Energy Challenge 2026: German-Chilean start-up program strengthens international energy transition

03.12.2025

Source: Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy

Global climate protection needs new partnerships, bold ideas and technological innovations.

As part of the Chile-Germany Energy Partnership, the Energy Challenge: Startups for the Energy Transition - an internationally oriented funding and scaling program of the AHK Chile and the Bavarian Representative Office for South America, implemented by GIZ - will be launched in 2026.

Both countries have set themselves ambitious goals: climate neutrality by 2050. In order to achieve this target, energy systems must be comprehensively transformed and fossil dependencies consistently reduced. Renewable energies, energy efficiency, smart grids and decarbonization technologies form the central basis for this.

The new competition is aimed at start-ups from Chile and Germany that have already developed market-ready solutions in areas such as renewable energies, hydrogen, energy storage, efficiency technologies or digital energy solutions and are now planning to expand internationally.

Participants benefit from:

• technical validation of their products
• Access to innovation networks
• Strategic industry partnerships
• contact opportunities with investors
• With this program, Chile and Germany are demonstrating that the energy transition is a joint innovation project - open to technology, internationally networked and practice-oriented.

Application and program data at a glance

• Application period: 17.11. - 15.01.2026
• Communication and pre-selection: 09.-13.02.2026
• Demo Day: March 4 (virtual)
• Trip to Chile: 17-22.05.2026

Further information can be found here.