Submissions open for Startup Innovation Challenge 2025

In return, they’ll provide you with their extensive data, know-how of their experts and fund a Proof of Concept/MVP. If your solution impresses is a perfect match for them, a long-term partnership awaits.

Challenges

• Challenge 1: Informed Decisions for a Greener Tomorrow
  • Empowering Customers: Intelligent Tools for Optimizing Energy Consumption and Driving the Energy Transition
    • They aspire to support their customers in playing an active role in the energy transition. While they envision a user-friendly digital monitoring and control tool, they are open to any innovative solutions that empower customers to optimize energy consumption, benefit from dynamic pricing, and track energy savings in an engaging way.
• Challenge 2: Efficient Data integration for Sustainable Decisions
  • ​Smart Data Collection and Integration for Sustainable E-Commerce Partnerships – The Foundation for Informed Consumer Decisions
    • They aim to facilitate sustainable e-commerce by providing consumers with clear, reliable data on product sustainability, origins, and environmental impact. While they’ve identified some approaches, they are eager to explore innovative solutions that can harmonize and optimize partner product data, making it actionable and transparent.
• ​Special Nomination: Empowering Business Partners to Achieve Net Zero
  • Recognizing Innovations That Accelerate Decarbonization
    • They are committed to supporting businesses on their journey towards achieving net-zero emissions. Through this special nomination, they aim to celebrate and reward groundbreaking innovations that address the unique decarbonization challenges faced by industrial companies and businesses. Startups with visionary solutions have the chance to win prize money and gain recognition for their contributions to sustainable growth.

Funding Information

• up to 50.000 € for developing your proof of concept/MVP.

Eligibility Criteria

• They are looking for startups and established companies that are breaking new grounds. The challenge is not restricted to a particular geographic location and therefore encourages a global and diverse pool of applicants. Applicants should be well-established startups or companies with a track record of conducting business operations. This means that the startup or company should have moved beyond the initial ideation phase and have tangible evidence of their ability to function in a business environment. Also, the startup or company should demonstrate the capacity to not only come up with innovative ideas but also to effectively execute and manage projects. This includes having the necessary resources, expertise, and infrastructure to successfully run the project proposed in the challenge. So startups and companies that have a minimum team size of three employees and offer a product or service aimed at solving one or more of the specified challenges are welcome to apply.

Assessment Criteria

• All applications will be assessed according to the following criteria:
  • How well the solution fits Energie AGs challenges
  • Existing capacity
  • Speed and ability to scale
  • Potential for partnership
  • Evidence (Prototypes, similar products, existing partnerships, etc.)
• Besides these Business criteria they will decide on:
  • Desirability: How precisely does the idea address the identified problem? Is the solution directly relevant to the challenge posed?
  • Feasibility: Can the idea realistically be implemented? Does it consider the technical, financial, and operational constraints of the company and the industry?
  • Viability: Is the solution economically sensible? Does it offer a good cost-benefit ratio? What is the expected return on investment?
  • Sustainability: Particularly relevant in the energy sector. How environmentally friendly and sustainable is the proposed solution?
  • Degree of Innovation: Is the idea truly novel and distinct from existing solutions? Does it offer a fresh perspective or a new approach?
  • Team and Expertise: Who is behind the idea? Does the team or the startup have the necessary expertise and experience to implement the idea?

For more information, visit Energie AG Oberösterreich.