Since 2010, InnoEnergy has been steadfast in its commitment to fostering the sustainable energy transition. Our ecosystem serves as a cradle for ambitious entrepreneurs, determined alumni and aspiring students. Together with our shareholders and partners, we provide these changemakers with the necessary support, mentorship, and resources to turn their visions into impactful realities.

 

As we prepare to wrap up the year, we will delve into standout achievements and impact, and shed light on the overarching influence our ecosystem has wielded in the pursuit of net-zero goals.

The remarkable milestones and achievements of our start-ups and students have been substantial and expansive, creating a tapestry of accomplishments across a range of technology fields, industrial value chains and geographies. To highlight a few, this year we saw InnoEnergy alumni William Wiseman and Alba Forns, co-founders of Climatize, recognised by Forbes 30 Under 30 2023 Social Impact; Verkor secure €2 billion to launch its battery gigafactory; EcoBean raise €7 million to develop a pioneering biorefinery; Novatron Fusion Group secure €5 million seed funding to propel fusion energy; Hardt Hyperloop secure €12 million investment for European Hyperloop Center; and Holosolis launch Europe’s largest solar PV gigafactory to bolster EU energy security. All these stories, and many more, are captured on our website and can be read about here.

In the past year, InnoEnergy achieved 14 successful exits from its previous portfolio companies while simultaneously welcoming 15 new startups into the InnoEnergy portfolio, these include: Phytonics, FertigHy, iOn Energy, Heliup, Beholder, Incitis, Solaqua, Circular Industries, Methaplanet, RENERCYCLE, Nesetten, Tribonex, Future Voltaics, Spark -eFuels and Diligised. These new entries strengthen the InnoEnergy portfolio, particularly in the areas of Circular Economy, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energies.

 

These start-ups join InnoEnergy’s portfolio of more than 200 companies, which are estimated to generate €110 billion in revenue and save 2.1G tonnes of CO2e accumulatively by 2030. Collectively, these companies have raised more than €9.7 billion in investment to date.

One of the biggest announcements of the year came in September with the completion of InnoEnergy’s private placement round. Success was significant and multilayered, as we saw new strategic players join InnoEnergy’s cap table as well as several shareholders reinvest, which resulted in fresh financial resources of €140 million. This will allow InnoEnergy to double its on-going impact by: increasing new deal flow; accompanying the current 200 portfolio companies in their growth; accelerating the successful launch of new industrial champions and helping us capture opportunities created by new regulatory frameworks. Read more.

In October InnoEnergy’s annual sustainable energy networking event, The Business Booster, saw our portfolio of start-ups come together with our shareholders, the wider InnoEnergy ecosystem as well as investors, industry leaders and policy makers. This year the flagship event transformed Amsterdam into Europe’s meeting point for sustainable energy innovation. We saw record attendance, with more than 1,500+ attendees coming together to transact with start-ups and explore the theme of The new Green Economy: Balancing profit and purpose. Read more.

Through an array of industrial value chain work, which has continued thorughout 2023, InnoEnergy is supporting the European Commission’s net-zero vision by realising the 20GW/year potential for solar PV over the next decade, which could create an additional €40 billion/year GDP and 400,000 direct and indirect jobs through the European Solar Initiative; developing a €100 billion/year green hydrogen economy that could create half a million direct and indirect jobs across the green hydrogen value chain by 2025, through the European Green Hydrogen Acceleration Center; and building a pan-European battery industry – the European Battery Alliance – to capture a new market worth €250 billion/year by 2025.

As we bring the year to a close InnoEnergy has yet again been recognised among the top global VC firms and Investors. Announced at COP28 on 2 December 2023, Startup Genome and the Global Entrepreneurship Network launched The Global Startup Ecosystem Report Climatetech Edition. The report explores the potential of Cleantech and the Blue Economy, bringing to light the global ecosystems which are currently driving innovation in these sectors. InnoEnergy ranks as the top Cleantech and Blue Economy “VC Firm and Investor” in Europe. Read more.

In recognition of Elena Bou’s contribution to the promotion of sustainable energy start-ups, the Nobel Sustainability Trust (NST) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) presented, for the first time, the Sustainability Award. Supported by the Nobel Sustainability Trust, the award recognises outstanding research and development work relating to sustainable energy and the economics of climate change. Read more.

2023 has been a mile-stone year for InnoEnergy and its entire ecosystem. This is a small glimpse of the success we have achieved throughout the year. For all major milestones and announcement, be sure to read our news, insights and events or sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of the website.