Start Up Energy Transition

Start Up Energy Transition (SET) is a global innovation platform supporting innovation in energy transition.

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.

1 platform, 3 pillars

SET Award

The annual international competition for start-ups and young companies innovating for the global energy transition. In the last nin years, the award has received more than 3,900 applications from more than 100 countries.

Learn more

SET Tech Festival

The annual one-day event bringing together innovators shaping the future of energy: the best start-ups in the field of energy solutions, innovation-driven corporates, investors, and public organisations leading the energy transition

Learn more

SET Newsroom

The SET team produces unique content (articles, videos and events) featuring news from the energy world, the successes and challenges of SET start-ups and other trending topics valuable to our network.

You want to share some good news? Feel free to contact us!

Learn more

SET Award

The annual international competition for start-ups and young companies innovating for the global energy transition. In the last nin years, the award has received more than 3,900 applications from more than 100 countries.
Learn more
SET Tech Festival

The annual one-day event bringing together innovators shaping the future of energy: the best start-ups in the field of energy solutions, innovation-driven corporates, investors, and public organisations leading the energy transition
Learn more
SET Newsroom

The SET team produces unique content (articles, videos and events) featuring news from the energy world, the successes and challenges of SET start-ups and other trending topics valuable to our network.

You want to share some good news? Feel free to contact us!
Learn more

The SET Award 2025 Categories

Clean energy & storage

The generation, storage and distribution of renewable energy is the backbone of the energy transition. In this category, we are looking for start-ups developing solutions to decarbonise our most energy-intensive sectors, as well as those accelerating the adoption of new solutions through capacity building.

Learn more

Mobility & transportation

So long as we have space, we will need to move about in it. Transportation and mobility continues to be one of the most essential but energy-intensive sectors we monitor. This category rewards creative solutions and lateral thinking in a sector that can span the large and the physical to the virtual and the digital.

Learn more

Industry

Industry accounts for a staggering one-third of global greenhouse emissions and is one of the most challenging sectors for decarbonisation. Nevertheless, innovation here represents one of the biggest, most important, and most profitable ways for companies to decarbonise. A new category for 2023, could your start-up be the new game-changer here?

Learn more

Buildings & construction

Our built environments consume lots of energy, whether through their construction, the materials used, or the significant chunk that is wasted in keeping them warm or cold. This category rewards those creating the comfortable, cost-effective, energy-efficient buildings of the future.

Learn more

Quality energy access & SDG-7

In this category, we reward start-ups who are looking to the future and working with and empowering the communities that are most impacted by climate change. We’re looking for innovations that will make energy services for all a reality.

Learn more

The SET Community Network

Every year, we select the 100 most innovative energy start-ups to join the SET100 list. By providing them with greater exposure, we hope to build a visible, public and international network that will help shape the world of tomorrow.

Skeleton Technologies

The SET Award 2018 winning start-up works to decrease fuel consumption and carbon emissions in heavy transportation by using their Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). In 2021, Skeleton Technologies has raised €29M in Series D.

Learn more

Enapter

The SET Award 2019 winning start-up designs and manufactures highly efficient electrolyzers for hydrogen production. In 2021, Enapter won the Earthshot Prize, initiated by HRH Prince William & the Royal Foundation, in the “Fix our Climate” category.

Learn more

Einride

Einride is a freight tech company specializing in electric and self-driving vehicles known as Einride pods (formerly T-pods). In 2021, the SET Award 2019 finalist started working with Oatly, becoming one of the world’s first companies to electrify a fleet of heavy trucks.

Learn more

Skeleton Technologies

The SET Award 2018 winning start-up works to decrease fuel consumption and carbon emissions in heavy transportation by using their Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). In 2021, Skeleton Technologies has raised €29M in Series D.
Learn more
Enapter

The SET Award 2019 winning start-up designs and manufactures highly efficient electrolyzers for hydrogen production. In 2021, Enapter won the Earthshot Prize, initiated by HRH Prince William & the Royal Foundation, in the “Fix our Climate” category.
Learn more
Einride

Einride is a freight tech company specializing in electric and self-driving vehicles known as Einride pods (formerly T-pods). In 2021, the SET Award 2019 finalist started working with Oatly, becoming one of the world’s first companies to electrify a fleet of heavy trucks.
Learn more

SET Tech Festival

Start-ups and innovation play a crucial role in our net zero future. That’s why we want to give tomorrow’s innovators a stage to ensure that decision-makers put energy innovation at the top of their agenda and that industry leaders see innovation as a clear path to achieving their decarbonisation goals. The SET Tech Festival brings this innovative power together with political and business leaders. The #SETTF25 took place in Berlin in spring 2025.

Learn more

Please accept marketing cookies to watch this video.

SET partners

Our reach is global! We are proud to have a supportive and growing international network of partners from various sectors around the world.

52
Ecosystem Partners

Thanks to the support of our partners, we are able to realise our global project and keep support the start-ups that are pushing the energy transition further.
11
Partners

Thanks to the financial support of our partners, we are able to run our activities and keep realising our mission of accelerating innovation in the energy transition to reverse climate change.
41
Outreach Partners

Coming from different sectors, our outreach partners continuously support our activities and start-ups by spreading the word within their networks making it possible to reach even more innovators and start-up facilitators around the globe.