The competition jury, consisting of a group of independent experts, selected ten startups that created the most interesting projects and best fit the concept of this year's edition. The companies selected to the finals present a wide range of solutions in the field of broadly understood effective energy.
The finalists include startups addressing the pressing need for green energy storage, such as ALVA Technologies and EcoReg, or using solar energy, such as Solhotair. There were also ten finalists Appartme, offering effective energy solutions for the housing and transport industries, or Atmesys, using process automation for more efficient analysis. Innovations using alternative energy sources, such as hydrogen, were presented Nanosci and Institute of Technology Optimization. However, it uses wind energy WindYES. Other participants' ideas included cooling radiation panels proposed by Kuuler or hydrocarbon waste pyrolysis reactors, manufactured by W2H2.
– The finalists of this year's edition perfectly fit the idea of green transformation. All the projects present enormous potential, which is why the jury had quite a problem choosing only the ten best ones. Selected startups present very interesting ideas, and the diversity of solutions proves that virtually every industry can introduce innovations that favor our planet. I am very proud that Huawei has been supporting innovators for years. The winners of this edition, in addition to the financial prize, have the opportunity to benefit from expert care and access to unique knowledge and experience of renowned institutions and partner companies. I would like to thank our partners who bring enormous value to the competition, and their number grows with each edition – underlines Ryszard Hordyński, director of strategy and communication at Huawei Poland.
The Huawei Startup Challenge is not only a competition, but also a platform enabling startups to gain valuable contacts, mentors and global exposure.
Internet users voted for the audience's favorite startup until March 10. The website includes competition films presenting the ideas of competing companies. A total of 6,963 votes were cast. The project from the TOP20 that obtained the largest number of them was Atmesys and thus joined the finals of the competition as a Wild Card.
– Also this year, the innovators did not disappoint – I see huge implementation potential of the presented solutions and technologies. Each of the finalists fits into global trends in energy efficiency. The high level represented by the participants of subsequent editions confirms for me that what we do in the Huawei Startup Challenge is valuable and will help change the world in the future – says Michał Misztal, CEO of Startup Academy.
The three best startups that will take a place on the podium will receive cash prizes of PLN 100,000, PLN 60,000 and PLN 40,000, respectively. Additionally, the Nomad Electric Award – Data Science Challenge worth PLN 15,000 will be awarded. The winners of Huawei Startup Challenge 4 will be presented at the final gala on April 9, 2024. Guests invited to the event will have the opportunity to distinguish their favorite by awarding a prize funded by Nextbike – a partner of the initiative.
The honorary patrons of the competition were the Marshal of the Masovian Voivodeship Adam Struzik, Employers of Poland, the Teraz Polska Foundation and the Lewiatan Confederation, while the honorary partners were Nomad Electric, the TELCOLAB laboratory and Nextbike. The media patrons of the event are Wirtualna Polska, INNPoland, Mam Startup, Nowy Marketing, eGospodarka, ISBnews, ISBtech, BRIEF, Teraz Środowisko, Wysokie Nadziecie, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
