Shell launches New Energy Challenge 2019

SHELL and its partners have launched the fourth edition of New Energy Challenge. The challenge seeks to facilitate the development of young companies with innovative proposals to shape a successful energy transition.

In the coming years more energy will be needed to meet growing demand, and to meet society’s goals this energy will need to produce less CO₂. The partners organising the New Energy Challenge believe that collaboration between startups, companies, and governments could help to fast-track the development and introduction of cleaner fuels and energy and help to reduce carbon footprints.

Shell has partnered with companies which support startup development, Rockstart, YES!Draft, and Get in the Ring. The partners are focussed on advancing European and Israeli startups and scaleups that could provide innovative, low-carbon solutions related to energy storage, energy management, the future of mobility, hydrogen, and the retail station of the future.

To make the 2019 New Energy Challenge more impactful the partners have established two separate tracks which will offer companies value that befits their levels of maturity.

Track One is for early-stage startups. The track offers finalists an intensive programme – designed by YES!Draft – to validate their business plans, and exchange ideas with coaches and experts. The winners of this track will receive at least €100,000 (US$112,354) to go towards proof-of-concept within Shell’s GameChanger programme. The programme provides a quick and cost-effective way to test the technical and commercial viability of technologies and business plans.

Track Two, for scaleups, offers the opportunity to design a pilot and to engage with experts from Rockstart. The winners of Track Two will further develop their pilot with Shell Ventures and Shell’s retail businesses and ultimately launch a Shell retail site.

Finalists will be invited to Finals Week which will take place in October, in the Netherlands. During the week, finalists will receive intensive coaching tailored to their respective field and maturity level and prepare a pitch. At the end of the week finalists will pitch their ideas to a jury of experts that will select the winners.

According to Business Green, Shell Ventures Vice President Geert van de Wouw, said: “The New Energy Challenge brings together some of the best minds working on the transition towards a lower carbon future.”

“We are offering one of this year's winners the opportunity to develop a pilot project with Shell's support. This is unique to the New Energy Challenge and a concrete example of our commitment to collaborating with young entrepreneurs to accelerate the energy transition.”

The deadline for completed submissions is 24 May.