a 'force multiplier' for our development. We are leaving this competition much stronger than when we entered." Refining the Vision During the semifinal round, SolarScope demonstrated how its predictive lead intelligence can help solar companies navigate a post-incentive landscape by identifying high-value prospects before the first sales call. This data-driven approach stood out to judges as a critical tool for an industry currently focused on reducing customer acquisition costs. The Path Ahead The conclusion of the Panasci run is far from the end for SolarScope. With the momentum gained from the competition, TriTech Labs is now shifting focus toward: Beta Testing: Integrating feedback from the competition into the next version of the platform. Strategic Partnerships: Leveraging connections made during the Panasci networking sessions. Upcoming Milestones: Preparing for the next phase of fundraising and product deployment. "We want to congratulate the five finalists and thank the University at Buffalo and the Panasci endowment for fostering such a high-caliber environment for entrepreneurs," the team added. "SolarScope is just getting started." About SolarScope Developed by TriTech Labs, SolarScope harnesses machine learning to transform existing solar company data into predictive lead intelligence, helping sales teams focus on their highest-value prospects with precision.