SET Award 2024

Applications for the SET Award 2024 are closed!

Thank you to all start-ups for your applications. We are now starting the evaluation phase with our jury.

 

Jaza team on stage at the SET Award Ceremony 2022 while receiving the SET Award Prize in the category Clean Energy Access & SDG7

Win public recognition and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities

The Start Up Energy Transition Award (SET) is an international competition for start-ups worldwide who are working on ideas affecting the global energy transition and climate change. In the last seven years, the award has received more than 3,100 applications from over 100 countries.

Let this be a testament to the rise of innovation for the energy transition worldwide!

Award categories 2024

Clean Energy & Storage

Generating, storing and distributing renewable energy is central to the energy transition. This category focusses on start-ups decarbonising our most energy-intensive sectors and accelerating the adoption of new solutions.

Mobility & Transportation

Transportation and mobility continue to be one of the most essential but energy-intensive sectors. This category rewards creative solutions that span the large and the physical to the virtual and the digital.

Industry

Industry emits 33% of GHG emissions and uses 38% of global energy. Innovation here is one of the most important ways to decarbonise. Could your start-up be the game-changer?

Buildings & Construction

The built environment accounts for 30% of global energy usage through construction, materials or just through temperature management. This category  rewards those creating comfortable, cost-effective, energy-efficient buildings of the future.

Quality Energy Access & SDG-7

This category rewards start-ups working with and empowering the communities that are most impacted by climate change. Innovations focused on positive social impact will score big here.

Clean Energy Generation Icon Orange
Smart mobility & transportation icon in orange
Industry categoryIndustry category orange
Buildings & Construction category
Quality energy access & SDG-7 icon in orange

Timeline 2024

9 October, 2023 – 29 November, 2023

SET24 application round running

The eighth round of the SET Award is launched and will run until the 29 November 2023. After this date, no application will be accepted. Apply now!

The eighth round of the SET Award is launched and will run until the 29 November 2023. After this date, no application will be accepted. Apply now!

Evaluations begin following the 29 November, 2023

Start-ups rating

Our evaluation partner rates the applications and determine the qualified applications that will be sent to the judges for final review. After that, the jury reviews the applications to select the best 100 start-ups for the SET100 list 2024.

Our evaluation partner rates the applications and determine the qualified applications that will be sent to the judges for final review. After that, the jury reviews the applications to select the best 100 start-ups for the SET100 list 2024.

February 2024

SET100 & finalists revealed

The SET100 list with the best 100 energy start-ups of 2024 is released and the three finalists of each category are announced.

The SET100 list with the best 100 energy start-ups of 2024 is released and the three finalists of each category are announced.

19 March, 2024

Winners announcement

The finalists come to Berlin and meet the jury at the jury meeting to present their innovation. On the day after, the pitch their solution at the SET Tech Festival and Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue in March 2024. In the evening, the winners of each category are announced at the SET Award Ceremony 2024.

The finalists come to Berlin and meet the jury at the jury meeting to present their innovation. On the day after, the pitch their solution at the SET Tech Festival and Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue in March 2024. In the evening, the winners of each category are announced at the SET Award Ceremony 2024.

Prizes

Winner of category

  • €10 000 Prize money per winner

  • Profile of start-up celebrated across the World Energy Council’s global energy network in 99 countries

  • Opportunity to attend the World Energy Leaders’ Summit

  • Extra visibility and PR

  • Speaking slot at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2024

Finalists

  • Round trip flights to and from Berlin, and accommodation for 2 representatives of the start-up to attend the SET Tech Festival and Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue

  • Connect with a C-level jury

  • Booth at the SET Tech Festival

  • Live pitches at the SET Tech Festival

  • Feature in the “Energy Frontrunners” series

  • Access to exclusive partner events globally

SET100

  • Feature in our annual SET100 list publication, which is circulated to investors, corporates, and political stakeholders across the globe

  • Free tickets to the SET Tech Festival 2024

  • Free tickets to the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) 2024

  • Content creation: interviews & articles

  • Access to exclusive partner events globally

All participants

  • Inform and influence policies that will boost innovation

  • Have your voice heard and participate in the World Energy Survey

  • Winner of category

    • €10 000 Prize money per winner

    • Profile of start-up celebrated across the World Energy Council’s global energy network in 99 countries

    • Opportunity to attend the World Energy Leaders’ Summit

    • Extra visibility and PR

    • Speaking slot at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2024

  • Finalists

    • Round trip flights to and from Berlin, and accommodation for 2 representatives of the start-up to attend the SET Tech Festival and Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue

    • Connect with a C-level jury

    • Booth at the SET Tech Festival

    • Live pitches at the SET Tech Festival

    • Feature in the “Energy Frontrunners” series

    • Access to exclusive partner events globally

  • SET100

    • Feature in our annual SET100 list publication, which is circulated to investors, corporates, and political stakeholders across the globe

    • Free tickets to the SET Tech Festival 2024

    • Free tickets to the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) 2024

    • Content creation: interviews & articles

    • Access to exclusive partner events globally

  • All participants

    • Inform and influence policies that will boost innovation

    • Have your voice heard and participate in the World Energy Survey

Interested?

Learn about the criteria!

We welcome all energy and mobility start-ups falling under our criteria. Please note, applicants may only apply to one category and all subsequent applications to other categories will be disqualified. Previous applicants from other years are welcome to apply again!

  1. 1

    Founding year: The start-up must not have been founded longer than ten years ago. In other words, the date of foundation cannot exceed 2013

  2. 2

    Application language: As SET is a global competition with an international jury, the application, including any attached documents, must be in English

  3. 3

    Company registration: The start-up applying must be registered, or be in the process of becoming registered

  4. 4

    Technology readiness level: The start-up must be able to present a functioning prototype and a proof of concept or a client, and/or an industrial/corporate/institutional partner

  5. 5

    Completed form: The applicant must fill out the entire form. Partially completed applications will not be accepted

Terms & conditions

Download the official conditions and legal terms for taking part in the competition.

Terms & conditions (PDF)

‘’The SET Award gave us a significant boost of visibility and credibility. It was an exciting journey for us!’’

Enerbrain, SET Award 2020 Winner

A jury of global energy leaders

Start Up Energy Transition has set up an interdisciplinary and international jury of world-class experts in energy business, finance, and technology to select the best start-ups in each category.

Corinna Enders, dena

Corinna Enders

CEO, German Energy Agency (dena)

Corinna Enders has been Chairwoman of dena’s Management Board since October 2023. In this role, she is responsible for dena’s operational and strategic development as well as its content. Her work focuses on supporting the German government and all stakeholders involved in the transformation to climate neutrality.

Corinna studied law in Germany and Italy and is an expert in environmental and climate policy, working briefly as a lawyer before spending many years as a government civil servant. Before joining dena, Corinna established and expanded Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH, a non-profit, in Berlin as Managing Director.

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Angela Wilkinson

Dr. Angela Wilkinson

Secretary General and CEO, World Energy Council

Angela is one of the world’s leading global energy futures experts, an experienced energy executive, a distinguished Oxford scholar and a published author. She has 30 years of experience in leading national, international and global multi-stakeholder transformation initiatives on a wide range of economic, energy, climate and sustainable development related challenges. Angela has worked as a senior executive in the public-, private-, academic- and civic sectors. She joined the World Energy Council in 2017 to create a practical energy transition leaders toolkit and direct a new strategic insights programme. Prior to that Angela led an upgrade in strategic foresight at the OECD, based in Paris. Prior corporate experience includes decades in Royal Dutch Shell and British Gas plc. Angela is an Associate Fellow, Said Business School, Oxford and a Strategic Foresight Fellow of the GOA, USA. She sits on two international advisory boards (HSE, Russia; ECI, Oxford) and is a Fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Science. She has published four books and numerous articles. Angela has a PhD in Physics.

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Jane Wu, Venture Cup

Jane Wu

Managing Director, Venture Cup

Jane is the Managing Director for Venture Cup China which is an international Innovation and Entrepreneurship Service Platform based in Shanghai. It specializes in global competition, talents attraction and STI transformation primarily in Green & Sustainable Technology. The current operating projects include University Startup World Cup and Nordic Innovation Centre (Shanghai).  She is also the Executive Secretary General for World Young Scientist Summit as an academic event held once a year for the world young talents. The summit is jointly sponsored by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province. It highlights the importance of integrating science with industries, venture capitals, arts and other societal endeavors as well as encourages multidisciplinary innovation among young scientist.

Before returning to her hometown, she has over ten years international management experiences in USA, Europe and Hong Kong.

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Dr. Christoph Wolff

Dr. Christoph Wolff

CEO, Smart Freight Centre, Amsterdam and Honorary Professor Economics & Social Sciences, University of Cologne

Christoph Wolff is Chief Executive Officer of Smart Freight Centre, an international non-profit organization focused on reducing greenhouse gas emission from freight transportation.

Until the end of 2021, Christoph was a Member of the Executive Committee for the World Economic Forum, heading the Global Mobility platform that includes the Forum´s initiatives around sustainability and digitization in the supply chain, automotive, aviation and aerospace industry. Before, he was Managing Director of the European Climate Foundation 2014-18, following 16 years at McKinsey as a Senior Partner heading the global travel, logistics and infrastructure practice.  

 As Board member of DB Schenker, Christoph was responsible for the international growth and operations of the company’s rail division. He has been the CEO of companies in the renewable energy sector. A chemical engineer by training from Universities of Aachen and Zurich, Christoph is on the Board of several energy start-ups and Honorary Professor in Energy and Resource Economics at the University of Cologne and Visiting Professor at the HSG St. Gallen, teaching in Mobility and Sustainability. 

 

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Molly Webb

Molly Webb

Founder, Energy Unlocked

Molly set up the non-profit Energy Unlocked in 2015 to accelerate energy system transitions through policy, programme design and innovator support. She’s worked directly with innovators and local authorities on net zero strategies, as well as supporting the Coalition for Urban Transitions, International Energy Agency and UK government. Molly has an MSc in Environmental Policy from the London School of Economics. 

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Robina von Stein, Contrarian Ventures

Robina von Stein

Investor, Contrarian Ventures

Robina is an Investor at Contrarian Ventures, the pan-European climate tech venture firm focusing on early-stage companies that work on innovations to decarbonize the energy sector, transportation industry, heavy industry, and urban space. Next to these industries, Contrarian looks at Carbon & Climate as markets separately. Robina has joined the team recently and manages the DACH market after founding and building the first circular economy software start-up in Germany for the last five years.

Robina holds an MSc in Politics, Economics, and Philosophy from the University of Zurich and ETH and recently joined the advisory board at dena.

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Small image of Freerk Bisschop, Venture Partner at Inven Capital

Freerk Bisschop

Venture Partner, Inven Capital

Freerk Bisschop is a seasoned investor and advisor in energy transition innovation. He has a long background in the energy industry, as a scientist, strategist, consultant, manager, entrepreneur, executive, non-executive, investor and advisor. Currently he acts as Venture Partner to Inven Capital and as an independent advisor to startups, scale-ups and investors.

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Andrea Canepa

Andrea Canepa

Co-founder and Managing Director, Net Zero Insights

Passionate about leveraging tech for a sustainable future, I drive the vision at Net Zero Insights. As Co-founder and Managing Director, I oversee product and business development activities, delivering crucial data and insights in the climate tech venture market to our clients. With a strong background in quantitative finance and programming, prior to founding Net Zero Insights, I spent a few years working as a quantitative risk analyst at Morgan Stanley.

 

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Dr. Antje Danielson

Dr. Antje Danielson

Research Director, MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI)

Antje Danielson joined MIT in April 2016 after 8 years at Tufts University where she directed the Institute of the Environment and was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health. She was elected President of the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors in 2012, and holds a number of board positions. Antje received awards from Harvard University and an Exceptional Contribution Award from Durham University. In 1999/2000 she co-founded the car-sharing company Zipcar.

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Stephan Franz, GIZ

Stephan Franz

Leader for the “Bilateral Climate and Energy Partnerships” Programme of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Stephan is team leader for the “Bilateral Climate and Energy Partnerships” program of GIZ. He holds degrees in Political Science and Economics (M.A.) and Energy Management (MBA). Stephan is working in the field of renewable energies and smart energy systems since 2007, with previous positions at the market researcher EuPD Research, the renown German Energy Agency dena, the photovoltaic module producer Q.CELLS, and GIZ Chile. Between 2014-2021 Stephan was founder and partner of BÜRO_F – a Berlin-based consulting firm for future energy markets.

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Bracha Halaf

Dr. Bracha Halaf

Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Gravity Climate-Fund

Dr. Bracha Halaf is the Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Gravity Climate, an early stage VC operating from Israel. Bracha the Chief Scientist of the Israeli Ministry of Energy and has an extensive technological and regulatory experience. Dr. Halaf holds Ph.D in Biophysics from the Weizmann Institute of Science, and M.Sc. & B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering.

Photo credit: Samantha Kretzmar

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Iris Jensen, senior associate, Senior Associate at BayWa r.e.

Iris Jensen

Senior Associate at BayWa r.e.

Iris has worked for innovation and business development in the energy and environment sectors across Europe, focusing on a wide range of topics from grid optimisation and e-Mobility to environmental management systems and lifecycle assessment. Iris holds a M.Sc. double degree in energy engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

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Felix Krause

Felix Krause

Partner, Vireo Ventures GmbH

With over 15 years of experience in the energy, mobility, and sustainability sectors, I am passionate about supporting innovative start-ups that drive electrification and decarbonization. As a Partner at Vireo Ventures, an early-stage VC firm, I leverage my expertise in business development, strategy, and marketing to identify, evaluate, and mentor highly scalable ventures that align with our mission and vision. I am also a certified business trainer, with a proven track record of delivering impactful training and coaching programs to entrepreneurs, executives, and teams.

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Andreas Kuhlmann

CTO/COO, Christ&Company

Andreas Kuhlmann was dena’s Chief Executive from July 2015 – June 2023. Among others, the graduate physicist has held positions at the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), the German Embassy in Stockholm and the European Parliament, the German Parliament and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. He worked as a consultant and office manager at various political organisations and establishments, including the Environmental Committee of the European Parliament. As CTO/COO he is now in charge of operations and all issues around Energy, climate change and CleanTech at Christ&Company.

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Claudius Laskawy

Claudius Laskawy

Portfolio Development & Partnerships, DTCP

Claudius is an experienced Innovation and Business Development Manager currently working in the Portfolio Development and Partnerships team at DTCP. Previously, Claudius spent about two years at Silicon Valley based innovation platform and venture capitalist Plug and Play Tech Center. In his roles, he frequently engages closely with executives, innovation teams and startups defining their innovation and digital transformation strategies. Following an apprenticeship as a ship broker, Claudius gained international experience in India, Indonesia, the United States, and also worked for Infront Consulting & Management where he contributed to two editions of a study covering about 60 Corporate Digital Innovation Units aimed at understanding best practices in German DAX, large and mid sized corporations in collaboration with German CAPITAL magazine. From my studies, Claudius holds a MSc. in Business Information Management from Rotterdam School of Management.

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Christine Lins, GWNET

Christine Lins

Executive Director, Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET)

Christine Lins works as Executive Director of GWNET, the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition, which aims at empowering women in the sustainable energy sector. GWNET has over 4,000 members from over 150 countries. Furthermore, she is Member of the Board of Directors of ISES, the International Solar Energy Society.

 

Christine has dedicated her career during the last 25 years to advance the sustainable energy transition with renewable energy and energy efficiency, first in her native Austria before then at European and, finally, a global level.

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Morielle I. Lotan 

Morielle I. Lotan 

Founder and CEO, MILE Advisory

Morielle I. Lotan brings nearly 15 years of experience as a highly skilled executive leader in Strategy,Research, Business Development and Project-Management. As the founder of MILE Advisory, which focuses on energy, climate and technology, Morielle excels at identifying and thinking through key value proposition and customer centric processes, identifying critical growth barriers, strategically positioning organizations, and constantly driving for optimal success.  

 

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Raamu Moneyam

Raamu Moneyam

Investment Manager, BayWa r.e. Energy Ventures

Raamu is an Investment Manager at BayWa r.e. Energy Ventures. He has 15 years of energy and marine industry experience and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Agile Professional (PMI-ACP). Building upon his degree in Mechanical Engineering, Raamu also received an MBA from Imperial College London in the U.K. Studying, working and living in various places around the world has enriched his perspective on global challenges and their innovative solutions.

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Solmaz Moshiri

Solmaz Moshiri

Head of Commercial for Digital Services, SSE Distributed Energy

Solmaz Moshiri is head of commercial for digital services at SSE Distributed Energy Solutions. She has been working in the UK low carbon electricity sector for over 10 years, in the areas of innovation, technology development & commercialization, and venture capital within utilities and start-ups.

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Rolf Nagel

Rolf Nagel

Partner, Munich Venture Partners

PhD in Business Economics.  Entrepreneur at a very young age, in VC since 1993. Exited Ciena. Board Member of the EIT Governing Board of the EU Commission. Door opener, turning ideas into market success. A dedicated skier. Plays French horn.

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Justice Ohene-Akoto

Justice Ohene-Akoto

Board Member- FEL, World Energy Council & Senior Advisor, JP Partners & Associates

Ing. Justice Ohene-Akoto is a multiple award-winning Ghanaian Professional Engineer and Researcher. He
is Senior Advisor at JP Partners & Associates and a Board Member, Future Energy Leaders at the World
Energy Council. He is a Research Fellow at Penn Sustainability, University of Pennsylvania. He was the
Ariel Foundation International (AFI) representative at the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).

He is currently pursuing MSE in Electrical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a
Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of South Wales, UK. He has a Master of
Philosophy in Power Systems Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
(KNUST) in view. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from the
KNUST. He is a certified Project Manager by the Project Management Institute (PMI)

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Julia Padberg

Julia Padberg

Partner, SET Ventures

Julia Padberg is Partner at SET Ventures, Europe’s leading energy VC that is currently investing from its 4th fund (€200m). SET aims to create a carbon-free energy system by endorsing pioneering founders with the capital, community, and insights to deliver financial and impact returns. Julia joined SET 8 years ago after 6 years being a corporate finance advisor in the energy & climate tech sectors. She is a director on the supervisory boards of FlexiDAO, Trunkrs and Sensorfact.

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Aneri Pradham

Aneri Pradhan

Chief Operating Officer, New Energy Nexus

Aneri is an award-winning climate & clean energy ecosystem builder. She founded and built the largest energy access accelerator in Africa called ENVenture that was acquired by New Energy Nexus, and now serves as Nexus’s Chief Operating Officer. She also serves as Board Director for Rural Spark, a Dutch off-grid solar company, and as a Venture Partner for Prithvi Ventures, Alumni Ventures, and Republic.

Aneri has been recognized as Renewable Energy World’s Top 40 under 40 in solar, 2021 Ashden Awards winner for Energy Access Innovation, Nasdaq Milestone Maker, an American Express Emerging Innovator, Cordes Fellow, and member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council. She has a Masters in Environment & Development from the London School of Economics and a Bachelors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Kendra Rauschenberger

Kendra Rauschenberger

General Partner, Siemens Energy Ventures

Kendra Rauschenberger is General Partner at Siemens Energy Ventures, the venture arm of Siemens Energy, focused on building, piloting with and investing in start-ups that will transform the energy systems. 

Kendra has worked for Siemens companies for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in the areas of corporate venturing, sales, business development and strategic projects across innovation and renewable energy. Her previous role was in Additive Manufacturing, one of Siemens’ key innovative technologies, where she was Head of Business Development, Sales and Marketing and responsible for developing new business for this exciting technology with global customers across multiple industries. Prior to this she worked in the UK and Denmark for the company now known as Siemens Gamesa in various management roles including Head of Sales, Bids and Strategic projects. 

Kendra holds an MBA in New Venture Creation from the University of Louisville and is located in Erlangen, Germany. 

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Sarah Röhm

Strategic Venture Capital Manager, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners

DTCP is an investment management group with $1.7 billion in assets under management from corporate and institutional investors and provides venture capital and private equity to the technology, media, and telecommunication sectors. It operates and invests in Europe, North America, and Asia with offices in Hamburg, San Francisco, Tel Aviv, and Seoul.

Previously Sarah Röhm worked at the European early-stage VC Capnamic Ventures; in Tech Consulting focusing on digital transformation projects across Europe as well as in the Renewable Energy Industry during her time living in Shanghai. Sarah holds a M.Sc. in Strategy & Digital Business from ESCP Business School.

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Tina Schirr

Tina Schirr

Executive Director, BusinessNZ Energy Council

Tina Schirr is the Executive Director of the BusinessNZ Energy Council (the New Zealand representative of the World Energy Council). In her role she is shaping policy on matters relating to climate change, energy, transport, and innovation. She is a member of the Transpower Consumer Advisory Panel to help communities better understand energy. Tina a board member of the Young Energy Professional Network (YEPN) and part of the World Energy Council’s expert groups (for example on clean fuels and energy trilemma). She recently joint the start-up competition jury ‘Get in the Ring’. Due to her passion for entrepreneurism, she is always looking out for the next game-changer in the energy sector.

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Rona Shedid

Rona Shedid

Senior Specialist Partnerships, COP28 UAE

Rona is a Wharton MBA alum with a passion for solving complex strategic problems to empower others and drive sustainable growth. She is currently the lead for the delivery of the technology workstream of the Presidency action agenda for COP28 with the goal of achieving a step-change in development and deployment of climate tech solutions. This goal was achieve through multiple initiatives under the three pillars of ecosystem building, delivering a technology and innovation oriented COP and capacity building. 

Her areas of expertise include sustainability, climate technology, strategy, transformation, operations, business development, project management, corporate finance, organizational development, and financial services. 

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Luis Sperr

Luis Sperr

Managing Partner, kopa ventures

Luis is managing partner at kopa ventures, a Germany- and UK-based early-stage VC with a focus on the most promising European climate tech startups in the fields of Energy, Mobility and Nature & Carbon Tech.

Luis has more than 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur, manager and investor in mobility and energy with a broad network to entrepreneurs, start-ups, corporates, investors, and the public sector. In addition to his consulting experience, he co-founded a company in the AI sector. At EIT InnoEnergy, Luis was part of the early-stage DACH investment team and also restructured and further developed the global mobility portfolio.

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Patricia Tatto

Patricia Tatto

Vicepresident ATA Renewables América (ATA)

As President of Women in Renewable Energy Mexico AC, (MERM) she co-founded MERL, the Latin American Network of Women in Energy that seeks the inclusion of more women in the energy sector, empowering and promoting initiatives with triple impact in the field of renewable energies in LATAM. 

She is part of the boards of directors; Mexican Solar Association (ASOLMEX), Path to 100# by Wartzila, Latin American Council of Renewable Energy LACOORE, member of the MX Alliance and the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.  

She has been named 100 Powerful Women in Mexico by Forbes, 200 Important Women in Mexico by Executive World, 10 Women in Energy 2021, among other publications where she writes opinion articles, and actively participates in international conferences and forums as a speaker. 

She is a delegate for Mexico in the official women’s group W20 G20 working group that forms a transnational network of women’s organizations, associations. 

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Marie-Line Vaiani

Marie-Line Vaiani

Secretary General, French Committee of the World Energy Council

Marie-Line Vaiani is since January 2023 Secretary General of the Conseil Français de l’Energie, the French committee of the World Energy Council (WEC).

In France, she has overseen multi-use water management of EDF’s hydroelectric dams, has developed new dispatching systems for the Electricity Transmission Network, as well as worked on local economic development and management for the “Une rivière, un territoire” programme’s investment fund.

Internationally, she has steered development and diversification strategies, from the regulation and design of energy markets to the development of national industry standards for renewable energies, hydrogen and batteries.

She is an ENSTA Paris-certified engineer, specialising in mathematical engineering, and holds a degree in corporate finance and capital markets from Sciences Po Paris as well as an executive MBA from HEC Paris. She is Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.

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Danijel Visevic from Ecosia

Danijel Višević

Founder & General Partner, World Fund

Danijel Višević is a General Partner at World Fund. He is a recognised climate tech thought leader, policy professional and journalist by vocation. Before co-founding World Fund, he was Director of Communications at Project A Ventures, co-founder of Zetra Project and Krautreporter. Danijel was also co-responsible for the audio-visual appearance of Angela Merkel for nearly half a decade.

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David Addison

David Addison

Climate and Net Zero Innovation Manager, Virgin Group

David Addison works at Virgin on a range of climate, environment, purpose, and sustainability efforts. For more than 12 years he has been working with and learning from others across academia, business, civil society, governments, and non-profits on scalable, sustainable carbon removal.

He also serves as an advisor to ClimateScience.org, Nori Inc., and a number of other initiatives. Previously David was also an advisor to initiatives including Carbon180, and the New York Times best-selling book: Drawdown. He also formerly served as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Student Energy: a global youth-led organisation empowering the next generation of leaders who are accelerating the transition to a sustainable, equitable energy future.

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David Arinze

David Arinze

Off-Grid Energy Portfolio lead, Diamond Development Initiatives (DDI)

David Arinze is an Electrical Engineer, Innovator, and Energy policy expert with over a decade of experience working in the renewable energy sector in Nigeria and Internationally.  He currently serves as the Off-Grid Energy Portfolio lead at Diamond Development Initiatives (DDI), where he manages the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) funded Off-Grid Energy Program. 

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Max ter Horst

Max ter Horst

Rockstart – Managing Partner Energy Fund

Max is Managing Partner of Rockstart’s Energy Fund, which is one of the most active investors in the European energy space. He has over 20 years of experience in energy as management consultant with McKinsey, as wind project manager at a large utility, as strategy/BD lead at a wind turbine OEM and as founder/CEO of a renewable energy startup. Max won several personal and startup awards and holds an MSc in Chemical Engineering (cum laude) and an MBA from INSEAD.

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Lars Eiermann

Chief Sustainability Officer TUM Venture Labs

Lars Eiermann is a tech-savvy entrepreneur with a profound background in R&D and logistics, particularly in the automotive industry. His expertise lies in advancing sustainable business models within the sustainability and circular economy sectors. With nearly two decades of executive experience in strategic product development and organizational change, Lars has successfully led initiatives for decarbonization, compliance, and cybersecurity. He is strongly adept at mentoring startups, focusing on their growth and sustainable practices, making him a valuable asset to any forward-thinking venture in the realm of sustainability and technology.

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Aziz S. Rahim

Principal, Siemens Energy Ventures

Aziz is a principal at the Siemens Energy Ventures, the venturing arm of Siemens Energy, focused on building, piloting, and investing in start-ups that will transform the energy systems. His investment focus is on global climate tech startups in Clean Energy, Carbon Tech, H2 Economy, and Long-duration-energy-storage that play in the intersection between hardware and software that can significantly contribute to a net-zero economy. Aziz has more than 10 years of experience as a strategist, leader, entrepreneur, and investor with an extensive network across automotive and energy from investors to corporates, to entrepreneurs and thought leaders.

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Samuel Gerlach

Samuel Gerlach

Senior Innovation & Venture Development Manager E.ON Strategy, Sustainability and Innovation

Samuel is a senior innovation & venture development manager in the Startup Partnerships team at E.ON Innovation. In his current role, he explores and develops pioneering solutions and partnerships for the future of energy. With open innovation programs like Free Electrons or the E.ON Grid Startup Challenge, he initiates and develops a diverse portfolio of innovation projects and successfully scaled several large scale partnerships. Before joining E.ON, he worked in different internet startups and in venture capital. Samuel holds a M.Sc in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and currently lives in Regensburg.

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Monique Motty

Monique Motty

Project manager, African Development Bank

Monique currently works on piloting African private sector activities seeking to tap into new sources of climate finance. In a 15-year career, Monique has worked worldwide on projects involving climate technologies, clean energy transition, and green finance. She co-authored peer-reviewed articles and reports on climate finance in the context of energy transition, bioenergy development, and adaptation finance. An MPA graduate and distinguished Edward Mason and Louis & Gabrielle Bacon environmental leadership fellow at Harvard University, Monique also holds an MSc in Energy, Environmental Technology, and Economics from City, University of London. Actively engaged in global initiatives, she is a board member of the Future Energy Leader program from the World Energy Council (WEC), she sits on the Technology Executive Committee of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and is an Executive of the Congo World Foundation’s 3C initiative which focuses on advocating for a more ethical cobalt value chain.
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Thorsten Fritsche

Programme Director for the “Bilateral Climate and Energy Partnerships” Programme of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Torstenis programme director for the “Bilateral Climate and Energy Partnerships” Programme of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), which supports the German government to run their energy partnerships with various transition and developing countries. He has graduated as an engineer (Dipl.-Ing.) in Germany with a special focus on environmental technologies, waste management and biogas. During his 20 years of work experience he has worked in Europe, Asia and Africa. He has gained professional experiences especially in Eastern European countries. Torsten has been an advisor to governments and key stakeholders of environmental and energy relevant authorities. In the Balkan he has worked together with various municipalities on public services in the environmental field. Furthermore he was responsible for infrastructure projects in Eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries. In Asia Torsten was the Director for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies. Torsten was heading one unit at GIZ with focus on Energy Transition (Energiewende) in Germany, Europe and OECD countries and supported the dialogue between Germany and EU member states on EU climate and energy targets and governance.

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David Wortmann

David Wortmann

Founder and managing director, DWR Eco

David Wortmann is the founder and managing director of the cleantech consulting agency DWR Eco, co-founder and board member of Leaders for Climate Action, and venture partner and investor in Proptech 1 and Planet A. At the same time, David Wortmann is co-managing director of the non-profit Global Eco Transition gGmbH, is regularly active as a podcaster, is a jury member of start-up awards and supports cleantech start-ups as a mentor, board member and investor.

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Michael Hackethal

Michael Hackethal

Head of Division | Multilateral cooperation on climate and energy Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs & Climate Action

Michael has been working with the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs (since early 2022 Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action) since 2008. Before joining the Energy Department in 2014 he worked on bilateral trade relations with Eastern European countries and in the ministry’s central administration. He has been leading the team on multilateral energy and climate cooperation at the ministry since 2019. Before joining BMWK Michael worked for several years for the EU Commission’s delegation in Moscow and, between 2001 and 2004 for a network of microfinance and small business banks in Russia and Georgia.

 Michael holds a master’s degree in business administration from Passau University, Germany, and a Master of Arts in Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies from Harvard University.

 

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Chetan Krishna

Head of Research and Diligence – Third Derivative

Chetan serves as the head of Third Derivative’s Research and Diligence function, responsible for investment thesis development and startup selection. Prior to D3, Chetan worked for nearly a decade at the intersection of technology and innovation, international development, venture capital and climate change, supporting the deployment of clean technologies and the scaling of impact-oriented innovations. This includes stints with the World Bank and IFC, Harvard Business School’s Lab for Innovation Sciences and 3i Partners. He holds a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and a Master’s in Technology & Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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Dr. Axel Dickenbrok

Investment Director – DACH InnoEnergy GmbH

Axel has a strong background in Management/Finance and Transformation. Before joining InnoEnergy three years ago, he worked at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he was a core member of the Corporate Finance & Restructuring Task Force. Most of his projects have been related to corporate finance topics, transformation, turnaround, restructuring, due diligences for private equity and venture capital clients, etc. In the last three years at InnoEnergy, Axel invested in breakthrough technology ventures in the Climate Tech space, while creating valuable business cases for early-stage ventures as well later-stage growth cases. Further, he successfully helped building turnaround programs for challenging ventures, supported ventures to the next big step (e.g. going to US), as well as realizing first exits. Axel studied Management & Finance Universität Mannheim and did his PhD in Private Equity at HHL Leipzig.

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Niclas Carlsson

Niclas Carlsson

Director of International Market Development at the Swedish Energy Agency

Niclas Carlsson is the Director of International Market Development at the Swedish Energy Agency, which is
responsible for the agency´s strategical activities globally –both in terms of business and investment promotion.

Before joining the Swedish Energy Agency, he represented the Government of Sweden in various international positions, most recently as the Trade Commissioner of Sweden to Saudi Arabia at the Embassy of Sweden in Riyadh.

Apart from representing the Government of Sweden on three continents, Niclas Carlsson has vast experience as a company advisor having supported over three hundred companies in their international pursuits.

Niclas Carlsson has a background in Business Administration as well as International Relations from Stockholm University and Free University of Berlin.

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SET Jury Meeting 2023 at SOHO House in Berlin. Source: dena/Silke Reents