Winners

The ten finalists of the 2023 edition of the New Energy Challenge were coached to prepare for a pitch before a professional jury. The winners were announced in November. More about the winners here.

Below are the winners and the finalists of the New Energy Challenge 2023. These innovative startups and scaleups are driving sustainability and shaping the future of the energy sector. Follow their journey as they connect with investors, experts, and resources to scale their businesses and accelerate the decarbonization of energy systems.

Winners 2023

  • Freetilizer

    Portugal

    Winner — Freetilizer, an innovative Portuguese company, utilizes enzymatic hydrolysis in a controlled reactor to convert organic byproducts into stable and nutrient-rich solid and liquid organic fertilizers within 24 hours. This approach reduces operational costs, eliminates waste, and generates valuable fertilizers, aligning with circular economy goals and providing a profitable solution for manure management.

  • Kvasir Technologies

    Denmark

    Winner — Kvasir Technologies has developed a game-changing process to produce climate-friendly fuel for the shipping industry. Their scalable technology converts plant biomass into a marine biofuel that can directly replace fossil fuel oil, demonstrating high yield and properties similar to marine heavy fuel oil. They have secured investment from Vår Ventures and Maersk Growth to further develop and test their technology on a commercial seagoing vessel.

Finalists 2023

  • BEE Biofuel Manufacturing

    Namibia

    Finalist — BEE is a manufacturing company dedicated to developing better energy solutions for the benefit of our society. They provide affordable, environmentally friendly energy alternative to the standard petroleum-based fuel that is used to power and industrialise Namibia by refining waste vegetable oil and waste animal oil and transforming it into renewable biofuel.

  • Biodel AG Inc.

    United States

    Finalist — Biodel develops and manufactures bio-based products for the regenerative agriculture transition and pathway to agricultural carbon storage. These products include a patented plant extract that stimulates yields and a microbial product that builds soils, reduces salt impacts, and replaces synthetic nitrogen fertilizer.

  • Boost Biomes

    United States

    Finalist — Boost addresses the demand for biological crop inputs which aims to replace chemical products. Their discovery platform overcomes the historical challenges of microbial products, enabling discovery and development of effective and reliable microbial products. Boost's first biofungicide product, effective in over 60 field trials, will be approved by the EPA soon, and they have a pipeline of follow-on products to address critical needs and enhance soil biodiversity for sustainable agriculture.

  • Capro-X, Inc.

    United States

    Finalist — Capro-X uses a highly scalable natural fermentation biorefining approach to upcycle food and agricultural wastes into high-value platform chemicals. Their chemicals are targeted initially to the flavor/fragrance markets, with ultimate aims of producing sustainable aviation fuel and bioplastic.

  • ClearLeaf

    Costa Rica

    Finalist — ClearLeaf uses patent-pending technology, organic certified in the EU and Japan, to provide a line of non-toxic fungicides and bactericides for agricultural use. ClearLeaf currently has pre and postharvest solutions for coffee, banana, pineapple, multiple vegetables, tubers, sugar cane, melons, papaya, coconut, strawberries, flowers, and many more. GotaBlanca® is currently sold in Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, and Honduras.

  • Episome Biotechnologies

    Turkey

    Finalist — Episome Biotech specializes in producing cost-effective, high-quality microorganisms and industrial enzymes through a biomimetic approach. Their environmentally-friendly solutions help to reduce CO2 emissions, lower operating costs, and provide stable, long-lasting biological products of high quality. This demonstrates their commitment to using biology to drive innovation for the benefit of the environment and industry

  • TerraWaste

    the Netherlands / Latvia

    Finalist — TerraWaste is developing an advanced chemical recycling technology called Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) system which recycles plastics and various types of waste into high-value chemicals, oil, and biochar, with zero waste generated. Their goal is to transform plastic waste into a valuable resource, creating a circular supply chain and reducing the reliance on virgin plastic in industry and society.

  • Unibaio

    Argentina

    Finalist — Unibaio has developed a Biodegradable Delivery Technology that reduces the need for harmful chemicals in pesticides by up to 80%. Their nanocapsules offer a new approach to improve plant health and well-being while complying with new regulations, providing an environmentally friendly solution that disrupts traditional agrochemical design.

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