The SEK 2 million innovation challenge is back for another round. Are you ready to take on the challenge?
We are currently facing one of humankind’s biggest challenges ever. Anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases must be drastically reduced in order to limit global warming to 1,5 degrees and avoid causing irreversible damage to the planet we inhabit.
Are you ready to take on the challenge? Read on to learn more about how to join this year’s competition.
Startup 4 Climate is one of our most urgent initiatives to date. We believe that innovation and collaboration is key as we move into the future, which is why this challenge is aimed at young companies with ideas that can speed up the energy transition and limit global warming to 1,5 degrees.
The energy transition encompasses initiatives that promote the switch from current energy and transport systems to those systems and solutions that are smarter, more efficient and have the ability to reduce humanity’s negative impact on planet earth.
Flower operates a power refinery with the mission to drastically increase available flexibility in the power grid and support the renewable electrification of everything. Power refining is the process of making electricity adaptable, usable and available when it’s needed. With advanced software and algorithms, Flower’s technology performs power predictions, bidding optimization and stand-by active power control every hour of the day. Through their platform, they connect assets such as EVs, energy storage, solar panels, and heating with those in need of flexibility.
Ligna Energy is a greentech startup company developing disruptive products for electrical energy storage. Green, scalable and cost-effective storage of electricity is a prerequisite for the transition to a society free from fossil energy. Ligna have created a bio-battery from forest materials based on organic electronic polymers and biopolymers, which are used throughout the lifetime of the energy storage and then recycled and burned as biofuel. Thereby, they maximize the utilisation of materials, enable fossil-free energy production and minimize the overall negative lifecycle impact.
Peafowl Plasmonics is on a mission to commercialize the world’s first direct plasmonic solar cell for optimizing energy use in buildings. Buildings account for 36% of CO₂ emissions globally. In response to this, Peafowl have developed a printable, fully transparent solar cell that can be integrated into sensors as an invisible and scalable power solution. This allows smart building technology to be implemented in existing buildings in a non-intrusive way, enabling increased sustainability in buildings without compromising living standards.
Enjay is a Swedish greentech company specialized in energy efficiency in hostile environments. Their innovation, Lepido, is a heavy-duty heat exchanger that is able to recover energy in polluted airstreams where existing technologies are unable to operate. It makes energy recovery in difficult environments, such as restaurant kitchens, not only possible, but profitable. The innovation enables reducing annual CO₂ emissions by 500 million metric tons, equal to one percent of the projected world-wide CO₂ emissions by 2050.
Stefan Krook is a serial social entrepreneur with vast experience from the telecom, IT and electricity sectors. In 1997 he co-founded internet service provider Glocalnet which later merged into Telenor Sverige. He co-founded the GoodCause Foundation where he is also chairman. The foundation has started companies such as GodEl and GodFond. Stefan is co-founder and chairman of Kivra.
Johan Lindehag is the CEO of Ellevio, one of the largest distribution system operators in Sweden. Johan has more than 18 years of experience from the energy sector. He occupied several senior management positions within Fortum Distribution, which in 2015 was divested from Fortum and became Ellevio. Johan is a member of the Board of Directors of the industry association Energiföretagen Sverige.
Jane Walerud has been a successful serial entrepreneur and private investor since 2002. She has invested in several successful companies, including Klarna and Lensway. Nowadays, the family business Walerud Ventures focuses on deep tech, clean tech and AI first companies. The current active portfolio includes Volumental, Graphmatech, Swedish Algae Factory and Racefox.
Lina Bertling Tjernberg is a Professor, and Director of the Energy platform, at KTH the Royal Institute of Technology. Her research and teaching are focused on power grid technology for sustainable developments with special interest in reliability analysis, predictive maintenance and asset management. She is a Distinguished Lecturer of IEEE Power & Energy Society.
Johanna Mossberg is Vice President of Biorefinery and Energy at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, as well as adjunct senior lecturer in energy science at Luleå University of Technology. Mossberg holds in-depth knowledge on topics such as environmental improvement assessment of industrial production and biorefinery concepts and analysis of industrial transition. She has previously been managing director of f3 – the Swedish knowledge centre for renewable transportation fuels.
By joining Startup 4 Climate, contestants have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to our jury of experts.
Two winners will share a prize of 2 million SEK, as well as coaching from the expert jury, to help catalyze their ideas and contribute to the energy transition.
Contestants will also receive a membership at THINGS, have the opportunity to interact with two of Sweden’s most well-known energy companies, tap into their networks as well as be fronted on large social media platforms and news outlets.
As two of the Swedish energy market’s most well-known actors, we have a great responsibility in shaping the future of the sector. We want to promote the transition to a truly sustainable energy system, but we can’t do it alone.
Innovation and wide-spread engagement are key aspects for curbing the global climate crisis. Therefore we want to catalyze more actors and contribute to initiatives that can enable our common goals for a sustainable future.
This challenge is open for Swedish startups who, like us, want be part of accelerating the energy transition. But there are a few other things we want you to know before you submit your innovation.
GodEl is the 9th biggest electricity company in Sweden. They are owned by GoodCause foundation that donates all dividends to charitable purposes. To this day, GodEl has donated over SEK 54 million to NGO:s such as the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and MSF. GodEl is also a key player when it comes to sustainable electricity contracts. They provide only renewable energy marked as a Good Environmental Choice. Additionally, GodEl measures the company’s entire carbon footprint and invests in projects that reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Ellevio AB is one of Sweden’s largest distribution network operators. Ellevio invests in, develops and maintains the company’s power grids in order to ensure a reliable electricity supply to its 962,000 customers. By investing in a long-term sustainable power grid Ellevio works to improve the quality of life for its customers as well as to enable the ongoing energy transformation and the continued digitization of the society.
THINGS is the #1 deeptech- and innovation hub in Sweden, focusing on industry, infrastructure, utilities and mobility. THINGS Community consists of ~100 members, 50/50 deeptech companies and established companies, ranging from Tokyo to Silicon Valley. Together with them and a range of carefully selected international partners, THINGS provide truly international services for its members including challenges, acceleration programs, co-pilots and matchmaking. THINGS also arrange open events including its eBazaar™, eXplore™ and Get-On-Top-Of™ series.
We Don’t Have Time is a social media network for everyone who wants to be a part of the solution. Being a member of We Don’t Have Time is free of charge and lets you create climate reviews as well as interact and follow other members. The non-profit foundation is based in Stockholm, Sweden and its principal purpose is to contribute to a reduced climate impact and an ecologically sustainable environment.