By Elena Bou, Co-Founder and Innovation Director, InnoEnergy
When I co-founded InnoEnergy in 2010, “sustainable energy”, “energy transition” and “decarbonisation” were only niche concepts. But we saw the potential and took action, recognising that transformation is not an obstacle but a catalyst for innovation and leadership.
Since then, the world has changed.
What was once a ‘what if’ is now a reality in the making. Clean energy isn’t just possible, it’s happening. From early scepticism to concerns over energy costs and security, to global movements like “Fridays for Future” – the momentum for change is unstoppable. InnoEnergy didn’t just adapt to these changes; we drove transformation, navigating market shifts, political landscapes, and investment trends.
Today I am proud to unveil our elevated brand, which reflects both the world’s transformation and our company’s, as we push ahead to industrialise clean tech innovation to enable our growth, decarbonisation and autonomy.
Why INNO?
INNO, our new logo, is a bold statement of our credibility, capability, and vision for the future. It reflects who we are and what we stand for, while reinforcing our role at the intersection of early-stage cleantech innovation, public and private investment, and industry collaboration.
Built on the formula INnovation + INvestment + INdustry = Impact, INNO is more than a logo—it’s a recognition of the powerful ecosystem we’ve created. And while our brand has evolved, our company name remains InnoEnergy.
A brand built on a strong track record
For 15 years, we have invested in clean technologies across the energy value chain, not just with capital, but with added value support that drive real growth. From market access to access to finance; from technology enhancement to access to talent, we de-risk innovation, helping our portfolio grow faster, bigger, and safer.
With a track record of having supported more than 500 companies and created four unicorns, today, our investment portfolio is constituted by 160+ start-ups and scale-ups including five clean tech industrial champions, which we built to address critical market gaps.
These companies have raised more than €30 billion to date, created 40,000 jobs, and are on track to generate €110 billion in revenue and reduce 2.1 gigatons of CO2 by 2030.
Beyond investment, this transformation is about people. 2,200 of our graduates are already transforming traditional industries and we have retrained 100,000 workers to meet the needs of an evolving industry.
Our success is built on the strength of the ecosystem we have created since 2010. Our 1,400 partners, and 39 shareholders from across industry, finance, research, and academia, are part of a diverse and trusted innovation ecosystem. And, of course, our 200+ staff across Europe and our U.S. office in Boston.
This ecosystem thrives on collaboration. Investors looking for long-term returns invest in clean tech innovation. Entrepreneurs and students gain access to capital, markets, and expertise, while our industrial partners are able to tap into new technologies, business models and revenue streams. All of this is underpinned by policy-driven targets from the European Union which play a critical role in shaping the market conditions. Ultimately, this ecosystem is about collaboration (working together) for impact.
We are here to lead and make the hard things happen
In recent years, we’ve seen a surge in investment across sectors like renewable energy, battery storage, and industrial electrification. While these trends reshape the energy landscape, they also come with significant barriers. This includes scaling technologies at speed, aligning public and private capital to de-risk innovation, creating strong market demand and robust value chains, and addressing geopolitical risks to ensure resilience.
In a recent Forbes article, I explained that while such challenges are likely to persist, the playbook for overcoming them remains just as effective. This includes continued investment in R&D to boost the transfer of new technologies; effective public funding schemes to support scale-ups and attract private capital; and long-term supply agreements to build demand, reduce risk, drive cost efficiencies, and establish resilience amid shifting political landscapes.
This playbook is a core part of our blueprint for industrialising cleantech innovation. It’s how we take promising ideas and inventions and turn them into scalable solutions that transform industries. As we continue on our mission, the launch of our elevated InnoEnergy brand is a signal to investors, innovators, policymakers, and industry leaders: we are here to lead, to partner, and to make the hard things happen.
Same mission but higher ambitions, and our brand is ready for the next step. INNO is about delivering real, measurable impact. The energy transition is no longer a question of “when,” but “how fast.” We are here to run that race.
