SET Award 2026: dena honors international energy start-ups

30.04.2026

Source: Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena)

The German Energy Agency has announced the winners of the SET Award 2026.

From more than 470 applications from 79 countries, an international jury selected five start-ups that contribute to the energy transition with innovative business models.
The award was presented as part of the SET Tech Festival, which also celebrated its tenth anniversary. Around 4,500 energy innovations from over 100 countries have been submitted since 2016.

Five winners in key future fields

Start-ups were honored in the categories of energy, mobility, industry, construction and energy access:

• Clean Energy & Storage: Flower (Sweden) - AI-supported optimization of power grids
• Mobility & Transportation: Finmile (UK) - low-emission logistics solutions
• Industry: Cyclic Materials (Canada) - recycling rare earths
• Buildings & Construction: Mykor (UK) - bio-based insulation materials
• Quality Energy Access: BioMassters (Rwanda) - clean cooking energy from biomass

Each winning company receives prize money of 10,000 euros.

Impetus for the energy transition

Dena CEO Corinna Enders emphasized the importance of the competition as a catalyst for innovation in the energy sector. Many of the award-winning start-ups are already beyond the pilot phase and can make concrete contributions to the transformation.
The SET Award is regarded as one of the most important international competitions for climate tech start-ups and brings together players from business, politics and the investor landscape.

Read the full press release from Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) here: dena announces the winners of the SET Award 2026 | Dena