Potential clean technologies

Clean-tech enterprise from CENTROPE ranked among the 25 best young and innovative companies in Europe

Every year, the Eurecan European Venture Contest (EEVC) assigns awards to young, innovative companies with the potential to dramatically impact their industry and contribute to European competitiveness and growth. With Vienna-based crystalsol GmbH, one of the 25 winning companies that emerged from 15 (!) qualifying rounds is from CENTROPE. At the final EEVC 2010 event in Barcelona, this enterprise, which has developed an entirely new type of flexible photovoltaic module, obtained the unique opportunity to showcase its work and requirements before an audience composed of over 100 international investors.

One of the main goals of the CENTROPE initiative is to foster interregional co-operation within sectors such as clean technology and to promote CENTROPE as a business location for international investors. Both objectives were combined in the international Cleantech Invest Event 2010, which took place on 22 September in Schwechat/Lower Austria. This event was strongly supported by CENTROPE in close co-operation with Europe Unlimited and Tecnet Capital. Its target was to bring the most innovative clean-technology SMEs from Europe into contact with international venture capital investors. The Forum addressed business issues around green technologies including the following sub-sectors: wind and wave power, solar energy, energy efficiency and storage, water and air purification, biomass, energy management, materials and recycling as well as water efficiency. 35 pre-selected European clean technology entrepreneurs enjoyed the opportunity to meet and present their work to active international investors and corporations seeking investment and partnerships.

CENTROPE’s high clean-tech potential

In five sessions, companies presented their businesses as well as funding or partnering needs. A panel of international investment experts added direct feedback after each presentation. At the end of the event, the ten best companies were singled out for awards. Three of the ten winners are from CENTROPE and were duly invited to the European Venture Summit Event (EVS):

• ANTRO Kht from Szombathely/Vas County, which develops and manufactures alternative vehicles, tools and products that provide solutions for today’s urgent environmental and economic issues,
• Biogest Energie- und Wassertechnik GmbH, an international technology-oriented engineering company from Klosterneuburg/Lower Austria that is active in the field of renewable energy generated from biogas, and 
• crystalsol GmbH, a Vienna-based company that develops an entirely new type of flexible photovoltaic module with a significant cost and versatility advantage compared to all currently known photovoltaic technologies.

CENTROPE company among the top 25

The European Venture Summit held in Düsseldorf (Germany) on 6 and 7 December 2010 was the climax of a series of events organised by E-Unlimited in 2010 in nine different countries with the aim of enabling companies from all over Europe to qualify for this summit. In all, 120 start-ups from the sectors of ICT, life sciences and clean technology – including the three selected companies from CENTROPE – were invited to present their work before an audience composed of over 100 international investors. The European Venture Contest Jury selected the best 25 companies, and the Vienna-based company cystalsol GmbH was again among them. At the Eurecan European Venture Contest (EEVC) Final Jury in Barcelona on 16 December, this selection of the 25 most promising enterprises was given the opportunity to top investors and compete for a € 30,000 prize.

Through the complex selection and competition process, these events actively promote innovation and enliven the European economy. For the three companies from CENTROPE, they represented a golden opportunity to find the investors and partners they need in order to realise their innovations and business plans.

Eurecan European Venture Contest (EEVC)