THE CALLOUT

The fourth edition of Green Energy Champion was launched in 2021 with a mission to find the next set of green energy champions who will revolutionise the areas of sustainable mobility, energy efficiency, and renewable energies in Sri Lanka. A call-out for green energy innovators across the island was disseminated on 15th April and remained open till the 29th of May, resulting in an incredible influx of applications from startups and SMEs with creative, innovative and sustainable solutions.

For more details on the application process, please click here.

THE SELECTION ROUNDTABLE

Out of all the applications that came rolling in, eleven promising candidates were shortlisted for the Selection Roundtable, namely: Rhoda, Sanota, We Manage, Ecosteem, Anya Power, Route Sonar, Cyrays, Ripple Effect, Spectra Industries Lanka, Eco Tech Base and Liya Nature Products. The virtual event, which was conducted on 22nd June 2021, allowed the aforementioned candidates the opportunity to present their unique business ideas to an esteemed panel of judges – comprising representatives from each partner organisation of Green Energy Champion 2021.

The judges reviewed and assessed the shortlisted candidates based on the technological viability and market fit of their ideas, subsequently choosing five local green energy innovators for the next stage of the campaign. The eminent jury included Andreas Berg from the Federal Foreign office; Claudia Tietze representing the German Embassy in Sri Lanka; Anika Kiefer from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH;  Minuri Adasuriya from Hatch; Randhula de Silva from Good Life X;   Ruwan Wijemanne from the Sri Lanka Energy Managers Association and Sulakshana Jayawardena from the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority.

Moving away from traditional event giveaways and upholding the Green Energy Champion’s commitment to sustainability, the Selection Roundtable concluded on a rewarding and uplifting note – announcing the planting of 66 trees in the Anawilundawa wetlands in commemoration of the partners and finalists in attendance. A virtual version of the forest was displayed for the attendees of the event, while the actual care and maintenance of the trees on site will be overseen by Carbon Planter. The judges also received lifetime access to Carbon Planter’s software platform which enables them to trace their trees’ progress.

THE FINAL FIVE

As per the unanimous decision of the judges, Ecosteem, Sanota, Rhoda, Route Sonar and Eco Tech Base emerged the strongest contenders at the Selection Roundtable and were chosen to enter the Green Energy Champion Accelerator 2021 – to further their business ideas and prepare for prospective local and international partnerships in the Green Energy ecosystem.

GREEN ENERGY CHAMPION ACCELERATOR 2021

Ecosteem, Sanota, Rhoda, Route Sonar and Eco Tech Base officially onboarded the Green Energy Champion Accelerator on 22nd July 2021, where they were briefed about the facilities at their disposal and were also introduced to the organisers and team of experts who will be guiding them throughout the six-month long accelerator programme.

The advanced accelerator programme – implemented by Hatch and Good Life X – will provide intense and immersive training and mentoring by industry experts to help these five businesses grow, identify potential opportunities, take calculated risks, and build business relationships, while simultaneously creating a positive impact on the environment, community and economy.

WHAT NEXT?

The Green Energy Champion Accelerator 2021 will be followed by a formal Partner Matchmaking Event aimed at facilitating networking amongst key green energy stakeholders. And the final phase of GEC 2021 will be marked by a ‘Demo Day’ where the five candidates, having completed their training and networking requirements, will showcase their renewed ideas and solutions.