dena – the German Energy Agency announces the winners of the SET Award 2026
The German Energy Agency’s Start-up Energy Transition (SET) initiative has announced the winners of the SET Award 2026. From over 470 applications, an international jury selected five start-ups with promising business models.
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© HoffotografenSebastian BoieSenior Expert, Communications T: +49 30 66 777 - 168 sebastian.boie(at)dena.de
Berlin, 18 March 2026. Last night, dena presented the SET Award to pioneering start-ups in five categories: ‘Clean Energy & Storage’, ‘Mobility & Transportation’, ‘Industry’, ‘Buildings & Construction’ and ‘Quality Energy Access & SDG-7’. The awards ceremony was attended not only by international start-ups but also by investors and prominent guests from the worlds of business and politics, including Patricia Espinosa Cantellano (CEO and founder of onepoint5, former Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC), Ann Mettler (Board Member of the European Innovation Council) and Dr Severin Fischer (State Secretary at the Berlin Senate Department for Economics and Energy).
The SET Award ceremony has been a highlight of the SET Tech Festival in Berlin for the past ten years. As a result, the festival and the award celebrated their 10th anniversary together yesterday. Over this period, around 4,500 energy innovations from over 100 countries have been submitted as award entries.
Corinna Enders, Chair of the dena Executive Board, commented: “The SET Award is a key driver for a sustainable energy future. This year alone, we received 470 applications from 79 countries. Many of these companies have long since moved beyond the pilot phase with their business models. By recognising and supporting them, we are sending a strong signal for the transition. This award not only encourages the winners, but also inspires many others to develop and drive forward innovative solutions.”
The winners of the SET Awards 2026
The winners were announced live from the Colosseum in Berlin. The award comes with a cash prize of 10,000 euros each. This year’s winners are:
Categorie: Clean Energy & Storage
Flower, Sweden, www.flower.se
Flower is securing the future stability of the grid: the start-up uses artificial intelligence to intelligently control and manage renewable energy sources, wind farms and battery storage systems. Through this AI-driven optimisation, Flower makes green electricity precisely predictable and lays the foundations for a reliable, fossil-free energy supply.
Categorie: Mobility & Transportation
Finmile, United Kingdom, www.finmile.co
Efficiency in the last mile: Finmile offers an AI-based logistics platform that reduces fleet emissions and energy consumption by up to 40 per cent through intelligent route and parcel optimisation. The solution supports courier services in their transition to green mobility and demonstrates that fast deliveries and climate protection can go hand in hand.
Categorie: Industry
Cyclic Materials, Canada, www.cyclicmaterials.earth
Circular economy for high-tech metals: Cyclic Materials enables the industrial recovery of rare earth elements from end-of-life products. The company supplies sectors such as the electric vehicle and defence industries with critical raw materials that rival mined products in terms of quality and price, thereby ensuring sustainable supply chains for modern technologies.
Categorie: Buildings & Construction
Mykor, United Kingdom, www.mykor.co.uk
Biotechnology for the construction industry: Mykor develops high-performance building materials with a minimal carbon footprint. By utilising innovative fungal biotechnology, the start-up offers insulation solutions that not only drastically improve the energy efficiency of buildings but also provide an environmentally friendly response to the growing demand for sustainable building materials.
Categorie: Quality Energy Access & SDG-7
BioMassters, Rwanda, www.biomassters.co
Clean energy for everyday life: BioMassters produces high-quality pellets from biomass waste and distributes highly efficient gasification stoves in Rwanda. In doing so, the start-up is replacing traditional, unhealthy cooking methods with an affordable, clean energy source, thereby sustainably reducing the carbon footprint of private households.
About Start Up Energy Transition (SET)
SET is a global innovation platform founded in 2016 by dena – the German Energy Agency – with the support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). The initiative identifies leading start-ups in the fields of the energy transition and climate tech and connects them with companies, policymakers, investors and other start-ups. The SET Award is an annual international competition for innovative start-ups.
More information: www.startup-energy-transition.com