IRENA NewGen 2024: Empowering Young Entrepreneurs to Drive Renewable Energy Solutions

For the second year in a row, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in collaboration with Social Alpha, a non-profit organisation based in India that supports social start-ups, and Enel Foundation, a global non-profit organisation focused on knowledge sharing to drive a clean energy future, organised the IRENA NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator (NewGen) programme. The programme supports youth-led solutions in the climate and sustainable energy sectors through the provision of tools and knowledge needed to develop and implement their ideas.

This year, the programme supported 34 young innovators and entrepreneurs representing 17 startups. They benefited from a series of training, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing activities designed to scale climate impact, support youth climate action, and secure investments to implement their business plans and solutions.

The IRENA NewGen Award 2024 selected the top four solutions from these 17 startups. As winners, they will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas in front of potential investors and investment experts during a dedicated entrepreneurship event in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2025.

The winners are:

First Position: Hulu Solar, which offers clean and affordable solar energy solutions to underserved communities in Ethiopia, empowering individuals and driving sustainable development.

Second Position: RIOT, which is based in Colombia, works on the development of a green hydrogen-based fuel generator prototype.

Third Positions:

• E-Moti, which offers urban public transit solution in Kenya. E-Moti operates electric buses that run solely on renewable energy.
• Kooti Agrivoltaics, which envisions revolutionising agriculture through agrivoltaics, integrating solar energy and farming in Greece. This innovation mitigates climate impacts, supports farmers, and enables growth, even in desert environments.

Commenting on the organisation of this year's NewGen, IRENA's Deputy Director-General Gauri Singh said, "This year, as IRENA was tasked with tracking and reporting on the goal of tripling global renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030 - an outcome agreed upon during COP28 as part of the UAE Consensus - we are more committed than ever to supporting entrepreneurs and leaders who are at the forefront of renewable energy and clean technology deployment worldwide. We are incredibly proud to have supported the startups in this year's NewGen Accelerator as they embark on their journeys."

Dr. Nawal Al-Husayni, the UAE's Permanent Representative to IRENA said, "The NewGen startups' ideas are the foundation of global energy transition, ideas presented are unique ideas that have the potential to make a long-lasting impact on communities all over the world."

While commenting on the results of the second edition of the NewGen Award, Manoj Kumar, the founder of Social Alpha said, "What is truly remarkable this year is that over 50% of the shortlisted startups are from the Global South, and one-third of the finalists are women-led. It is inspiring to witness how innovators and entrepreneurs are leading the global fight against climate change by catalysing energy access and transition with their impactful solutions."

Giulia Genuardi, Managing Director of Enel Foundation, added her views, saying, "What makes the NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator truly unique is the commitment to equal opportunities on a global scale. As a proud knowledge partner to IRENA, Enel Foundation is deeply committed to supporting the spark of passion of young innovators."

Read more about IRENA's engagement with the youth here.