ECO16 Berlin Sponsors

Ecosummit is Europe’s leading smart green innovation and impact conference for startups, investors and corporates in Berlin, Amsterdam and London. Ecosummit Berlin 2016 took place on 26-27 April 2016 at the Radialsystem and was supported by 26 sponsors and partners profiled below.

ECO16 Berlin Platinum Sponsors

innogy SE is one of the leading European energy companies. With its three business areas of Renewables, Grid & Infrastructure as well as Retail, it addresses the requirements of a modern, decarbonised, decentralised and digital energy world. The focus of innogy SE’s activities is on offering existing and potential customers innovative and sustainable products and services which enable them to use energy more efficiently and improve their quality of life. The key markets are Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and several countries in Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe, especially the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. In renewable power generation, the company is also active in other regions, e.g. Spain and Italy. The new subsidiary of RWE AG started operations on 1 April 2016. On 29 June 2016, the name of the European stock company was announced: innogy. The new name is expected to take formal effect as of September 2016, at which time the company as well as its products and services will be gradually rebranded. Until then, the subsidiary will continue under the name innogy SE. Based on the combined financial statements for 2015, the company would have a revenue of around €46 billion and an EBITDA of €4.5 billion. The company is expected to employ around 40,000 out of a total of around 60,000 employees of the RWE Group once the restructuring process has been completed.

ECO16 Berlin Partners

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Smart green accelerator: Climate-KIC is one of three Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC) designated in 2010 by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Climate-KIC drives innovation in the area of climate change adaptation and mitigation through its European network of private, public and academic partners. Climate change presents not only a formidable societal challenge; it also offers huge business opportunities. Our vision is to lead the world toward low-carbon prosperity, create an emerging climate change innovation space, and to capitalise on public-private synergies to induce innovation. Through our education, entrepreneurship and innovation activities, we create opportunities for innovators to address climate change and create the world’s next economy.

ECO16 Berlin Gold Sponsors

Smart green corporate VC: INVEN CAPITAL is a €180M corporate VC fund established by the major European energy utility CEZ to invest in the new energy sector. INVEN CAPITAL seeks investments into small to middle-market innovative cleantech companies from Europe. We target late-stage startups with a business model proven by sales and significant growth potential. We focus on creating long-term value through an active partnership with the management of our portfolio companies. In our approach we actively support strategies for organic and/or acquisition growth. We can provide unique benefits to our portfolio companies and co-investors through (a) in-depth energy sector expertise, (b) utilization of CEZ Group’s client base and (c) technological synergies related to the asset base of our investor. Our investment team represents a balanced mix of skills from the energy sector, structured finance and investment banking. INVEN CAPITAL was founded in 2014 and is based in Prague.

Vattenfall is a leading European utility and follows a clear strategy towards renewable generation to reduce its carbon footprint considerably. Vattenfall operates more than 1.000 wind turbines with a capacity of around 2.000 MW in Sweden, Denmark, UK, the Netherlands and Germany. It plans to double its renewable capacity by 2020 and is investing more than 5 billion Euros in additional wind and solar generation.

EWE Logo

ENERA is a multipartner cooperation focusing on the digital energy transformation which is initiated by EWE AG. The demonstration project – as an answer to the tender Schaufenster Intelligente Energie by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy – will conduct a large field test with focus on wind energy in the northwest of Germany. With EWE as an initiator a consortium of companies will be set up to show how sustainable energy systems can be used on a large scale utilizing smart grids, smart markets and digitalization. Alongside established companies like EWE, TenneT, ENERCON, Siemens and others, ENERA intends to include startups that have new ideas for the energy sector and are keen on using the possibility to scale their technology and business model within the demonstration project. EWE is an innovative service provider in the areas of energy, telecommunications and information technology. With more than 9.000 employees and sales of over €7B it is one of the largest utility companies in Germany. Currently, EWE is establishing corporate venture activities including early support, fund investment and corporate venture capital. The investment in professional venture capital funds focuses on energy, telecommunication and IT in the segments generation, infrastructure and sales. Target groups for both – fund investments and corporate venture capital – are startups in its early and late stages. The latter involves direct investments in young companies with focus on cross-functional, technology-driven topics with a revenue of up to €5 million. With those activities the company aims at developing new business areas, generating strategic growth and creating access to external innovations.

ECO16 Berlin Silver Sponsors

Siemens Logo

Smart green corporate VC: Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of systems for power generation and transmission as well as medical diagnosis. In infrastructure and industry solutions the company plays a pioneering role. As of September 30, 2014, we had around 343.000 employees in more than 200 countries. In fiscal 2014, they generated revenues of €71.9 billion from continuing operations.

EON Logo

Smart green corporate VC: Under its Cleaner & Better Energy strategy, E.ON’s drive to retail distributed and novel energy technologies and business models will be supported by venture capital activities for strategic partnerships. They are designed to find the next big energy propositions that will improve E.ON’s offer to its millions of customers around Europe via its global and regional businesses. The best new businesses will be selected for collaboration and commercialization opportunities and equity investments. The investments will focus on strategic technologies and business models that enable E.ON’s desire to lead the move to distributed, renewable and disruptive energy propositions. Customers can be offered the best energy choices for their needs. And new technology companies benefit from early scale while E.ON accesses cutting edge innovations and participates in the value created.

Statkraft Logo

Smart green corporate VC: Statkraft is a leading company in hydropower internationally and Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy. The Group produces hydropower, wind power, gas-fired power and district heating and is a global player in energy market operations. Statkraft has 3.600 employees in more than 20 countries. We are managing 1.000s of renewable energy assets with more than 10.000 MW capacity for our clients, integrating their production into the European power market. Statkraft wants to invest into startups in order to create growth options and to drive new capabilities. We are committed to play an active role in the energy market transformation, have an attractive portfolio for applying innovation and maintain a pioneering spirit. This makes us a great partner for startups on the frontier of the energy market‘s paradigm shift. We are aiming to invest in Europe, targeting €1-5M per deal in Series A and later.

Veolia Logo

Veolia group is the global leader in optimized resource management. With over 174.000 employees worldwide, the Group designs and provides water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and to replenish them. In 2015, the Veolia group supplied 100 million people with drinking water and 63 million people with wastewater service, produced 63 million megawatt hours of energy and converted 42.9 million metric tons of waste into new materials and energy. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of €25 billion ($30.3 billion) in 2015. U-Start: A new startup accelerator in Berlin – Veolia Germany launches a program called U-Start in order to initiate long-term cooperation with young startups at an early stage of their development. The focus lies on startups with sustainable services in the fields of water, energy and waste services.

Autodesk Logo

The unique Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program supports the efforts, innovations, and environmental advancements of clean technology pioneers, by providing world-class software to design, visualize, and simulate their groundbreaking ideas through the creation of digital models and prototypes. The program offers participants software licenses valued at up to €120.000 for just €50. With digital prototypes, clean tech innovators can explore and communicate ideas, test multiple concepts, and accelerate improvements, while supporting the reduction of potentially costly errors. Used by millions of engineers, architects, and design professionals worldwide, Autodesk software helps empower Clean Tech Partners to create a better, more sustainable world. For more information visit www.autodesk.co.uk/cleantech or www.autodesk.de/cleantech.

Swedish Energy Agency Logo

Smart green accelerator: The Swedish Energy Agency works for a smarter energy use, which involves among other things to channel practically all Swedish state funds that go into energy research. The Business Development and Commercialisation department is focused on making business from this research by bringing together researchers and business developers, contractors, customers and capital. This department also provides their own funding to cases with technical uniqueness, high energy relevance as well as a strong team behind the concept.

Smart green VC: Aster Capital is a multi-corporate venture firm with Schneider Electric, Alstom, Solvay as well as the European Investment Fund EIF as main LPs in our second EUR 107 million fund ASTER II which we launched in 2010. We have a 10-year track record as early-to-growth-stage investors in technologies and services that find application mainly in the energy industry but also in industrial applications, buildings and mobility. We will invest between EUR 0.5 to 8 million per portfolio company and normally co-invest with other VC firms or take the lead. Our special value proposition is our access to our corporate sponsors. Post investment, we dedicate much time to create business opportunities for our portfolio companies through our personal contact networks not least at Schneider Electric, Alstom and Solvay where most of us have held senior positions prior to joining Aster Capital.

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Smart green VC: Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) is the business development bank of Berlin. With a wide product spectrum it is active in the areas of business as well as housing and real estate promotion. IBB supports small and medium-sized enterprises in Berlin with subsidies, loan products and equity stakes developing targeted solutions for its clients. In doing so it works in close cooperation with all local commercial banks. IBB takes a central role in economic development by financing small and medium-sized enterprises. Its particular focus lies on innovative companies that are active in the following key sectors in Berlin: health economy, information and communication technology, media and creative industry, transport, mobility and logistics, energy technology and optical technology. A further focus is the support of founders and startups with targeted advice as well as a full range of funding products customised to the respective need of each client.

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Smart green accelerator & VC: KIC InnoEnergy is the European company dedicated to promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and education in the sustainable energy field by bringing together academics, businesses and research institutes. To support entrepreneurs and startups in sustainable energy we are an active pre-seed/seed investor. Our goal is to make a positive impact on sustainable energy in Europe. We do this by creating future game changers with a different mind-set, and bringing innovative products, services and successful companies to life. We provide acceleration services to startups by supporting entrepreneurs with their business ideas, strengthening their business models, building expert teams, and providing access to finance. We already have a share in more than 50 ventures. KIC InnoEnergy is one of the first Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) fostered by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). We are a commercial company with 27 shareholders that include top ranking industries, research centres and universities, all of which are key players in the energy field. More than 150 additional partners contribute to our activities to form a first class and dynamic network that is always open to new entrants and furthers our pursuit of excellence. Although we are profit-oriented, we have a “not for dividend” financial strategy, reinvesting any profits we generate back into our activities. With our headquarters in the Netherlands, we develop our activities across a network of offices located in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Poland and Sweden.

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Smart green startup: Sonnen is a leading manufacturer of intelligent lithium storage systems. As a pioneer in the rapidly growing solar energy storage market, the company has extensive experience with battery storage technologies and renewable energy. The company has already sold more than 8.000 storage systems in Europe, now has over 100 qualified employees and is actively entering the US market. Sonnen has enjoyed strong growth since its establishment in 2010 and is backed by eCAPITAL, SET Ventures, Munich Venture Partners and Inven Capital. Sonnen offers fully integrated storage solutions with a user-friendly energy manager that allows users to individually control their storage system, to track their energy use, optimize the solar self-consumption and avoid peak demand charges.

Sunfire Logo

Smart green startup: Sunfire sees itself as a leading provider of Power-to-Fuel and Power-to-Gas technology. To this end, the company develops and produces the key components high-temperature electrolysis (SOEC) and high-temperature fuel cells (SOFC) and the corresponding fuel plant engineering. The Sunfire process uses intermittent renewable electricity, water and CO2 from various sources to produce high-quality, synthetic fuel and gas. These can power cars, trucks, aircraft, generators, and heat residential and commercial buildings, without changes to current engine technology or distribution infrastructure. The company employs a staff of 38 highly educated and experienced people, has a best-in-class test facility, an R&D fuel plant and a modern manufacturing hall in Dresden. Sunfire is backed by Electranova Capital, Total and Inven Capital.

Ubitricity Logo

Smart green startup: Ubitricity was founded in Berlin in 2008 to develop new services for households with electric vehicles. We are now one of the few independent energy providers in Germany who deliver renewable electricity to households. In the future, ubitricity will offer its customers who drive EVs the possibility to charge up everywhere (e.g. at work) in total security and confidence, and with one single, simple bill to pay. Customers will receive the benefits of a new infrastructure concept – delivery, metering and billing services for green electricity. In 2010, ubitricity was able to win Earlybird, one of Europe’s most successful venture capital investors, for a Series A financing round. ubitricity’s Mobile Metering concept makes a comprehensive charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EV) affordable. The metering and communications technology necessary for recharging a vehicle is mobilized. It is installed in the EV or inside the charging cable rather than inside every single charging point. As a result, charging points can be reduced to lean and affordable ubitricity system sockets that can easily be installed anywhere users need them, and allow for truly unlimited mobility.

Skeleton Technologies Logo

Smart green startup: Skeleton Technologies is Europe’s leading manufacturer of ultracapacitors, delivering high power, high energy, reliable and long-life storage solutions across industries. Through the use of patented nanoporous carbide-derived carbon, or curved graphene, we have achieved global breakthroughs in ultracapacitor performance. Our ultracapacitors deliver twice the energy density and 5 times the power density offered by other manufacturers. In 2014, the company opened a 1000 m2 pilot plant and launched new SkelCap series ultracapacitors, which have gained considerable customer traction in the motorsport, automotive and aerospace sectors, among others. Our current customer base includes global engineering companies, the European Space Agency and several Tier 1 automotive manufacturers. The company employees 47 people and has two subsidiaries: Skeleton Technologies GmbH located in Bautzen, Germany, which deals with manufacturing and sales; and Skeleton Technologies OÜ, located near Tallinn, Estonia, which handles R&D and pilot production.

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Smart green startup: QINOUS develops, manufactures, and sells smart, standardized, plug-and-play energy storage solutions for the integration of large shares of renewable energies into mini grids. The QINOUS solution addresses a main problem for storage systems in the power range from 30 kW to 10 MW: the availability of an integrated solution which is simple to install and to use, and, at the same time, is proven, reliable and cost efficient. Moreover, the plug-and-play concept reduces the complexity and risk commonly found in individually designed and on-site assembled storage systems.

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Smart Green Startup: Rockethome is one of the most innovative providers of smart home and energy management systems in Europe. With its advanced software-as-a-service solutions Rockethome helps utilities, telecoms, hardware manufacturers, security providers and other service providers convince their customers of modern smart home services (e.g. security, lighting, heating, air condition, healthcare, energy feed-in and storage, electric vehicles). Rockethome offers a unique user engagement platform for the interpretation, visualization and control of Smart Home and Smart Metering applications. Due to the highly intuitive and added-value applications customers can analyze and visualize their energy consumption as well as control rooms and devices (online, mobile, in-home). It further integrates the monitoring of local solar power or CHP systems and the charging infrastructure of electric vehicles. Rockethome’s unique Behavioral Automation System offers a self-learning solution that adapts automatically to the users’ habits and preferences.

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Smart Green Startup: Kiwigrid is the software and IoT company for decentralized energy and e-mobility. The KiwiOS platform is used to operate white-label products for digital energy providers, innovative utilities, car manufacturers and OEMs of decentralized energy systems. Kiwigrid enables its customers to open up new markets, diversify their offerings and differentiate themselves from the competition. In this way, KiwiOS continues to spread in the decentralized energy world and currently manages 200,000 devices. The Dresden-based company was founded in 2011 and currently employs over 150 people. Kiwigrid is a leader for intelligent energy management and works with Solarwatt, E.ON, BayWa r.e., enviaM group, Thüga and LG Electronics among others.

Sunoyster Logo

Smart Green Startup: SunOyster Systems (SOS) is a Hamburg-based start-up which is manufacturing the SunOyster. The SunOyster is a concentrating solar technology generating at the same time electricity and heat. This solar CHP reaches up to 75% total energy efficiency and allows the SunOyster to become in sunny regions the cheapest form of solar energy wherever heat or cold are needed. SOS is preparing to build up a serial production in the booming solar market India for 50 MW electric combined with 75 MW thermal capacity, starting operation in 2017. Presently, the company is rolling out their pre-series SunOysters in the sun belt of the world, from Chile over Egypt to China.

ECO16 Berlin Partners

Smart green accelerator: Rockstart Smart Energy Accelerator is a 180-days intensive startup accelerator program designed to help early stage smart energy companies go to market faster. These 10 startups joined the 2016 Program and are receiving all the support they need to realize their ambitions and make new ideas come to life in the complex energy industry. The program offers support from over 75 experienced mentors, opens up new networks and connects the startups to investors. The startups originate from 10 different countries and are developing new, sustainable ways to generate, share, and utilize energy. The Rockstart Smart Energy Demo Day takes place on 6 July 2016, just before ECO16 Amsterdam on 7 July 2016.

DOEN Logo

The DOEN Foundation believes that a green, socially-inclusive and creative society is possible. DOEN promotes people and enterprises that take the lead in the field of sustainable, cultural and social innovation with revenues of the Dutch Postcode Lottery, the Friends Lottery and the BankGiro Lottery. People with the courage to take risks in order to put their often pioneering ideas into practice and so inspire others. DOEN offers these people financial support and brings them together to connect them.

Life Size Media Logo

Life Size Media is a communications consultancy working exlusively in cleantech and sustainable innovation. We provide fully integrated campaigns that combine public relations with design, marketing, digital and film to achieve our client’s commercial objectives. We believe that a good story can change the world, and we only tell those stories for companies that we genuinely want to see succeed. Our mission is to help breakthrough technologies realise their potential to help build a better future.

PV Magazine Logo

Since its initial publication in 2008, PV Magazine has evolved into the top international magazine for solar decision makers and is now leading the global solar media market.

Xing Events Logo

Xing Events is the only provider who combines event management software and business network. With the help of Xing Events, organizers have sold and accounted for 7 million tickets worldwide for more than 180.000 professional events. The event management software for online event registration & ticketing allows participants a swift and secure purchase of tickets and guarantees for a smooth entry to the event. Years of event experience as well as a specialized international support team for organizers and participants make Xing Events a reliable partner for business events. As part of XING AG, the social network for professional contacts, Xing Events connects more than 14 million potential participants with suitable events.