New Energy Challenge

New Energy Challenge represents a prestigious competition celebrating its tenth anniversary, created through a collaborative effort between Rockstart, Shell, Unknown Group, and YES!Delft. This initiative targets innovative startups and scaleups developing breakthrough technologies that address sustainability challenges and transform the energy sector at scale. With global energy demands projected to increase significantly in the coming years due to population growth, NEC recognizes the critical need for revolutionary ideas and technological advancements to ensure affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy access worldwide.

The competition has established itself as a vital platform for identifying and nurturing promising energy innovations during its decade-long history. By providing expert coaching, mentorship, and strategic guidance, NEC helps early-stage companies refine their business models and accelerate their growth trajectories. The program specifically focuses on technologies that can make meaningful contributions to the energy transition, including renewable energy solutions, energy efficiency technologies, carbon capture innovations, and sustainable fuel alternatives that collectively address the complex challenges of building tomorrow's energy systems.

NEC's impact extends beyond the competition itself, with numerous success stories emerging from its alumni network. Asperitas, the 2018 winner, exemplifies this success by securing substantial investment funding, establishing strategic industry partnerships, and scaling its innovative immersion cooling technology for data centers. This pattern of achievement demonstrates how NEC effectively bridges the gap between promising concepts and commercially viable solutions that can be deployed at scale, ultimately accelerating the pace of energy innovation across European markets and beyond.

Looking forward, the tenth edition of the New Energy Challenge arrives at a pivotal moment when entrepreneurial innovation in the energy sector has never been more crucial. The competition continues to evolve its support mechanisms to address emerging challenges in the rapidly changing energy landscape. By connecting startups with industry leaders, potential investors, and technical experts, NEC creates a powerful ecosystem that not only supports individual companies but collectively drives economic growth through the development of next-generation energy solutions. This collaborative approach recognizes that entrepreneurial ventures will remain essential catalysts in developing and deploying the technologies needed for a sustainable energy future.