NEC 2026 Partners
Shell is partner of the New Energy Challenge and is looking to support start-ups or scale-ups through awarding collaboration opportunities in new technologies.
Shell Ventures
Exciting innovations that are relevant to the energy system are taking place outside Shell, as digitalisation, electrification and decentralisation of energy systems continue to change the landscape. Shell Ventures, Shell’s corporate venture capital arm, makes minority investments in innovative technology companies, business models and growth plays to further the development of energy solutions and create substantial deployment value in Shell. Shell Ventures co-invests with other corporate investors and venture capital funds and will invest in both early stage and late-stage companies.
Visit the Shell Ventures website
Shell GameChanger
For more than 30 years, Shell GameChanger has been at the forefront of helping Shell to confront its most challenging technological issues. Gamechanger partners with start-ups and businesses to deliver innovative solutions that have the potential to drastically impact the energy future. Shell Gamechanger continuously scouts for game changing start-ups to collaborate with.
Shell GameChanger fosters collaboration between start-ups with early stage (energy-related) technologies and solutions, and experts within Shell, in three ways: Through the GameChanger Programme, start-ups can prove the commercial viability of their technologies and solutions and receive support, access to the expertise in Shell, and seed funding while working together work towards a proof of concept. The Gamechanger programme works with internal and external business partners, and we release specific business-inspired Calls for Solutions. GameChanger also takes part in strategic alliances and collaboration programmes that exist to stimulate both local and international start-up ecosystems.
Shell GameChanger, in close collaboration with Shell Ventures, has helped numerous technology development start-ups to get the funding and expert support they need to reach their full potential.
Rockstart
Rockstart is an early-stage investor that empowers purpose-driven founders on their journey to success across three domains: Energy, AgriFood and Emerging Technologies.
Rockstart provides start-ups with access to capital, market, community and expertise – connecting them to investors, partners, mentors and its wider global network. Combining VC investment with a long-proven accelerator model, Rockstart bridges the gap between early-stage capital and growth financing, supporting founders from pre-seed to Series B. The firm manages over €104m in assets across domain-focused funds in Energy, AgriFood (with a second fund launched in 2023) and Emerging Technologies. The Energy fund backs early-stage start-ups in renewable energy generation, smart grids, energy efficiency, low-carbon solutions and electrified mobility, using the Netherlands and Denmark as key hubs for European and international scaling.
Since its founding in 2011, Rockstart has invested in more than 400 start-ups with 9 exits to date, including Wercker (acquired by Oracle), iClinic, 3D Hubs, Brincr (acquired by Visma) and Dan.com (acquired by GoDaddy).
YES!Delft
In the New Energy Challenge, YES!Delft will be training the participants that are chosen after a curated selection. With their proven methodology on validation, YES!Delft brings the start-ups in the challenge to the next level to compete in the finals.
Since 2005, the tech incubator YES!Delft supports tech start-ups to bring their ideas to the market, validate their business assumptions, and accelerate their business. More than 550 active tech start-ups have access to the unique YES!Delft ecosystem which includes customized programmes, and services that provide access to funding and access to talents. In addition to that they have a broad network of mentors and corporate partners.
The ecosystem of YES!Delft is leading innovation in various industries, ranging from healthcare to energy transition and from the maritime industry to agriculture. With three locations in The Netherlands, they have a close connection to the Technical University Delft and the Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Since the start of our tech incubator in 2005, we’ve witnessed remarkable advancements in cleantech innovations. Collaborating with partners such as Shell, Rockstart, and the Unknown Campus, we continuously push the boundaries and nurture the brightest minds in the industry,
remarked Ras Lalmy, Managing Director at YES!Delft.
We are a starter-friendly institution, so therefore, we are also a not-for-profit entity. Our goal is first and foremost start-up success.
Unknown Campus
Unknown supports entrepreneurs that contribute to a better world: fuelling founders to fix the future.
Our impact campus provides the right environment for founders and their ventures to go from 0 to 10 million, by offering spaces, education and access to business opportunities and markets.
We provide buildings that offer modern offices, makerspaces, co-living areas, and essential facilities designed to help ventures strive. Through our Unknown University, we empower ambitious founders with the mindset, skills, and tools to start and scale impactful businesses. We’ve built an ecosystem of partners that creates business opportunities for founders, unites start-up solutions with the industry to solve global challenges and helps to overcome barriers to scale.
Energy Tech Summit
Europe’s leading energy and climate tech conference, where the brightest minds, boldest innovators, and most influential decision-makers come together to shape the net-zero future.
Hosted in the vibrant city of Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain, Energy Tech Summit 2027 brings together start-ups, investors, corporates, utilities, policymakers, and climate leaders for three transformative days of innovation, collaboration, and deal-making.
Recognized as one of Europe’s #1 climate tech events, Energy Tech Summit is the ultimate platform to connect, invest, and lead the energy transition. Whether you’re seeking investors, customers, or collaborations, this is where the energy tech ecosystem converges to turn ideas into impact.
