Free Electrons’ applications are open!

Free Electrons’ applications are open!

Applications are open for Free Electrons – the first truly global acceleration program, that connects the most promising startups with leading utilities in the energy sector. The program seeks to find solutions in the mobility, clean energy, smart grids, and digitalization.

On March 13th, the startups selected for the bootcamp (happening in Dublin) will be announced.

Just like the last edition, the program will have 3 modules: the first in Columbus, in the North-American state of Ohio, in May; the second in Hong Kong, China, in June; and the last module will happen in Lisbon, in September, when a winner will be announced – winning a $200.000 prize.

In its 3rd edition, Free Electrons already has a successful history: several pilots began business partnerships between the startups and the utilities and last edition’s winner, SOLshare, is revolutionizing the energy market in Bangladesh, where over 50 million people still can’t access the electrical grid.

Partnering up

The founders of Free Electrons are Ausnet Services (Austrália), DEWA (Dubai), EDP (Portugal), ESB (Irlanda), Innogy (Alemanha), Origin Energy (Austrália), SP Group (Singapura) e Tokyo Electric Power (Japão). In 2018, the American Electric Power (USA) and CLP (Hong Kong) also joined the program, with the program being powered by Beta-i.

These 10 utilities of the energy sector have, together, around 80 million clients and are located in more than 40 countries – which gives mature energy startups the chance to go global by accessing these partners.

Applications are now open until the 22nd of February.

Slush: a lifetime experience worth repeating

Slush: a lifetime experience worth repeating

A quick visit to Slush’s website and you will read that the event happens during what is the sh*ttiest weather season of the year. I have never been in Finland before so I don’t know if it can get any sh*ttier, but let me tell you: it is cold.

They claim nothing normal ever changed a damn thing and they couldn’t be more right. The moment we get there we start to think about that sentence and the truth is it reflects exactly what happens during those days in Helsinki.

The event is amazing, to be honest it is one of the best startup and tech events I’ve ever attended (and I’ve had my fair share of tech events). The energy surrounding it is contagious and the concept of the true entrepreneur is everywhere you look. You would think that such a dark space wouldn’t be cosy but you couldn’t be more wrong, in fact that darkness contributes to create the atmosphere we’re so drawn into. Plus, the disruptive ideas and the content quality make this event nothing but normal.

There is no way you’ll get bored in Slush. Everybody is there to share their experiences and make the ecosystem grow. It is extremely focused on startups and that is why they are everywhere, focused mainly on B to B and at the same time totally different from what we know as “conventional”.

It is a must go for startups and entrepreneurs and no matter what I write about it it will never truly describe what happens there, you will never be able to understand how the event’s energy works towards everybody’s feelings and emotions if you don’t actually live it. It is, without a doubt, money extremely well spent.

For those who didn’t have the opportunity to be there I leave you with some of my favourite talks from the event. Hope you enjoy them as much as me.

 

How Best to Create a World-Conquering Team (Toby Coppel,Alice Bentinck, Kat Manalac) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ9xgu4eYgk

Talk What Will Happen in Artificial Intelligence Next Year (Harri Valpola) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkRpmSld1fI

Talk Back to the Future of work (Karoli Hindriks) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-XdXkB_wxQ

Preparing our kids for jobs that don’t exist yet (Zach Klein) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Ca4m6WLuA