Solar Exchange has announced it will compete in an investor-focused competition dedicated to solar industry startups at Solar Power International (SPI) in Chicago. Taking a page from Silicon Valley's tech startup competitions, SPI's "Startup Alley" is a special showcase promoting up-and-coming companies in the solar industry.

Ten finalists will present their business proposals to potential investors, including venture capital, corporate investors and business leaders on October 23, at McCormick Place, Booth #3650.

Solar Exchange simplifies the buying and selling of goods for the solar industry through its cloud-based commerce platform which automates the transaction process for sales and procurement professionals up and down the solar value chain. Since its launch in September, the company has more than $51 million in posted content on its website.

Solar Exchange combines online business-to-business (B2B) auctions and request for quote (RFQ) capabilities to facilitate sales and procurement activities.

These capabilities create a direct connection between qualified solar businesses, large and small, along the entire solar value chain including raw material and component suppliers, panel and BOS manufacturers, Engineering-Procurement-Construction (EPC) companies, developers, integrators, utilities, and power companies.

"Our goal is to create an online marketplace where buyers and sellers up and down the solar value chain can engage with each other, transact business and benefit from this innovative commerce solution which enables sellers to reach new markets to expand revenue opportunities, and enables buyers to purchase solar materials and finished goods significantly reducing the supply chain costs associated with traditional market infrastructure procurement," said Solar Exchange CEO Gary Mull.

To facilitate global commerce, SolarExchange.com is accessible in English, German and Chinese and has local service offices in the U.S., China, Germany, and India, and plans future market support in other emerging solar markets.