SET 2019 Application Success!

We are excited and proud to share that after the end of our application phase on January 31st, we received more than 400 applications from almost 80 countries – just for the SET19! From Cambodia to Peru, or Spain to New Zealand – the countries farthest away from one-another, we received applications from all over (and under) the globe! It goes to show that climate change and global warming is in fact a global problem, and it’s great to see that start-ups from all regions are heeding the call.

Just as we had hoped, start-ups and their innovators, their entrepreneurs, change-makers, current and future leaders, have all shared with us their contributions to the energy transition. As there is no one easy solution, SET19 asked for applications in five different categories representing areas requiring innovation needed for the energy transition. Innovation-packed, efficiency-driving, carbon-reducing, energy-empowering, awe-inspiring, hope-inducing, and simply awesome ideas were plentiful throughout each and every award category!

Year on year SET continues to grow and our network of global start-ups grows with us. The SET Award has after only three years, received applications from start-ups in 92 different countries, with almost 80 different countries just for SET 2019! For some more interesting insights into the eco-system that will drive the furture energy transition, check out some stats below.

Applications per region:

We happily received applications from all over the world and from each and every region. The large majority of applications were received from Europe, followed by Africa, North America, and Asia.

Applications per country:

The country from which the most applications were received was Germany, representing 12% of all applications. The second was the United States with 6.6%, followed by Canada with 5.7%. All in all, we happily received applications from the more countries than ever before. See the top ten below:

Germany:                                12.4%
United States of America: 6.6%
Canada:                                    5.7%
Sweden:                                   5.5%
India:                                         4.6%
Nigeria:                                     4.3%
United Kingdom:                    4.3%
Switzerland:                            4.1%
France:                                      3.9%
Kenya:                                       3.0%

Applications per category:

We were happy to have received a promising amount of applications for all SET19 categories, showing just how important these areas are for a successful energy transition. The SET19 category with the most applications was ‘Low-Carbon Energy Production’ with 30%.

Low-Carbon Energy Production:                                      30.2%
Energy Efficiency, Smart Devices & Storage:               22.9%
Intelligent Grids, Platforms & Cyber Security:             16.9%
Special Prize: Quality Access & SDG7:                             16.9%
Innovative Mobility:                                                               13.0%

Start-up Commercial Stage / Maturity:

The commercial stage or maturity of start-ups applying ranged from start-ups with no defined targets to start-ups already achieving turnovers of more than 5 million euros. The vast majority of start-ups however, are in the stage of having first paying users/customers.

No targets:                                             2.7%
Pre-Revenue:                                        32.3%
First paying users/customers:       40.7%
Turnover > €250K:                               15.1%
Turnover > €1.2M:                                7.6%
Turnover > €5M:                                   1.6%

We are now in the difficult, yet exciting process of putting together the SET100 for 2019 with our partners EarlyMetrics. Who will be coming to the 24th World Energy Congress in September? Who will be pitching in front of the ‘who’s who’ in the energy sector, in Berlin April 9th at SET19 Tech Fest? And who will be awarded the top of their category for SET19? Get your tickets for the Tech Festival now!

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