Green Economy is now a central theme in the lives of all of us, a real boost to economic development but also the only approach for a sustainable future. The energy transition, in fact, will drive the implementation of new models for energy production, trying to meet the challenge of providing it sustainable, safe, and affordable. Evidence of this is the EU's "Ready for 55 percent" plan, which promises a 55 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and zero net climate-changing gas emissions by 2050. Within this framework, there are many innovations in technology and thinking that are shaping the sector in search of a winning paradigm and more sustainable management. To date, more than $10.3 billion is invested in cleantech companies at the European level.
Precisely for this reason, the first edition of Enegan Innovation Cup is presented, the new contest aimed at startups operating in the Energy & Cleantech field, marked by a strong innovative component and working on cutting-edge solutions for the future of the energy sector.
The project was born from the collaboration between Enegan - a group specialized in accompanying companies towards a green path, particularly in what concerns energy - and Italian Angels for Growth (IAG) among the main Italian seed venture capital operators. The startups that embark on this path will have the opportunity to collaborate with Enegan, a company founded in 2010 that today already represents one of the main strategic players in the national energy market, thanks to its bet on innovation and clean energy. Several Enegan managers and collaborators, from different branches of the company, will participate in the phases of analysis, selection, and direct confrontation with the candidate startups, in order to closely study the proposed solutions and evaluate possible collaborations to contribute together to sustainable innovation. Specifically, the startups eligible to enter this competition are those that propose a breakthrough in energy production, management, storage and commercialization, sustainability, and energy conservation, or ESG policies. These startups represent the foundations of a green economy, capable of bringing innovation to the entire Italian industrial sector, laying the foundations for an increasingly sustainable future. For this reason, IAG, which for years has supported large companies and startups in creating new opportunities for innovation, and Enegan, a pioneer in green energy, have decided to devise this challenge in search of the reality that will be most able to realize a truly disruptive project, becoming the first winner of the Enegan Innovation Cup.
"In its more than fifteen years of activity in Italian seed venture capital, IAG has always supported innovative projects and entrepreneurs who believed in a future-focused vision. As part of our commitment to support innovation in our territory, we leverage our network of innovators to create opportunities for dialogue and collaboration between young startups and large leading companies, and it is with this in mind that we support our Corporate Partners in finding the entrepreneurs and projects best suited for their innovation needs," says Carlo Tassi, President of Italian Angels for Growth.
Enegan, a reality whose primary function is to support businesses and make it easier for them to grow toward a sustainable future, decided to devise this competition with the ambition of becoming a mentor for those with winning ideas in the green economy: "We, too, started out as a startup, setting ourselves the goal from the outset to create networks, unite skills and develop synergies that will allow winning ideas to be enhanced for the future. We know that innovation is essential, which is why with the Innovation Cup we will invest in those who design new solutions that are useful for everyone," explains Andrea Guarducci, Founder and current President of Enegan.
CALL TO ACTION
All startups that meet the requirements can apply by following the instructions at this link:
Registration will be open until May 14. The concluding event, where the five finalist startups will be invited, will be held at Nana Bianca in Florence, a place where the most relevant network of innovators in Tuscany meets daily to discuss the projects and ideas of tomorrow, turning revolutionary ideas into successful tech-companies. The event will also allow people to connect not only with Enegan and Nana Bianca's innovation ecosystem, but also with IAG network investors from all over Italy.