BigBelly Solar (BBS), founded by Babson MBA Alumnus Jim Poss, has been named a semi-finalist in the Forbes.com Boost Your Business 2008 contest. The winner will receive $100,000!

Poss earned his Babson MBA in 2003, the same year he founded Seahorse Power Company, with a mission to reduce fossil fuel consumption through innovative cost-saving approaches to inefficient, everyday problems.

Their "BigBelly," the world's first and only solar-powered trash compactor, reduces collection frequency by up to 75% by enabling compaction anywhere. The patented machine brings the benefits of compaction to points of disposal, making it useful anywhere outdoors. These benefits include: 

     *  Reducing collections by a factor of four or more
     *  Eliminating variability in timing of collections 
     *  Keeping animals out of the trash 
     *  Preventing overflows and resulting litter

“BigBelly” was so successful, the company name was changed to BigBelly Solar and they refocused around a central business proposition: saving fuel is environmentally and fiscally sound.

Parks, cities, corporations and entertainment venues in 32 U.S. states and 15 countries are saving money and fuel by using these machines. For this achievement, the World Economic Forum named the company a "Technology Pioneer" in 2007. The U.S. currently spends $45 billion and burns 1 billion gallons of fuel annually to collect trash. BBS has begun to make an impact not only to budgets, but to the environment.

BBS invents designs and oversees manufacturing and sales of the BigBelly. BBS also sells subscriptions to a wireless management system that automatically coordinates collections according to real time demand. The company recently launched its Solar Recycling Kiosks, which, with additional development work, will bring similar efficiencies to public recycling.  (plastic bottles could be compacted 15:1). 

BigBelly Solar entered the Forbes contest for the chance to win some funding to speed the development of this new device and get some exposure for the Company.   

The company is five years old; it was funded by Angel investors with a social agenda. Its management brings decades of experience in renewable energy and manufacturing.

Learn more about BigBelly, view the required 30-second elevator pitch video and vote here: http://boost08.perfectprize.com/voting/.