North Carolina has three companies among the five cleantech startups named as finalists in a regional cleantech competition.

Nova Synthetix of Chapel Hill, Bio-Adhesive Alliance of Greensboro and Tethis of Raleigh are in the Southeast Region Finals of the Cleantech Open, a cleantech accelerator. Trash 2 Cash Energy, based in Tampa, Fla. and Fiveworx of Knoxville, Tenn. are the other finalists.

The five finalists were chosen from among 20 companies entered into the Southeast regional accelerator of the Cleantech Open. As regional finalists, the startups will receive a “Startup in a Box” package that includes cash and donated services worth up to $20,000. The companies will also advance to compete at the Cleantech Open Global Forum in November, where they will vie for a $200,000 award package and the title of 2013 Top Cleantech Entrepreneur.

The Cleantech Open is a nonprofit organization that fosters the most promising startups in clean technology fields through a nine-month program. Startups receive education, mentorship and funding opportunities.

“Our technology has been proven in a number of different ways and we are highly confident that it will work,” Nova Synthetix President Donald Walters said in a statement. “The Cleantech Open award assures us that we are on the right path and we are pleased to have participated in the accelerator program. There are many benefits of participating in the accelerator, including access to mentors and potential funders.”

Nova Synthetix is using biotechnology to develop a non-toxic castor plant that can be used to make a renewable, non-polluting chemical feedstock for high-value chemicals and biofuels.

Bio-Adhesive Alliance, spun out of N.C. A&T University, has developed a way to produce adhesives from hog manure. The company aims to make its bioadhesive a cleantech alternative to petroleum-based adhesives used for constructing roads.

Tethis is a startup from N.C. State University that has developed a chemical compound that can remove hazardous material from water, technology intended to be applied to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.