Purpose of the Call
The Call for Industrial Battery and Energy Storage Tech Startups is designed to identify technology-driven companies capable of contributing meaningful value to the industrial battery and energy storage ecosystem. The objective is not to organize a startup competition, nor to operate as an accelerator program or investor demo day. The objective is to curate technologies that can integrate into a professional industrial platform where engineering, deployment and decision-making converge.
Selected startups are not showcased as isolated innovation cases. They are integrated into an ecosystem composed of EPCs, OEMs, industrial project owners, battery manufacturers, integrators, recycling operators, grid actors and technology suppliers. The selection process therefore prioritizes industrial coherence over visibility.
Strategic Positioning
Battery Tech & Energy Storage Tech Europe is positioned as a European industrial platform focused on deployment, integration and scaling of battery and energy storage systems. The call supports technologies that demonstrate relevance to real industrial actors and operational environments. The framework is designed to reinforce ecosystem balance, ensuring that startups create value not only for visitors but also for exhibitors and established industrial players.
Industrial ecosystem relevance is the central selection principle. A startup does not need to be commercially mature to be relevant, but it must be able to articulate clearly which industrial actor benefits from its solution and how integration or collaboration would realistically occur.
Eligibility Conditions
Applicants must be legally incorporated entities. The company must demonstrate a clear orientation towards industrial battery or energy storage applications. Solutions should address use cases within industrial Energy Storage Systems, electrical grid environments, OEM integration, infrastructure or critical applications, or circularity and lifecycle management.
Companies focused primarily on mass-market EV automotive are not prioritized, as the event maintains strong industrial and non-automotive positioning.
Regarding technological maturity, the indicative TRL range is between 4 and 9. Technologies at TRL 5 to 9 are preferred. Companies at TRL 4 may be considered if they present credible technical validation and a clear industrial roadmap. Pure conceptual ideas without technical validation are not prioritized.
Funding stage, whether pre-seed, seed, Series A or beyond, is not treated as a selection barrier. It is considered contextual information only. Industrial relevance and technological credibility remain the primary determinants of selection.
Evaluation Framework
Applications are assessed qualitatively and contextually. The process does not rely on a purely numerical scoring system but on structured professional judgement aligned with the strategic positioning of the event.
Technological credibility is first evaluated. This includes the stated TRL level, the existence of prototypes or pilots, validation evidence, engineering depth within the team and the clarity of the development roadmap. The objective is to determine whether the solution demonstrates technical seriousness and development integrity. A lower TRL does not automatically exclude an applicant if the industrial roadmap is coherent and the engineering foundation is credible.
Industrial applicability is then assessed. The solution must demonstrate a clear use case within industrial battery or energy storage environments. The application should articulate how technology integrates into existing architecture or project frameworks. While active industrial clients are positive indicators, they are not mandatory. What is required is a credible and technically realistic pathway to deployment.
Ecosystem relevance is the core evaluation pillar. The startup must demonstrate relevance to at least one actor within the Battery Tech & Energy Storage Europe ecosystem. This may include EPCs, OEMs, industrial project owners, battery or pack manufacturers, BMS providers, integrators, recycling operators, grid operators or technology suppliers. The applicant must clearly describe who benefits from the solution, what industrial problem is addressed and how collaboration, integration or partnership could materialize. Applications that cannot clearly establish this ecosystem relevance are not prioritized.
Value creation potential is also evaluated. The solution should demonstrate potential to reduce technical risk, improve performance, lower integration complexity, optimize cost structures, enhance safety, improve lifecycle management, support regulatory compliance or increase project bankability. Demonstrated impact is highly valued, but credible potential supported by a structured roadmap is also acceptable.
Finally, organizational readiness is considered. This includes the expertise and structure of the team, the clarity of market positioning, the quality of submitted documentation and the company’s ability to engage in professional industrial dialogue. Revenue levels, number of employees and funding stage are contextual indicators and are not used as exclusion criteria.
Review Process
Applications are reviewed on a continuous basis. There is no fixed jury date, no competition format and no batch-based selection. Each application is evaluated individually upon submission against the defined industrial criteria.
The review process may involve Event Direction and, where relevant, members of the Industrial Advisory or technical partners. The objective is to ensure program coherence, ecosystem balance and alignment with the event’s industrial positioning.
Applicants are informed directly of the outcome. The process priorities clarity and integration rather than public ranking or competition.
Selection Outcomes
Applications may result in selection for full participation including Innovation Zone presence and technical pitch, or non-selection due to insufficient industrial or ecosystem alignment.
Selection is confirmed directly upon approval and formalization of participation.
Participation Conditions
Selected startups receive access to the Innovation Zone, potential technical pitch opportunities, and full access to the congress and all event content. Event passes for the startup team are included.
Participation is fee-based. The standard participation fee is €1,500. An Early Bird fee of €950 applies until April 30. Participation is confirmed upon selection and payment.
Strategic Intent
The strategic objective of this call is to strengthen the European industrial battery ecosystem by connecting emerging technologies with scaling actors. The call supports industrial scaling, ESS deployment acceleration, regulatory alignment and cross-value creation between startups and established exhibitors.
The intention is not to showcase startups as early-stage experiments. The intention is to integrate relevant technologies into an industrial decision-making environment.
