Registration for PowerUp! has closed: we’re now ready to announce who has made it to the next stage of the competition!

Almost 300 start-ups from 24 countries across the CEE region will take part in the fifth edition of PowerUp! The competition, organised by InnoEnergy, provides a unique opportunity for ambitious businesses to secure financial backing and develop their ideas on a global scale. In a few weeks’ time, participants will compete in the first stage of the contest – Country Finals.

The largest number of participants this year have come from Poland, with 46 applications. In second place is Serbia with 29 submitted forms, and third place is Hungary with 27 candidates.

Participants who made it through the registration process will now compete in the Country Finals, which will take place between 29 March and 25 April. Following these, 14 finalists will appear in the Grand Final in Krakow, battling it out for the main prize. This will take place on 21 May at Impact’19, the largest economic conference in the CEE region. Both the Country Finals and Grand Final will be preceded by bootcamps, which are workshops run by leading international business mentors who will help prepare start-ups to present their ideas to a panel of investors and industry experts.

“As a winner at last year’s PowerUp!, we had the opportunity to present our solutions to a broader audience and assess how we will bring our products to the wider market. Moreover, winning also helped us to secure new business and form new partnerships with other companies”, says Adam Komarnicki, CEO of Indoorway, winner of the Polish PowerUp! Country Final 2018.

As in previous editions, the competition is supported by a range of external partners. Michał Maćkowiak, Head of Innovation at RAFAKO S.A. explains the reasons behind their support:

“This year is the third year in a row that RAFAKO has been a sponsor of the PowerUp! competition. This is a result of the long-term cooperation we have had with InnoEnergy, both at the European and local level in Poland. The competition gives us a great chance to learn about the latest trends and technologies in areas that are close to what we do as a company, and promise to make a real difference to the future of our planet. These include electromobility, renewable energy sources, alternative fuels or energy storage. It is also a great opportunity to share knowledge and experiences with other partners of the competition.”

Ukrainian company DTEK has also joined the list of Gold Partners this year. Emanuele Volpe, DTEK Chief Innovation Officer said:

“DTEK provides European rules and values ​​in Ukrainian energy markets. Together with the PowerUp project, we would like to embrace European innovation as well. Innovation is changing the world and we are ready to become part of these changes. We are looking for solutions in gas and coal production, thermal generation, renewable energy, grids, e-mobility, energy efficiency and customer services.”

The number of Partners of the fifth edition of PowerUp! is still growing. The patronage over the competition was taken by the Ministry of Enterprise and Technology, the National Center for Research and Development, CEEP (Central Europe Energy Partners), AUGA Group and Borusan.

The full list of PowerUp! 2019 Country Finals can be found below.