Woodland BIO Wins $55,000 at WVU | Pitt Back Yard Brawl Competition
Woodland Biomass Innovations - “Evolving Energy” Track Winner - 2025 Backyard Brawl: Innovation Edition
Morgantown, WV – September 12, 2025 – Woodland Biomass Innovations (“Woodland BIO”) was named first-place winner in the Evolving Energy track at Backyard Brawl: Innovation Edition in Morgantown, WV. The award includes $55,000 in technical assistance funding to advance the company’s biomass-to-gasoline technology.
Hosted during West Virginia University (WVU)–University of Pittsburgh rivalry week, the competition featured startups across Evolving Energy, Bio/Life Sciences, and General tracks. Full official results and award amounts are posted by the WVU Office of Innovation and Commercialization: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wvu-office-of-innovation-and-commercialization_thank-you-to-everyone-who-joined-us-for-backyard-ugcPost-7373799985013870592-Au1u
Luca Pandolfi collecting first place prize on behalf of Woodland Biomass Innovations at the 2025 Backyard Brawl: Innovation Edition
Luca Pandolfi, Founder, Woodland BIO: “We’re honored to win the Evolving Energy track during the Backyard Brawl Pitch Competition. The event was as competitive as the game, with some exceptional projects on display, making the win all the more impactful. We plan to multiply the funds by using them for professional grant writing services. This will help us secure strategic funding that would go towards building the facility in Tioga County, PA. Thank you to West Virginia University for hosting, and congratulations to the Mountaineers on the win.”
Luca Pandolfi presenting at 2025 Backyard Brawl: Innovation Edition
Woodland BIO’s facility in Tioga, PA is designed to convert low-grade woody biomass into drop-in gasoline that meets existing specifications and works with existing vehicles. The process would also produce biochar that can be used for soil, water, and material applications. The company’s inaugural facility is expected to support local supply chains and create 50–100 direct jobs. Phase 2 engineering for the Tioga Facility is approaching completion.
All the Winners of the 2025 Backyard Brawl: Innovation Edition
Backyard Brawl: Innovation Edition recognizes regional innovators across three tracks. This year’s winners included Jordyn Ting of Lexi Medical, Inc. (Bio/Life Sciences) and Logan Cuvo of Best Dam Tape (General). The event complements the long-running WVU–Pitt “Backyard Brawl” rivalry by channeling competitive spirit into entrepreneurship and technology.
History of the Backyard Brawl
The Backyard Brawl is one of college football’s oldest and fiercest rivalries, first played in 1895 in Morgantown—before Pitt adopted its current name—with West Virginia winning a disputed 8–0 game that newspapers reported with different scores. The schools sit roughly 75 miles apart, a proximity that fuels the “Backyard” intensity. The series has produced milestones and streaks: the 1921 matchup was the first college football game broadcast on radio; a 1965 shootout featured WVU QB Allen McCune throwing for 320 yards and five touchdowns; Pitt’s longest run was 15 straight wins (1929–46), while WVU’s best stretch was five in a row (1992–96). After being played annually from 1943 to 2011, the rivalry paused due to conference realignment, then resumed in 2022. Pitt leads the all-time series 63–41–3.
About Woodland BIO
Woodland BIO’s vision is to develop waste-to-fuel processes that power a circular future, starting with the inaugural woody biomass-to-gasoline facility in Tioga County, PA. The company is the recipient of an Agricultural Innovation Grant from the PA Department of Agriculture, and they collaborate with a broad spectrum of organizations to build the first facility. This includes a research partnership with Penn State University and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), looking at the long-term availability of sustainable forest residuals for fuel production in PA.
Notes to Editors
Images and logos available upon request. Award amounts in the Evolving Energy track are designated as technical assistance funding per the organizer’s announcement. Reference: WVU Office of Innovation and Commercialization announcement (link above).
Media Contact
info@woodlandbio.com | +1 (607) 205-8597