You can apply until April 19th for the next edition of PowerUp!, a competition for start-ups from 24 countries in Central Europe. Because of the great interest and demand in the competition, its organizer EIT InnoEnergy has increased the main prize from €20,000 to €30,000!

The main area of ​​the competition is the energy and cleantech sector but solutions such as mobility, cybersecurity, smart city and technologies limiting the emission of harmful dust particles into the atmosphere are also included.

In addition to the main prize of €30,000, there are also financial prizes for both second and third places (€10,000 and €5,000). The authors of the most interesting projects will be invited to the prestigious EIT InnoEnergy Highway® accelerator, offering financing of up to €150,000.

“We are different from other companies investing in start-ups. We not only finance, but also support the projects until they are commercialized. We offer services related to, for example, team building, training, coaching, mentoring. In addition, we facilitate access to external financing institutions, we help in cooperation with venture capital networks, we also develop the product itself – we cooperate with research institutes and universities, therefore we are able to invite engineers and from various fields to cooperate”, – says Jakub Miler, the CEO of EIT InnoEnergy Central Europe.

“PowerUp!” competition in Lithuania is organized by “Vilnius Tech Park”. According to the organizers, although energy sector isn’t yet so popular among startups in Lithuania, it is gradually becoming more and more interesting.

“We organize this competition to stir up Lithuanian energytech startups. This sector is very interesting and potentially valuable, so we would like to further develop it. Participating teams will deepen their knowledge and get advices on business development opportunities or funding possibilities for their products and services. We believe that “PowerUp!” contest is a great opportunity to show how we care about the environment and contribute to the sustainable development. The importance of energytech sector is also emphasized by our Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas. He will be the one to open Lithuania “PowerUp!” finals”, – says Ieva Dirvonskaitė, CEO of “Vilnius Tech Park”.

In May, participants of PowerUp! will take part in Bootcamps and Country Finals. Lithuanian Winners will be invited to Prague for the final Bootcamps with European mentors and the Grand Final, which will take place on 19th June.

To participate in the competition, you must have a prototype, the team and fill in the form at: www.powerup.innoenergy.com