PowerUp! – the competition for start-ups with the energy to change the world
On 11 February, the application process for the fifth PowerUp! began.
Participants have the chance to compete for a main prize of EUR 50 000 and the opportunity to develop their business on a global scale. The contest, organised by EIT InnoEnergy, is the largest start-up competition in Central-Eastern Europe, including areas such as energy, mobility and smart technologies.
The competition not only offers a promising financial prize, but also the opportunity to join EIT InnoEnergy’s prestigious business accelerator. The Highway® programme develops start-up projects and adapts them to the European market. Those who join the programme can expect support within a wide range of topics from legal and IP protection, to pitch deck design, to agile methodology, and more. Other benefits include accessing international clients, as well as financial investment up to EUR 150 000.
This time there will be a new distinction within the competition for the “Clean Air Challenge”. This merit will be awarded to a start-up whose solution will contribute to the reduction of air pollution and smog. EIT InnoEnergy is a key player in the Clean Air Challenge launched in October 2018 in Brussels.
With every event in the competition, the number of participants has doubled. In 2018, EIT InnoEnergy received over 300 potential candidates, it is a fair estimate that the registration for the 2019 edition, which ends on 11 March, will end in greater success. In the past two years, applications have grown both in scale and in quality. Applications with ready-made prototype have dramatically increased from 28 prototypes in 2016 to 120 in 2018. The same increase can be seen in applications with a functioning product or service (from 19 to 93 respectively).
'The number of participants is growing every year, combined with the fact that the start-ups which apply increasingly have projects in their portfolio on an advanced stage of development, shows the increasing recognition and rising prestige of the competition. PowerUp! opens the door towards development for courageous innovators from Central-Eastern Europe and enables them to access our international network of business partners. Participants applying to this contest can also see those benefits,',' said Jakub Miler, CEO of EIT InnoEnergy Central Europe.
Particularly desirable solutions – products or services – in the competition include projects in the areas of energy, mobility, clean air, heating, cleantech, and smart technologies. Start-ups that pass through the application stage will be invited to participate in bootcamps run by recognized European business mentors. These workshops will prepare participants for the national finals and the Grand Final, in which they will present their ideas to experts. The winner will be selected on 21 May in Krakow during Impact’19 – one of the most important economic events in Central and Eastern Europe.
The 2018 winner of PowerUp! was Zubax Robotics from Estonia, which presented a solution to drastically reduce energy consumption in future mobility solutions.
Detailed conditions of participation, an application form, and all of the necessary information are available at www.powerup.innoenergy.com.
The deadline for registration is 11 March 2019.
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