15 start-ups from Europe, Australia, China, Thailand, Uganda and the USA have made it to the final of the Start Up Energy Transition (SET) Award 2019. Whether it be autonomous electric trucks, organic solar cells or energy data management with blockchain technology: the finalists offer future-oriented solutions from all areas of energy generation and supply. The award is presented by the German Energy Agency (dena) in cooperation with the World Energy Council. It goes to the companies with the most innovative and impactful business ideas for climate protection and energy transition, selected from a total of 450 applications from 80 different countries. The finalists will present their projects on April 9th at the SET Tech Festival in Berlin – an international event for start-ups, established energy companies and investors.
The SET Award 2019 finalists
Category 1: Low-Carbon Energy Production
Enapter, Germany
Enapter designs and manufactures highly efficient and modular hydrogen generators. Their core technology is an Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyser. This electrolyser technology provides safe and flexible on-site production of hydrogen gas with the highest efficiency.
Epishine, Sweden
Epishine works with product development and marketing of the third generation of solar cells; organic solar cells. The unique qualities of such cells includes being semi-transparent, light weight and 100% organic, resulting in a very low energy payback time.
Roofit.solar, Estonia
Roofit.solar modules are building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) construction elements that replace the conventional roofing and facade materials.
Category 2: Intelligent Grids, Platforms & Cyber Security
Envelio, Germany
Envelio aspires to contribute to a cost efficient transformation of the energy system. Their Intelligent Grid Platform offers Distribution System operators a solution to automatically plan and operate flexible power grids in the digital era.
FlexiDAO, Spain
FlexiDAO is a cleantech start-up aiming to provide a software platform for Energy Retailers that harnesses the power of blockchain technology to provide energy data management tools needed to offer new smart energy services. Their vision is to provide the IT backbone that enables the transformation of the energy sector into a truly carbon-free, prosumer-centric and democratic market.
Planet Ark Power, Australia
Planet Ark Power has invented a technology that solves the voltage problem from too much rooftop solar. Our technology allows every home and business rooftop to be filled with solar which allows for a 1,300% increase in the amount of rooftop solar installed on the grid. Grid voltage problems are occurring in Australia first but the rest of the world will follow and face the same problems.
Category 3: Energy Efficiency, Smart Devices & Storage
BLIXT, Sweden
Blixt creates solid state miniature circuit breakers which enable numerous smart metering and smart grid solutions. These components have the potential to accelerate the transformation to sustainable, all-electric technologies worldwide, on all levels of society, like energy, mobility and industry 4.0.
EcoSync, UK
EcoSync is a multi-award winning start-up company of Oxford University, developing a smart temperature control system combining artificial intelligence with MIT technologies – applied to real buildings.
EQuota Energy, China
EQuota Energy is an energy intelligent management service provider. As an AI and big data-driven energy technology company, it provides energy intelligent management services based on users’ life-cycle energy requirements.
Category 4: Innovative Mobility
Bodawerk, Uganda
Bodawerk aims to become the main provider of E-mobility solutions for the African mobility and logistics sector in order to make it 100% electric powered while being economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. They offer the manufacturing of new electric motorcycles based on the common motorcycle model Bajaj Boxer 100 as well as the conversion of existing bikes by exchanging the petrol driven power train with an electric one.
Einride, Sweden
Einride provides transportation as a service, based on all-electric, autonomous vehicles, or “T-pods”. Capable of level 4 self-driving, the T-pod has no driver’s cab but can be remote-controlled by an operator when appropriate.
Parking Energy, Finland
Parking Energy is a Finland based electric vehicle charging solution provider. They are solving the issues within electric car charging in real estate environments. Their solution provides an open platform for all electric vehicle charging manufacturers and charging operators to quickly add chargers in a standardised way.
Category 5: Special Prize: Quality Access & SDG7
Divine Bamboo, Uganda
Divine Bamboo is a sustainable, socially responsible forestry and biomass energy social enterprise that promotes propagation and establishment of fast growing local Bamboo explicitly for sale and production of clean charcoal briquettes respectively.
OffGridBox, USA
OffGridBox designs a modular and compact unit that provides affordable renewable energy and clean water in remote areas. Their innovative technology is a solution for more than 2 billion people worldwide that need energy and clean water on a daily basis.
SunSawang, Thailand
SunSawang is a social enterprise providing solar home systems and lanterns for rural villages along the Thailand-Myanmar border. The enterprise empowers locals through hiring and training village technicians and sales people to provide solar products and after-sales service.
Start-ups meet investors at the international SET Tech Festival
In addition to the live pitches of the finalists, the SET Tech Festival will primarily focus on networking: start-ups can get in touch with large energy companies, investors and potential customers on location. A total of around 800 participants are expected, including over 150 start-ups. The programme offers deep-dive workshops, keynotes and panel discussions on innovations in the energy transition and climate protection.
Speakers will include Frank Thelen (Founder & CEO at Freigeist Capital), Frank Salzgeber (Head of Innovation and Ventures Office at the European Space Agency), Zoe Adamovicz (Co-founder & CEO of Neufund), Renée Bruel (Senior Associate, Energy Systems at the European Climate Foundation) and Dr. Antje Danielson (Director of Education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Energy Initiative (MITEI)).
The award ceremony will take place on April 9th at the evening reception of the the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, a conference hosted by the German Federal Government together with the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE), the German Solar Association (BSW-Solar), the German Energy Agency (dena) and consultancy firm eclareon.
About the Start-Up Energy Transition initiative
The SET Award and the SET Tech Festival belong to the global SET initiative for pioneers in energy transition and the battle against climate change. Across the globe, more than 100 partners from politics, industry, science and non-government organisations are getting involved. The present round of the competition is being supported by partner countries Canada and Sweden, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, plus many other partners and sponsors.
Press contact:
Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena), Dr. Philipp Prein, Chausseestrasse 128 a, 10115 Berlin, Germany
Tel: +49 (0)30 66 777 641; fax: +49 (0)30 66 777 699; email: presse@dena.de; website: www.dena.de
