CODE_n13 Contest announced the Top 50 green start-ups for the CeBIT

Since the end of August CODE_n has been searching worldwide for start-ups and emerging companies facing the energy transition with their innovative solutions. We are proud to announce that we have successfully achieved the first major milestone of our global initiative: 250 companies from 35 countries applied for the CODE_n13 Contest!

On Monday we announced the TOP 50 finalists of the CODE_n13 Contest who will be presenting their ideas at the CeBIT 2013 trade show in Hanover, Germany. The companies will share a 4,000-square-meter hall to showcase their ideas, specially designed by French artist Vincent Tavenne.

The 50 finalists invited to Hanover in March 2013 include companies from Germany, the USA, Spain, the UK, Greece, the Netherlands, Brazil and Switzerland. Participants from the Ukraine, Austria, Denmark, Iceland and Algeria will also be presenting their promising business concepts.

The ideas range from a green cloud solution to a hybrid vehicle driven by pure pedal power and solar energy. There is also a solar kiosk for small companies in developing nations with no access to the power grid. Several alternative mobility solutions are among the winning entries – such as innovative car sharing concepts and an ultra-low-power, one-person electric vehicle. The “Internet of Things” will also be playing a major role at CODE_n. Several start-ups will be showing their “smart home” ideas for the intelligent management of heating, light and other devices. There will also be community-based solutions linking the possibilities of the Social Web with the sustainable use of energy.

The winners of the two CODE_n13 Awards, each worth €15,000 in cash, will be chosen by a top-rate international jury. In addition to CODE_n initiator Ulrich Dietz, the jury includes Antonella Battaglini (Renewables Grid Initiative), Julian von Blücher (Ecosummit), Murat Günak (mia electric), Carsten Knop (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), Jens-Uwe Sauer (Seedmatch) and Elizabeth Varley (TechHub).

The winners will be announced at a special Award Show at the CeBIT on March 7, 2013, as will the recipients of the special prizes – crowd funding services from Seedmatch for three German finalists and a prize from Dell for the best solution based on Windows 8.

The whole CODE_n team looks forward to meet the most innovative entrepreneurs from all over the world at CeBIT 2013 and share an exciting five days full of networking and exploring!