The World CleanTech StartUPs Awards 2023
#WCSA2023
Visionary Technology Disruptor
(Paddy Padmanathan Award)
Powered by ACWA Power
In Strategic Partnership with
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Announcing The #WCSA2023 Winner
"water stuff & sun GmbH" emerged as the winner of the World CleanTech StartUPs Awards 2023, showcasing their groundbreaking solution, "Reshaping the way we store, distribute, and use renewables with SFEERS and the hydrogen battery."
The World CleanTech StartUPs Awards (WCSA2023) - Visionary Technology Disruptor (Paddy Padmanathan Award), brought together 32 startups from 21 countries across 5 continents, highlighting a diverse range of clean and disruptive technologies such as solar, storage, hydrogen, clean water, smart energy, e-mobility, IoT, AI, and more.
The WCSA2023 Jury, consisting of industry experts and leading CleanTech entrepreneurs, faced the challenging task of selecting the finalists from an exceptional pool of entries. The top 5 finalists underwent rigorous evaluation during the final hearing at The Smarter E event in Munich.
Thomas Altmann, Executive Vice President - Innovation & New Technology at ACWA Power and Co-Chair of the Awards, highlighted why "water stuff & sun GmbH" was chosen as the winner, stating, "Their solution represents a significant advancement in hydrogen storage technology. By combining the power of SFEERS and the hydrogen battery, they have set a new standard in reshaping the storage, distribution, and utilization of renewables. As the leading developer, ACWA Power will recognize the winner and provide the opportunity to visit our offices in Dubai and meet our experts, supporting the next steps of idea development and innovation.”
The WCSA2023 Awards also acknowledged the exceptional achievements of the finalists, including Kiru Energy Limited (Nigeria) for their "Mini-Grid in the City™ (MGC)," SkyH2O Inc. (USA) for their "Water security, sustainability, and resilience," Advanced Dynamics Limited (Bangladesh) for their "Cassetex is a network of solar-powered battery swapping stations for 1.5+ million electric last-mile vehicles in Bangladesh," and Aed Energy Ltd (UK) for their "Lowering the cost of decarbonized power & heat."
Looking ahead, the CEO of CEA-INES (The French Solar Energy Institute), Prof. Anis Jouini, and CBC Chair of CleanTech StartUp Hub and Chair of the Awards, announced plans for the future of the World CleanTech StartUPs Awards. They will kickstart CBC CleanTech StartUp Hub Mentoring Masterclasses and launch activities focused on helping startups scale up. Additionally, they are excited to announce the 1st World CleanTech StartUps Summit in mid-2024, featuring Face-to-Face pitching sessions, Masterclasses, and the WCSA2024 Awards Gala Ceremony. The next year's edition of the Awards will include more categories dedicated to specific technologies.
The Awards Ceremony, held in Munich at the "Dii Get Together" co-hosted by TÜV SÜD, was a remarkable celebration of innovation and collaboration. It brought together industry leaders and experts who witnessed the exceptional innovations shaping the clean technology landscape.
Thomas Korn, CEO of "water stuff & sun GmbH", expressed the significance of winning the WCSA2023 and its impact on their journey to scale up. With the support and recognition from the World CleanTech StartUPs Awards, they are confident in making a profound impact.
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Congratulations to "water stuff & sun GmbH" for their exceptional achievement, and commendations to all the finalists for their groundbreaking contributions. These startups exemplify the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that drives the clean technology revolution!
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About #WCSA2023 Awards
The World CleanTech StartUPs Awards, is an annual global competition that acknowledges and honors the most disruptive CleanTech startups across the globe. The competition strives to motivate and foster growth within the CleanTech industry by granting startups an opportunity to exhibit their innovative and disruptive solutions and attain acknowledgement for their endeavors in constructing a more sustainable and regenerative future.
Formerly part of the World CleanTech Awards, the WCSA2023 Awards has evolved into a specific awards program that recognizes and supports promising innovators and startups in the clean technology field. This decision was made by the WCA Jury to emphasize the critical role of startups in accelerating the cleantech transformation.
In honor of Paddy Padmanathan, the WCSA2023 Awards presented the Visionary Technology Disruptor (Paddy Padmanathan Award) to the startup with the most impactful, visionary, and disruptive technology innovation.
Powered by ACWA Power with strategic partnerships with Dii Desert Energy, CEA-INES (The French Solar Energy Institute) and the CleanTech Business Club, the WCSA2023 Awards judging panel includes industry experts and leading CleanTech entrepreneurs.
The judging panel considered the following criteria when selecting finalists and the winner of the WCSA2023 Awards:
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Innovation: The level of novelty and ingenuity in the proposed solution.
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Feasibility: Is the solution feasible, taking into consideration technical, economic, and social factors?
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Impact: The potential for the solution to generate positive environmental, social, and economic impact.
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Sustainability: The degree to which the solution aligns with sustainable principles and contributes to a circular economy.
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Scalability: The potential for the solution to be implemented on a large scale and have a significant impact on the clean technology industry.
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Disruption: The extent to which the proposed solution challenges the status quo and accelerates the clean technology transformation through a disruptive approach.
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The potential for the startup to attract investment or funding, based on the strength and experience of its team, business model, technology, growth prospects, and overall fundability.
By considering these criteria, the jury members were able to identify the most promising and innovative CleanTech startups that have the potential to make a significant contribution to building a greener, more sustainable, and regenerative future.
Who is Paddy Padmanathan?
Paddy Padmanathan, Non-Executive Member of the Board of Directors of ACWA Power, and CBC Honorary Chair for the Middle East is a seasoned engineering and energy expert with over 40 years of experience.
Paddy Padmanathan led ACWA Power from its startup phase 18 years ago and transformed it into a globally recognized company at the forefront of the energy transition. It is listed on the Saudi stock exchange with a market capitalization of over US$25 billion.
Under his leadership, ACWA Power has today become a leading developer, investor, and operator of power generation, water desalination, and green hydrogen plants, valued at US$75 billion.
The company has a significant track record in large-scale solar and wind energy development, and is a leader in water desalination, serving millions of people around the world. It is now making strides in the production of green hydrogen with the first plant at scale currently under construction.
After serving as President & CEO, Paddy Padmanathan has stepped down from his executive position to pursue his own business ventures, however, he continues to serve as a member of ACWA Power's Board.
He also serves on the Board of directors of several technology, construction and development companies all serving the water and energy sectors.
Paddy's unwavering commitment to renewable energy and addressing the impending potable water crisis are enabling significant changes in the industry, creating opportunities for sustainable growth and progress towards a greener future.
He holds an engineering degree from the University of Manchester and a postgraduate qualification in civil engineering from the University of Lancaster.
Prior to joining ACWA Power, Paddy served as VP and Corporate Officer at Black and Veatch a US Headquartered engineer constructor for over a decade.
Last but not least, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the CleanTech industry, Paddy Padmanathan was honored with The Solar Future Today Visionary Influencer Awards 2019.
Jury
The judging panel for the World CleanTech StartUPs Awards 2023 consisted of industry experts and leading CleanTech entrepreneurs.
The jury members brought their extensive knowledge, expertise, and experience in the CleanTech industry to select the most deserving startup to receive the Paddy Padmanathan Award for Visionary Technology Disruptor.
Chair
Prof. Anis Jouini
CEO of CEA-INES
(The French Solar Energy Institute)
CBC Chair of CleanTech StartUp Hub
Chair of WCSA Jury
Co-Chair
Thomas Altmann
Executive Vice President - Innovation & New Technology at ACWA Power
Co-Chair of WCSA Jury
Jury Members
Paddy Padmanathan
Board Member at ACWA Power; CBC Honorary Chair for the Middle East
Antonio Celso de Abreu Junior
Solar Pioneer in Brazil, Former Director in the Ministry of Mines & Energy; CBC Honorary Chair for Brazil
Prof. Ad Van Wijk
Professor Emeritius of Future Energy Systems at TU Delft; Member of Dii Advisory Board; CBC Honorary Chair of Green Hydrogen Hub
Adamo Screnci
Hydrogen Pioneer; Vice President - Licensing & Business Development at NextChem, CBC Chair of Green Hydrogen Hub
Dr. Hitesh Doshi
Chairman at Waaree Group; CBC Co-Chair for Asia & Chair for India
Laura Azpilicueta
European Director ESS Business
CATL - AMPACE Technology Limited; CBC Chair for Spain
Murat Aydemir
Managing Director MENA at px Engineering; CBC Chair of Bioenergy Hub & Waste To Energy Hub
Ruggero Arico
CEO at RAMP Advisory; Vice-President at Confindustria Assafrica and Mediterraneo; CBC Chair of Utilities & Energy Companies Hub
Victoria Kerner-Alexandratou
CEO at WRE Group; Vice President at German Hellenic Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Prof. Eicke R. Weber
Vice-Chairman at European Solar Manufacturing Council; Former Director, Fraunhofer ISE, Freiburg; CBC Chair of World CleanTech Awards
Cornelius Matthes
CEO at Dii Desert Energy; CBC Chair for Middle East
Alexis Issaharoff
Chief Renewable Energy Officer at Jubaili; CBC Chair for South East Asia
Andreas Fornwald
CEO at Rebirth Capital Partners; CBC Co-Chair of Energy Storage Hub
Dr. Rashi Gupta “Batterywali”
Managing Director, Vision Mechatronics; CBC Chair of Energy Storage Hub & Chair of Empowering Women Hub
Moctar Toure
Founder & CEO at SMART’ÉLEC & PARTNERS; Former Special Advisor to The President of Mali & Former President of CREE (Power and Water Utilities' Regulation Commission); CBC Chair for Mali
Paul Van Son
President at Dii Desert Energy; Visionary Advisor at CBC
Simay Akar
CCO & Co-Founder at Innoses; CBC Co-Chair of Empowering Women Hub
Zouhair Kefi
Director Division Energy & Home Automation at Heinrich Kopp GmbH, CBC Co-Chair of Smart Energy Hub
"CleanTech Mama" Mary O'Donnell
Founder & President at Clean Power Inc; Honorary Chair at Empowering Women Hub at CBC
Dr. Claas Helmke
Founder & CEO of newtrail.capital; CBC Co-Chair of Financial & Investor Hub
Jean-Pascal Pham-Ba
Co-Founder at Paradigm Partnerships; Secretary General and Spokesperson at Terrawatt Initiative; CBC Chair of Financial & Investor Hub
Dr. David Renne
Founder, Dave Renne Renewables, ISES Immediate Past President USA; CBC Chair of Solar Hub
Karel de Winter
Founder & Commercial Director at Hy-Energie FZE, CBC Co-Chair of Floating PV & CleanTech Hub
Mostafa Boulal
Founder & CEO at COREAS; CBC Chair for Morocco; CBC Co-Chair of Clean Water Hub in Charge of Africa
Rami Fedda
Co-Founder & Supply Director, Solar Juice Pty; CBC Chair for Australia & Oceania
Soufiane Naime
Business Development Middle East Oil & Gas Market (Energy Transition) at Bureau Veritas Group; CBC Co-Chair of Utilities & Energy Companies Hub
Pitch Your CleanTech Disruption
#CreateTheFuture #WCSA2023
"The World CleanTech StartUp Awards 2023 - Visionary Technology Disruptor (Paddy Padmanathan Award) provides a unique platform for CleanTech startups to showcase their innovative solutions and receive recognition for their efforts towards building a sustainable future.
We are thrilled to launch this initiative and encourage startups worldwide to participate in this exciting opportunity.”
Prof. Anis Jouini, CEO of CEA-INES (The French Solar Energy Institute),
CBC Chair of CleanTech StartUp Hub and Chair of the Awards.
Pitch Your CleanTech Disruption
#CreateTheFuture #WCSA2023
