SET – Start Up Energy Transition
Don’t SET the world on fire. SET the pace. SET the future.
1 platform & 3 pillars
Start Up Energy Transition (SET) is a global innovation platform supporting innovation in energy & climate tech for the global 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. We support the global energy & climate tech ecosystem with our three pillars: The SET Award, the SET Tech Festival & the SET Spotlights (SET100 & Newsroom):
SET Award
The annual international competition for start-ups and young companies innovating for the global energy transition. In the last 9 years, the award has received more than 4.000 applications from more than 100 countries within 5 categories.
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SET Tech Festival
Our annual one-day event bringing together innovators shaping the future of energy: the best start-ups in the field of energy & climate tech solutions, innovation-driven corporates, policy makers, investors, and public organisations leading the energy transition.
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SET Spotlights
Articles, videos, posts, insights, SET100 publications and events featuring news from the energy & climate tech world, the successes and challenges of SET start-ups and other trending topics valuable to the global energy transition.
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SET Award
The annual international competition for start-ups and young companies innovating for the global energy transition. In the last 9 years, the award has received more than 4.000 applications from more than 100 countries within 5 categories.
Discover more -
SET Tech Festival
Our annual one-day event bringing together innovators shaping the future of energy: the best start-ups in the field of energy & climate tech solutions, innovation-driven corporates, policy makers, investors, and public organisations leading the energy transition.
Discover more -
SET Spotlights
Articles, videos, posts, insights, SET100 publications and events featuring news from the energy & climate tech world, the successes and challenges of SET start-ups and other trending topics valuable to the global energy transition.
Discover more
The #SET100 List start-ups of 2025
Each year, we select 100 of the most innovative energy and climate tech start-ups to join our prestigious SET100 list.
From this group, 5 outstanding innovators are honored with the SET Award – one in each of our five transformative categories. By amplifying their visibility and connecting them to a global network of partners, experts, and investors, we empower these start-ups to scale their solutions and shape the future of sustainable energy.
The SET100 community network
We spotlight 100 of the world’s most promising energy and climate tech start-ups every year.
Driving innovation, scaling solutions, and accelerating the global energy transition.
Meet some of the leading innovators & success stories SET has championed on their path to scale and success.
SET partners
We know that solving the climate crisis requires collaboration across borders, industries, and sectors. That’s why partnerships are at the core of everything we do. From accelerating innovation to scaling impact, our partners help turn bold ideas into global solutions.
Our reach is global! We are proud to have a supportive and growing international network of partners from various sectors around the world with whom we are empowering the energy transition together.
Always up to date
Stay connected with SET through our social feeds.
For daily updates on the latest innovations, events, and industry insights, follow us across our social channels.
SET Newsroom
Dive deeper into the latest trends, innovations, and insights shaping the future of energy and climate tech.
Urban Mining Takes Center Stage: Inside SET Award 2025’s Building & Construction Innovations
The Buildings & Construction category is full of new ideas that are making our built environment greener and smarter. This group makes up about 15% […]
From Waste to Value: How SET Award 2025’s Industry Category Champions Material Transformation
Heavy industries like manufacturing and mining have always been seen as ones that are hard to reduce carbon emissions in. But the SET Award 2025 […]
Heat, Hydrogen, and AI: Inside SET Award 2025’s Clean Energy & Storage Innovation Ecosystem
Clean Energy & Storage remains the powerhouse category of SET Award 2025, comprising 40% of this year’s innovative energy transition start-ups. Driven by growing demand […]