The journey began at 7.30 a.m. in Berlin on Wednesday: The start-up bus of the Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena) – the German Energy Agency – left for E-world in Essen, the leading European trade fair for the energy industry, with young entrepreneurs on board. They’re bringing their promising business ideas for the energy transition and lots of things to talk about with companies who will also be attending E-world. The Head of the Berlin Senate Chancellery, Björn Böhning, waved them off at Berlin’s Rotes Rathaus.
dena chose the entrepreneurs with the best ideas for the road trip from many applications. At E-world, a special start-up programme awaits the group and – with a little luck – opportunities to cooperate with investors and the industry. The participants can present their business model and discuss solutions for the energy transition at the trade fair. dena and the campaign’s partners and sponsors help them with this.
For an energy transition made in Berlin
Björn Böhning: "Berlin is one of the leading start-up hubs and an ideal laboratory for digital business models in Europe. There is a lot of creative potential, dynamism and innovative ideas in this industry. We want to tap into that. That is why we are helping start-ups promote their ideas for the energy transition and find investors. We want to ensure that Berlin continues to be the start-up capital of Europe!"
Andreas Kuhlmann, Chief Executive of dena commented: "Digital change is a major challenge for the energy industry – however it also offers an ideal breeding ground for innovative business models. With the dena start-up bus, we want to bring the classic energy industry together with young entrepreneurs – both sides benefit from sharing experience."
Start-ups on board
The start-ups’ business ideas range from an energy saving app for individual households to a comprehensive system solution for entire regions. For example, a small-scale wind turbine on the roof of your house produces electricity for self-consumption, heating or grid feed-in. The bike box will make cycling and commuting more attractive. It offers safe storage for standard and electric bikes in Berlin. And street lights are turning into a wireless broad band infrastructure for light, transport, real-time marketing, safety and logistics. The business models have one thing in common: They all want to contribute to the success of the energy transition.
For a list of the start-ups on board, see www.dena-startup-bus.de/startups.
About the dena start-up bus
The event has the support of ":agile accelerator", an E-ON innovation incentive programme, energy service provider GASAG, the KIC InnoEnergy innovation network, electricity and heat producer Vattenfall, environmental service provider Veolia and the operating company of the science and technology park Berlin-Adlershof, WISTA MANAGEMENT. Fördergesellschaft Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie (Berlin Development Company for Business and Technology) is providing the tour bus for the trip.
Other partners include the Network and Central Interest Group of the Renewable Energy Industry in Brandenburg and the Capital Region Berlin-Brandenburg Energy Network (BEN), Innovation Initiative Climate-KIC, E-world, the German Technology Entrepreneurship Center (GTEC) and the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK).
For further information on the participants and the partners and sponsors of the start-up bus tour, visit www.dena-startup-bus.de and #denastartups.
dena has its own stand at E-world: in the Smart Energy area, focusing on Energy Transition in Hall 7, Stand 415.
