Start Up Energy Transition

Start-ups and innovation are playing a crucial role in our net zero future. That is why we want to give a voice to the innovators of tomorrow to ensure that, firstly, decision makers place energy innovation at the top of their agendas and secondly, that industry leaders employ innovation as the clear path to their decarbonisation goals.

SET Tech Festival 2024 takes place on 19 March 2024 in Berlin.

1 platform, 3 pillars

Icon DENA SET Award

SET Award

A global competition for start-ups and young companies that are helping to achieve the global energy transition. In the last eight years, the award has received more than 3,500 applications from over 100 countries.

Discover the 100 most promising start-ups and finalists of the 8th SET Award.

Download the SET100 list of 2024
SET Tech Festival

SET Tech Festival

A 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
Icon SET Newsroom

SET Newsroom

Unique content featuring news from the energy world, the successes and challenges of SET start-ups as well as other trending topics valuable to our network.

Learn more
  • Icon DENA SET Award

    SET Award

    A global competition for start-ups and young companies that are helping to achieve the global energy transition. In the last eight years, the award has received more than 3,500 applications from over 100 countries.

    Discover the 100 most promising start-ups and finalists of the 8th SET Award.

    Download the SET100 list of 2024
  • SET Tech Festival

    SET Tech Festival

    A 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
  • Icon SET Newsroom

    SET Newsroom

    Unique content featuring news from the energy world, the successes and challenges of SET start-ups as well as other trending topics valuable to our network.

    Learn more

Categories of the SET Award 2024

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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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

In Our 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.

Logo Skeleton

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
Logo Enapter

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 logo in black

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
  • Logo Skeleton

    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
  • Logo Enapter

    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 logo in black

    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

An annual one-day event bringing together innovators shaping the future of energy: the best start-ups in the field of energy solutions, as well as innovation-driven corporates, investors, and public organisations leading the energy transition. The seventh SET Tech Festival and Award Ceremony took place on 28 March 2023 at the WECC, in Berlin.

  • Finalists of the SET Award 2023 on stage of the SET Award Ceremony in Berlin
  • SET Award Ceremony 2023

Source pictures: photothek / dena

Relive the SET Award Ceremony 2023

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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.

  • 44
    Ecosystem Partners

    Our partners are our family. Thanks to their support, 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.

  • 35
    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.  

SET Newsroom

Our articles and videos keep you informed on the latest news, trends, innovations, events and success stories from the energy sector!

The SET100 List 2024

The SET100 List: These Are the Most Promising Climate Tech & Energy Start-ups of 2024

Discover the 100 global energy and mobility innovations that will shape the climate tech industry in 2024 in the SET100 List.

The Lithium Battery Bottleneck: How 3 SET100 Start-Ups Are Breathing New Life Into the Revolutionary Device

The Lithium Battery Bottleneck: How 3 SET100 Start-Ups Are Breathing New Life Into the Revolutionary Device

The Lithium Battery has revolutionised 21st century tech. But its use is unsustainable. Three SET start-ups are hoping to change that.

Important Announcement: SET Community and SET Award 2024 Application Phase Unaffected by Cyber Attack on dena

Berlin, November 16, 2023: In the wake of a recent cyber attack on dena’s server infrastructure, we want to reassure the SET Community that the […]

Meet the team

Our team is based on the EUREF-Campus in Berlin, the living lab for the energy transition! Let us know if you are around, we would be happy to connect.

SET Team at the EUREF Campus in Berlin