Start-up Energy Transition Awards 2020 Success

We are thrilled to announce that a record-breaking 568 applications from start-ups in 90 countries around the globe were received for this year's SET Award 2020!  Application process was closed on the 15th January and applications are no longer accepted.

This year has seen a substantial increase in the number of start-up applications and the number of countries represented by applicants. This is a testament to the interest and urgency to address the imminent threat of climate change and the rise of start-ups focusing on innovation in energy transition as a direct response.

This year’s categories covered the entire clean energy spectrum representing applicants from all corners of the globe. The SET’20 award categories this year are:

• Renewable Energies & Materials
• Digital Energy Systems
• Energy Efficiency Solutions
• Smart Mobility
• Special Prize: Quality Access & SDG-7

For more insights on our growing network and the eco-system that will drive the future global energy transition, take a look at the stats that we have gathered below.

Aplications by region:

This year, almost 570 start-ups applied from 90 countries from all over the world. European start-ups were the most represented across all categories, making up 40% of the applications. African countries saw the largest rise in applicants with the continent making up to 20% of all applications. The country from which the most applications were received was Germany, representing 11.9% of all applications. Canada followed with 6.7%, followed by India with 6%. All in all, we are delighted to have received applications from more countries than ever before.

• Europe: 40%
• Africa: 20%
• Asia: 15%
• North America: 12%
• South America: 7%
• All other regions: 6%

Applications by category:

The SET20 category with the most applications was Renewable Energies & Materials with 32% of all applicants.

• Category 1: Renewable Energies & Materials – 32%
• Category 2: Digital Energy Systems – 20%
• Category 3: Energy Efficiency Solutions – 22%
• Category 4: Smart Mobility – 12%
• Category 5: Special Prize: Quality Access & SDG-7 – 14%

We are delighted with the scope and quality of the innovative proposals that we have received. This now leaves us in the difficult, yet exciting process of putting together the SET100 and finding our finalists for 2020 with our partners start-up rating agency, EarlyMetrics in addition to our high-level jury.  Meet our jury here.

Who will be pitching in front of the top stakeholders from the energy sector in Berlin on March 24th, 2020 at SET20 Tech Festival? And who will ultimately be awarded the top prize of their category? Stay tuned and get your tickets for the Tech Festival now.

Start Up Energy Transition (SET) is a global innovation platform supporting innovation in energy transition. Going into its fourth year,  SET is implemented with the conviction that a sustainable future is directly linked to innovative business models and political will. The SET platform is powered by the German Energy Agency (dena), in cooperation with the World Energy Council.

At the core, the SET platform is comprised of the SET Award, the SET Tech Festival and a growing global network. In addition, each year we publish a #SET100 list – a list of the top 100 most innovative, saavy and promising start-ups.

The Tech Festival gives you access to the best start-ups and outstanding entrepreneurs in the field of energy solutions, in addition to innovation-driven corporates, investors, and public organizations leading the energy transition. We are proud to bring policymakers together with investors and start-ups for the fourth year. See you on March 24th at the ewerk Berlin.