Startups developing technologies for the global energy transition can apply for the SET Award 2027. Finalists travel to Berlin to pitch their companies and compete for equity-free cash awards while meeting investors, corporate partners, and energy-sector leaders.
Overview
The SET Award is the international startup competition of Start Up Energy Transition. The 2027 competition covers five areas: Clean Energy & Storage; Digital Energy, Markets & Economy; Buildings & Construction; Industry & Value Chains; and Mobility & Transportation.
Applicants should already have moved beyond a pure idea. The competition looks for companies with a functioning prototype, proof of concept, or evidence that the solution is being tested with credible partners or customers.
Benefits
- Cash Award: Category winners can receive up to €10,000 in equity-free prize money under the current competition.
- Travel to Berlin: Finalists receive flight and accommodation support for two representatives to attend the final activities in Berlin.
- Live Pitch: Finalists present their companies to an international jury and energy-transition audience.
- Exhibition: Selected startups receive exhibition space and visibility at the SET Tech Festival.
- Investor Access: The competition connects finalists with investors, corporate partners, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.
- SET List: Selected companies gain visibility through the annual SET100 and wider Start Up Energy Transition network.
Eligibility
- Company Age: The company must have been founded in August 2016 or later.
- Language: Applications must be completed in English.
- Registration: The company must be legally registered or actively in the process of registration.
- Development Stage: Applicants must be beyond the idea stage and have at least a proof of concept.
- Validation: The startup should have evidence of a customer, industrial, corporate, or institutional partner, or a functioning prototype.
- Hardware: Hardware-focused applicants are generally expected to have reached approximately Technology Readiness Level 4 or higher.
- Category: Each startup should apply to the single award category that best fits its solution.
How to Apply
- Deadline: The official SET Award 2027 page states that applications close on November 30, 2026.
- Choose a Category: Select the energy-transition category that best matches the startup’s core technology and market.
- Prepare Evidence: Provide clear information on the technology, validation, team, business model, customers or partners, and growth potential.
- Submit: Complete the application through the official German Energy Agency submission platform before the deadline.
