Energy for Start-ups: Pitch opportunity for ten interested start-ups at E-world 2020

Start-ups with innovative ideas for the energy sector take note: As part of this year’s E-world energy & water in Essen, Europe’s leading trade fair for the industry, ten selected young companies will be given the opportunity to present themselves to potential investors. On 12 February 2020, Leipzig-based company VNG AG will host its first ‘Future Room’ at the Congress Center Süd from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. under the slogan ‘Energy for Start-ups’. There, interested founders and young entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to demonstrate compelling solutions during a five-minute pitch. In addition to representatives of VNG Innovation, a wholly owned subsidiary of VNG AG, SpinLab – The HHL Accelerator, one of Germany’s leading start-up hubs and the venture capital fund Smart Infrastructure Ventures GmbH will be represented.

Interested start-ups can apply by sending a short description (max. 500 words) with the subject ‘VNG Future Room’ by e-mail to info@vng-innovation.de by 7 February 2020. Ten start-ups will be selected from the applications.

“The fair is a huge meeting place that offers start-ups great opportunities to talk to potential partners. As a relevant representative of the energy industry that is heavily involved in the start-up sector and is always on the lookout for innovative solutions, we see a great opportunity in the VNG Future Room – both for us and for the young entrepreneurs involved,” says Matthias Tischner, Managing Director of VNG Innovation GmbH. “This also applies to the start-ups with which we are already cultivating strategic partnerships at this point in time.”

VNG Innovation GmbH focuses on investments in the areas of heat storage, solutions for sustainable heat supply and digitalisation solutions. Strong regional partnerships play a major role, for example with SpinLab – The HHL Accelerator from Leipzig, which has already successfully supported over 50 start-ups in recent years and has been recognised multiple times through rankings. VNG AG also holds a stake in Smart Infrastructure Ventures, a private venture capital fund that was launched last year and focuses on the innovative growth area of smart infrastructure. The fund invests throughout Germany, particularly in start-up teams with scalable business models from the fields of smart cities, energy and e-health. Dirk Frohnert, who previously held the position of fund manager at J.P. Morgan and successfully invested in various start-ups as a business angel, including the London unicorn Revolut, is the Managing Director. The close-knit network of all participants includes the multi-award-winning start-up university HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management.

More information about the event can be found online at: www.vng.de/zukunftsraum

Media representatives are cordially invited to the ‘VNG Future Room’ at E-world 2020. You can find out further information in advance from André Hoffmann by e-mail at andre.hoffmann@vng.de or by telephone at +49 341-443 2106.