The xplor Startup Competition – The Concept

The idea: we create opportunities and build bridges

The xplor Startup Competition is one of the largest energy startup competitions in Switzerland and brings together the most prominent startups with key stakeholders in the energy sector, including established industry leaders, investors, media and authorities. Swiss energy startups will have the opportunity to introduce themselves and exchange ideas with the established industry. 

The xplor Startup Competition is an initiative of Powertage and partners with which we jointly show, communicate, support and promote the spirit of optimism in the Swiss energy industry. xplor is a platform to be seen, to exchange and initiate business, to develop new ideas and to meet interesting people. 

An event with success stories

The Powertage is the major industry meeting place for the Swiss electricity sector. Interesting expert presentations with renowned speakers in the forum support the Powertage trade event over the course of three days. 

• 150 exhibitors, 20% of which are new exhibitors
• Around 30 accredited media representatives
• Powerparty Electrosuisse with approx. 650 participants

Facts & figures

• 3-day event during the Powertage; over 2000 visitors are expected 
• 10 startups and young entrepreneurs
• xplor Startup Village with 120 m2, including stand space for startups and networking area 
• Strong focus on networking in an open, accessible atmosphere
• Who's who of the energy industry 
• Established partners of the Powertage
• Major media presence

The Siws energy startup scene

Very active and attractive, nut with little visibility and few connections. 

• 10% of Swiss start-ups are active in the cleantech sector. 
• Around 190 cleantech start-ups were founded in Switzerland in the last 10 years and are still operating independently today. 
• 26% of cleantech start-ups are spin-offs from EPFL or ETHZ.

Jury selection 

An initial pre-selection of the applications received will be made by the organizers after the application deadline of 12 January 2024. The pre-selection is based on the following participation criteria. Afterwards, national jury members will determine which startups can participate in the Powertage 2024 and present their innovations and ideas at their own stand in the xplor Startup Village. The jury members evaluate the participants according to the documents submitted by them directly. 

The jury will evaluate the participants and their projects based on the following criteria: 

• Innovative strength 
• Market relevance 
• Sustainability 
• Growth potential 

The ten startups that best meet these criteria will be nominated for the Powertage 2024. The decision of the jury is considered binding and cannot be appealed. Applications can be rejected without specifying a reason.