1. 1st place: CellCircle UG from Randersacker, winning 10,000 euros in prize money
2. 1st place: tozero GmbH from Munich, winning 5,000 euros in prize money
3. 1st place: Qkera GmbH from Garching near Munich, winning 3,000 euros in prize money

CellCircle UG is a Fraunhofer ISC spin-off founded in 2022 and the winner of the 2024 competition. The start-up develops innovative battery recycling processes to recover the functional materials of lithium-ion batteries non-destructively for direct reuse in new battery cells. CellCircle is also committed to more reliable life cycle assessment in order to better distinguish sustainable solutions from standard processes. Further information can be found at cellcircle.de.

tozero GmbH has been recovering critical materials from battery waste and reintegrating them into the battery supply chain since it was founded in 2022. The proprietary hydrometallurgical process avoids the use of strong acids, eliminates waste streams and reduces CO2 emissions. The start-up achieves a high quality and recovery rate for lithium and graphite, providing a sustainable solution for the battery industry. Further information at www.tozero.solutions.

Qkera GmbH was founded in 2023 as a spin-off of TUM and MIT and develops solid-state electrolytes for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries. This enables Qkera to bring safer and more powerful batteries with 30-50% higher energy density to the mass market at affordable prices, thus driving the energy transition forward. The technology is an innovative, low-cost and scalable approach to synthesizing ceramic oxide solid-state electrolytes that can be integrated into existing battery production processes. Further information at qkera.com.

Award ceremony at the Munich Startup Demo Night

The award ceremony took place as part of the Munich Startup Demo Night on November 27, 2024 in the TonHalle Munich with over 800 participants and 70 exhibitors. Six highly innovative energy start-ups, including encentive, SOLAR MATERIALS and SPiNE Energy, made it to the finalists and were able to present themselves to numerous guests and investors from the start-up scene at the event before the jury announced its decision on the winners.

Dr. Carsten Rudolph from BayStartUp and Dr. Rainer Seßner, Managing Director of Bayern Innovativ, opened the awards ceremony. Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, then honored the winners. "Our winners this year focus on batteries - whether as electricity storage or for use in e-mobility. The focus is on the sustainability of batteries. Three ideas that make an important contribution to the success of the energy transition in Bavaria," said Aiwanger.

1. 1st place: blueFLUX Energy AG from Peißenberg, winning 10,000 euros in prize money
2. 1st place: Reverion GmbH from Eresing, winning 5,000 euros in prize money
3. 1st place: Numbat GmbH from Kempten, winning 3,000 euros in prize money

blueFLUX Energy AG: The winning start-up is a spin-off of Holzner Druckbehälter GmbH and focuses on the production of green hydrogen based on biological waste materials. The concept is based on the innovative blueFLUXH2 process, which was developed and patented in 2015 and is now in operation: Regional biowaste & sewage sludge recycling produces low-cost sustainable hydrogen. True to the motto: green energy from the region, for the region and CO2-neutral. The Weilheim-Schongau model region is a suitable role model for a regional, municipal and decentralized energy transition. The start-up is based in Peißenberg and employs 10 people. Further information can be found at www.bluefluxenergy.com/de/.

Reverion GmbH: As a spin-off of the Technical University of Munich, Reverion has developed and patented a revolutionary container-based power plant for biogas. This technology makes it possible to double the amount of electricity generated from biogas thanks to higher electrical efficiency. In addition, the same plant can produce green hydrogen or methane from electricity. Pure, storable CO2 is separated in the overall process, enabling cost-efficient, negative CO2 emissions for the first time. The young company with 20 employees has its headquarters in Eresing. Further information can be found at www.reverion.de/.

Numbat GmbH: The third-placed start-up has developed a patented technology in the form of a sustainable battery storage unit with an integrated fast-charging station. The battery storage system is continuously charged with green electricity and has a storage capacity of 200 kWh. It can also be connected to a company's own PV system. The integrated quick-charging station enables e-car drivers to charge their vehicles ultra-fast (up to 80% in 15 minutes). The start-up has 35 employees. Further information can be found at https://numbat.energy

Excitement was high at the award ceremony on October 10, 2022 in Munich's Tonhalle. The six finalists of the competition had the opportunity to present themselves to a large audience, investors and the start-up scene at the Startup Demo Night. Prior to this, a jury had already decided on the TOP 6 as part of a pitch competition.

The Startup Demo is one of the biggest events in the Munich start-up scene. Around 70 startups presented their innovative solutions and prototypes live at exhibitor stands. All sectors were represented - from high-tech to bio sciences, IoT, mobility, lifestyle, health and sport. The event started at 6 p.m. and the three winners were expected to be announced at around 8 p.m.

The announcement

Then the time had come. After a brief introduction to the award ceremony by BayStartUP CEO Dr. Carsten Rudolph, the Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy Hubert Aiwanger took the floor.
He greeted the more than 700 spectators in the Munich Tonhalle and pointed out the importance of the competition for Bavaria: "We want to switch as far as possible from fossil fuels to renewable energies. To achieve this, we also need new and innovative concepts from our start-up scene. I am therefore delighted with the three winners and their business models. They have fully convinced us with their expertise".

1. 1st place: enmacc GmbH, Munich
2. 1st place: gridX GmbH, Munich
3. 1st place: VoltStorage GmbH, Munich

enmacc GmbH is the independent and innovative trading platform for the energy industry that increases liquidity in the European energy markets and drives trading for electricity, gas and renewable energies. Market participants can expand their business and trading potential through efficiency, security and data collection. Further information: www.enmacc.de

gridX GmbH is a young company in the energy IoT sector with the aim of becoming the operating platform of the decentralized and digitalized energy age. To this end, gridX provides flexible, scalable and reliable IoT solutions for various application areas, including independent homes, smart charging, microgrids and smart commercial. The integrated and manufacturer-independent solutions can be used to visualize energy flows and control connected devices such as photovoltaic systems, battery storage systems or charging stations for electric cars. Further information : www.gridx.ai

VoltStorage GmbH develops and produces solar energy storage systems based on ecological vanadium redox flow (VRF) technology to store surplus solar energy during the day and use it during periods of low sunlight. VoltStorage is the first company in the world to make VRF technology, which has been successful in the large-scale storage segment, available as a home storage solution for private households. With its storage solutions, the greentech is pursuing the vision of making 100% renewable energy available around the clock - and thus making the world cleaner and fairer for future generations. Further information: www.voltstorage.com

1. 1st place: Turbonik GmbH, Dortmund
2. 1st place: ChargeX GmbH, Munich
3. 1st place: ENER-IQ GmbH, Würzburg

The business idea of the Dortmund start-upTURBONIKis anything but hot air. The start-up prevailed among the original 26 candidates and was awarded first place in the competition by the public in a close vote. The award was presented by Minister of State Hubert Aiwanger. TURBONIK GmbH has developed a technology for generating its own electricity using a micro steam turbine. It enables electricity to be generated economically even with a small amount of steam or low steam pressure. This makes power generation possible even for small systems and is up to 40 percent more efficient than conventional steam turbines in the power range.

Second place with 5,000 euros in prize money went toChargeX GmbHwas awarded. The Munich-based company is developing a new modular charging technology for electric vehicles: the intelligent "multiple socket" is simply docked onto the charging station and enables several vehicles to be charged at the same time. This is an ideal solution for companies with fleets in particular.

2,500 euros in prize money was won by third-placedENER-IQ GmbHfrom Würzburg. The start-up's software records the operating data of domestic heating systems in real time, ensuring transparent and efficient heat generation. Artificial intelligence also constantly analyses the data, makes suggestions for improvement to consumers, proactively organizes technicians and warns of potential breakdowns.

TURBONIK GmbH took first place in the "Energie Start-up Bayern" competition. The company impressed the judges at the final round with Hubert Aiwanger as part of the Bavarian Energy Award in Nuremberg on November 15, 2018 and received prize money of 10,000 euros. The start-ups ChargeX and ENER-IQ were also named "Energy Start-up Bavaria 2018". With this title, the Free State of Bavaria recognizes up-and-coming companies that are helping to secure an affordable and sustainable energy future for Bavaria.

1. 1st place: Sono Motos GmbH, Munich
2. 1st place: Invenox GmbH, Garching
3. 1st place: SAMAwing GmbH, Weißenstadt

Sono Motors GmbH competed with the first series-produced electric car that charges its batteries using the sun and enables 30 free kilometers per day using electricity generated by the sun. Further information: Sono Solar

Invenox GmbH presented a solution for powerful and inexpensive battery systems that can be used in almost all stationary and mobile applications thanks to their modular design. Further information: Innovative battery systems for mobile machinery | INVENOX

SAMAwing GmbH presented a flexible air guiding device for cooling towers that efficiently prevents performance losses due to crosswinds and thus optimizes the performance of cooling towers. Further information: CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY IS OUR PASSION | SAMA MASCHINENBAU

Nuremberg, October 20, 2016. 21 start-ups entered the Energy Start-up Bavaria competition, which was held throughout Bavaria for the first time. Of these, 10 start-ups had the chance to present their idea to a top-class jury at the Werk1 event space in Munich on October 12 and qualify for the final of the competition. Three finalists were selected to pitch on October 20 as part of the Bavarian Energy Award. In the end, the audience decided on the ranking of the three finalists and chose Sono Motors MTZ as Bavaria's best energy start-up 2016. The winning team received prize money of 5,000 euros as well as important contacts in the industry. The company Invenox was awarded 2nd prize and SAMAwing was placed 3rd. All three can call themselves Energy Start-up Bavaria 2016.