Top 100 energy and climate tech start-ups for 2026

The SET100 List 2026 has been released, detailing 100 start-ups and young companies worldwide working on impactful ideas accelerating the global energy transition and mitigating climate change. 

Over the past ten years, the Start Up Energy Transition (SET) Award has received more than 4,500 applications from over 100 countries. For the 2026 edition, 475 start-ups from 79 countries applied across five categories to showcase their game-changing solutions.

The categories include Buildings & Construction, Clean Energy & Storage, Industry, Mobility & Transportation, and Quality Energy Access & SDG-7.

Since its inception in 2016, the SET platform aims to foster exchange between corporate players, the public sector, and energy innovators. 

Initiated by the German Energy Agency (dena) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), the platform addresses the need to rapidly scale clean energy technologies. Occupying a unique position at the intersection of private enterprise and public policy, SET works to increase political will and cross sectoral uptake of innovation in the energy transition. 

Commenting in the 2026 List of start-ups was Corinna Enders, Chair of dena’s Management Board: “The SET100 List 2026 reflects this decade of progress by showcasing a cohort that maintains our highest standards of excellence. 

“These start-ups provide the sophisticated, scalable business models required to address the world’s most urgent energy issues and transform climate commitments into tangible outcomes.”

Said Philipp Richard, General Director Digital Technologies & Start-up Ecosystem, dena – German Energy Agency: “It is rewarding to see how the SET ecosystem has matured over the last ten years. 

“This year’s list is particularly notable given the advanced technical readiness of the participants; many start-ups are now at TRL (Technology Readiness Level) 7–9, indicating solutions that are ready for immediate deployment in the market. As a platform at the intersection of the public and private sectors, SET serves to amplify the impact of these market-ready innovators. Their success is vital for achieving a resilient, global net zero economy.”

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To qualify for the SET Award, start-ups had to meet the following requirements:

• The company must not have been founded more than 10 years ago
• There must have been a functioning prototype
• The company must be registered or be in the process of becoming registered
• The applicant must be able to present a proof of concept, a client, and/or an industrial/corporate/institutional partner

From the list of 100, an international jury from the worlds of energy, finance and technology selected 15 finalists, and on Tuesday, 17 March, those finalists get the chance to present their innovations at the SET Tech Festival’s SET Tech Awards.

This year’s five categories and 15 finalists are: 

Buildings & Construction    

Clean Energy & Storage

Industry

Mobility & Transportation

Quality Energy Access & SDG-7

If you are curious to know who’ll win, head to next month’s SET Tech Festival in Berlin.