Net Impact, in partnership with Shell GameChanger, is proud to announce the fifth year of the Future of Energy Challenge, a competition that invites the next generation of innovators and social entrepreneurs interested in launching their own sustainable energy enterprises to develop alternative energy solutions that build the path to a more sustainable future.
With five years of leadership in fostering viable alternative energy solutions, the Future of Energy Challenge is once again seeking creative and innovative ideas from next generation leaders that have the potential to grow into scalable businesses. Net Impact will call upon its expansive network of social impact changemakers and influential business leaders to mentor and provide valuable resources to challenge participants while they compete for the finalist title.
Society faces a dual challenge: how to transition to a low-carbon energy future to manage the risks of climate change, while also extending the benefits of energy to everyone on the planet. Tackling this challenge starts by being aware of our impact so that investors, companies, cities, and governments can make the right choices. It requires us to come up with new ways for how energy is produced, used, and accessed by people while drastically cutting down on emissions.
This year’s Future of Energy Challenge question will ask teams how to better reduce emissions, whether applied to individual consumer or commercial activities. From the pool of applicants, up to six teams will be selected as Future of Energy Scholars and begin a business accelerator to grow their idea into a scalable enterprise. The accelerator culminates with a pitch competition in the summer of 2022, and the winning team will receive mentorship, valuable connections, and up to $10,000 of non-dilutive funding to invest in the next stage of developing their clean energy startup.
The 2021 Future of Energy Challenge winner was New World Energy, a start-up that piloted a revolutionary method of hydrogen production that uses zero fossil fuels to turn waste into cleaner energy. The 2020 Future of Energy Challenge winner was Petal Transport, a start-up focused on last mile delivery with innovative mobility equipment to sustainably address the challenges of cargo trucks moving around in big cities.
Net Impact invites participants to form a team of 2-4 people and formulate a proposal that addresses the challenge question as defined in the challenge brief. Applicants must submit their ideas through the Net Impact website by April 15, 2022. Teams that submit their solution prior to February 15 will receive feedback from Net Impact staff to improve their submission before the final deadline.
The Future of Energy Challenge is run in partnership with Shell GameChanger with the objective to inspire students and professionals to help pave the path to a cleaner energy future.
For more information about the Future of Energy Challenge or to join the case competition today, visit https://netimpact.org/programs/future-of-energy-challenge.
About Net Impact
Net Impact is a global community of students and professionals who aspire to be effective drivers of economic, social, and environmental change. Our programs—delivered from our headquarters in Oakland, CA, as well as globally through our 400+ Chapters—connect our members to the skills, experiences, and people that will allow them to have the greatest impact. With over 140,000 members, Net Impact takes on social challenges, protects the environment, invents new products, and orients business toward the greater good. In short, we help our members turn their passions into a lifetime of world-changing action. Visit www.netimpact.org.