More than 400 international start-ups from 68 countries including Germany, India, the USA, Canada and sixteen in Africa submitted applications to the Start Up Energy Transition (SET) Award 2018. In comparison with the previous year, the number of entrants from North America has doubled.
The competition was created in 2016 by Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena) – the German Energy Agency, launched in cooperation with the World Energy Council. It is geared towards offering fledgling companies an international stage for their innovative business ideas on climate protection, and encouraging dialogue.

The finalists will present their business ideas to potential investors

An international jury will select eighteen finalists from six different categories, who will showcase their business models at the SET Tech Festival in Berlin on 16 April, in the presence of international investors and entrepreneurs from the energy industry. This year’s competition is sponsored by partner country Canada and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, plus many other partners and sponsors.

On 17 April, at the evening event of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2018, the winners will be awarded their prizes and will participate in the Start-Up Panel on the second day of the conference. In the two-day conference held by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Foreign Office over 2,000 representatives from the policy sector and commerce from over 90 countries will discuss how to accelerate energy transition across all sectors.

There will also be further international events related to the energy transition, in addition to the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue and its official side events. Events will include the SET Tech Festival and the blockchain summit ‘EventHorizon’. They all form part of the ‘Berlin Energy Week’, and will convene key players in the global energy transition.

About the initiative ‘Start Up Energy Transition’ (SET)

The SET Award 2018 belongs to the global SET initiative for pioneers in the battle against climate change. A quickly expanding network and the SET Tech Festival are part of this effort too. Across the globe, more than 100 partners from the policy sector, industry, science and non-governmental organisations are getting involved. Further information on the SET Award 2018, on the previous year’s winners and the SET initiative, together with all its sponsors and activities, can be found at www.startup-energy-transition.com.