Uniting the energy and blockchain sectors at Berlin Energy Week

Six winning start-ups were announced at The Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue’s (BETD) evening reception, which brought together all guests of the SET Tech Festival and EventHorizon and BETD. In the halls of this former power plant, 18 international start-ups were presented as finalists in six award categories at the electrifying ceremony of the Start Up Energy Transition (SET) Award.

The SET Tech Festival, Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue and EventHorizon, which all formed part of Berlin Energy Week, 16 – 19 April, convened leading players including 100 high-level speakers in the global energy transition,  with more than 3,000 participants from government, industry, the energy sector and tech scene spanning approximately 90 countries.

18 start-ups from 13 countries, including China, Kenya, Germany and Israel, presented their business models for climate protection to top investors and additional attendees in a week which kicked off with the SET Tech Festival and 2018 Start-up Energy Award. Start-ups and delegates watched the finalists’ presentations and established contact with potential customers, investors and energy leaders in the Berlin Kulturbrauerei. The awards were hosted by the Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena) – the German Energy Agency – in conjunction with the World Energy Council.

 

 

 

The winning finalists were: Ionomr Innovations (Canada) in the category Low-Carbon Energy Production; ForCity (France) in the category Intelligent Grids, Platforms & Cyber Security; Coolar (Germany) in the category Energy Efficiency, Smart Devices & Storage; Skeleton Technologies (Germany) in the category Innovative Mobility; SOLHO (Netherlands) in the category Energy, Water, and Food; Acacia Innovations (Kenya) in the special prize category SDG-7, UN-target Sustainable Energy for All.

 

 

 

Andreas Kuhlmann, Chief Executive of dena, praised the high quality of this year’s winners and participants: “The SET Award 2018 shows that energy transition and climate protection are attracting some of the best young entrepreneurs worldwide. I am, of course, especially proud of the winners. But the competition in general was truly amazing. Many participants showed a high level of innovation, ambition and expertise.”

Christoph Frei, Secretary General, World Energy Council, gave an opening keynote speech on the latest innovation issues impacting the energy sector during the festival: “The number one issue keeping innovators awake at night is blockchain Technology in addition to the Internet of things, while renewables are keeping energy leaders busy at work”.

 

EventHorizon - Global Summit on Blockchain Technology  
On 17 April, the Event Horizon joined forces and united the Who’s Who of both the traditional energy and innovative blockchain sectors, once again, in the Power Station Mitte.

The 3 days were filled with energetic keynotes, powerful Start-Up Pitches, educational Deep Dives Sessions and numerous unprecedented interactive experiences.

In addition to Dr Frei, high-profile speakers included Sebastian Copeland, Polar Explorer and Climate caretaker; Dr Herve Touati, President, Energy Web Foundation; and Dr Anna Trbovich, Co-Founder, Grid Singularity.

With the motto “Flip the switch & turn on the power of tomorrow, today!”, Event Horizon is the only annual event centered on energy blockchain solutions for a future based solely on renewable resources.

 

Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD)

The six winning start-ups from the SET Award also had a unique opportunity to have their own very own SET Winners Panel on 18 April at the BETD. Angela Wilkinson, Senior Director, Scenarios and Business Insights,World Energy Council commented: "I believe these winning start-ups are like stars in the night who are creating a constellation of disruption".

At a special ceremony also during BETD,  Dena and the organising committee of the Council’s 2019 World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to seal the deal on an exciting new partnership on innovation.

The Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue connects stakeholders from politics, business and civil society. This two-day conference turned Berlin into the hotspot of the global energy transformation towards renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Over the course of the whole week, guided tours, receptions and interactive workshops also took place in addition to official side events.

Click here for more information on the winning finalists.