Free Electrons, a truly global acceleration program in the field of energy, whose objective is to promote collaboration with startups that develop solutions in the area of mobility, clean energy and energy efficiency, has selected 30 of the best startups, which will now enter the Bootcamp phase.

The United States and Germany, with 5 startups each, France and Australia, with 3 representatives, and Portugal and the United Kingdom, with 2 teams, are the countries with the greatest weight in the final list. But the program has managed to attract interest from around the globe, such as Bangladesh, China, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Norway, Sweden or Switzerland.

In total, the program received 515 applications from 65 different countries, which turns out to be a reflection of the global reach of this initiative. “We are very pleased with this final list of candidates, since it represents the great diversity that we have been encountering throughout the application process. It is not easy to choose between 515 different proposals, but we had enriching discussions, and very constructive internal debates, and so we managed to end up with these 30 names. "I believe that this process mirrors the overall quality of the candidates, which turns out to be a testament to the quality of the program itself, as we look for innovative solutions that can be adopted and integrated into our businesses, in an effort to help shape the future of the energy sector," stated Luís Manuel, administrator of EDP Inovação.

The founders of Free Electrons are Ausnet Services (Australia), DEWA (Dubai), EDP (Portugal), ESB (Ireland), Innogy (Germany), Origin Energy (Australia), SP Group (Singapore) and Tokyo Electric Power (Japan), with the entire program supported by Beta-i (Portugal). American Electric Power (USA) also joined the program since 2018.

Structure

The central pillars of Free Electrons will be the three international modules, which will take place in different countries. Throughout the program, participants will work closely with utilities, mentors, and other local actors, in order to accelerate the growth of their businesses.

This will be followed by the Bootcamp phase, which will take place in Lisbon, from the 3rd to the 6th of April. This is followed by the 1st Module, divided between Sydney and Melbourne (Australia). The 2nd Module will start later in Silicon Valley (USA), with the concluding phase scheduled for Berlin (Germany), in October, where the winner will be revealed.

The utilities that are part of Free Electrons are leaders in their sectors and markets, with a strategic focus on innovation. This project is a testament to its effort to work together with startups, in order to bring to the future of the sector a whole new paradigm based on efficient, accessible and clean energies.

The 2017 edition of Free Electrons generated more than $2 million in revenue, the result of contracts signed between the 12 competing startups and the 8 partners, with a pipeline of future business opportunities that exceeds $12 million.

About Free Electrons

The Free Electrons Program is the best opportunity for startups in the energy space to grow and develop their businesses. The energy market has seen rapid changes in recent years with the rise of renewables, decentralization of the energy system, regulatory uncertainties and disruptive new technologies. To stay ahead, there is a strong need for utilities to source more innovation externally and consider the ‘beyond utilities’ business models.