Energy tech founders sell to utilities, grid operators, developers and big industrial users, and those buyers meet at a few large fairs and a handful of investor summits each year. These are the ten best energy tech events of 2027 for startups, from Essen, Hanover, Bilbao, Copenhagen, Rotterdam and Munich to Abu Dhabi, San Diego, Cape Town and Las Vegas.
We picked events with a startup area, a pitch stage, a founder ticket or a room full of energy buyers and investors, with Europe first. We checked every date on the organiser's own website and mark each one as Confirmed (date on the official site), Announced (reliable second source only) or Expected (based on past editions only). All ten below are Confirmed for 2027.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
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Top 10 Energy Tech Startup Events of 2027 at a Glance
The 10 best energy tech events of 2027
1. World Future Energy Summit: 12–14 January 2027, Abu Dhabi
The World Future Energy Summit is free to attend once you register, which makes it the cheapest big energy show of the year. It brings 500+ exhibitors and tens of thousands of visitors from the Gulf, where governments are spending heavily on solar, storage and hydrogen.
2. Cleantech Forum North America: 25–27 January 2027, San Diego
Cleantech Group's forum is a small, curated meeting built around deals rather than booths. If you are raising a seed or Series A round for an energy company, this is where you meet active cleantech investors and the corporate venture arms of energy companies in one room.
3. E-world energy & water: 16–18 February 2027, Essen
E-world is Europe's leading fair for the energy industry, with 1,100+ exhibitors in 2026 and 90% of the 2027 space booked four months ahead. It is the best place to sell energy software, trading, metering or grid products to German and European utilities. See our guide to startup events in Germany.
4. HANNOVER MESSE: 5–8 April 2027, Hanover
In 2027 HANNOVER MESSE adds an Industrial Energy exhibition area and a new partner show, Europe Energy Week, covering the whole energy value chain for industry. More than 300 start-ups exhibit in its Startups area, so this suits founders who sell energy efficiency, electrification or hydrogen to factories.
5. Energy Tech Summit Europe: 7–8 April 2027, Bilbao
The 8th Energy Tech Summit is the most founder-friendly event on this list: the Founder's Pass is reserved for pre-seed and seed energy and climate tech start-ups, and the organisers say 200+ corporates come to offer pilots and proofs of concept. Its Energy Tech Challengers pitch battle takes start-ups from pre-seed to Series B, bootstrapped ones included. See our guide to startup events in Spain.
6. WindEurope Annual Event: 20–22 April 2027, Copenhagen
WindEurope expects 16,000+ participants and 500+ exhibitors in Copenhagen, the home of Europe's biggest wind companies. A Startup Pavilion gives young companies in inspection, digital, logistics or materials a stand in front of the whole industry. See our guide to startup events in Denmark.
7. Enlit Africa: 11–13 May 2027, Cape Town
Enlit Africa is the main meeting place for African utilities, municipalities and off-grid and commercial energy buyers. Start-ups have their own registration category, and the Innovate Stage covers storage, smart metering and AI forecasting.
8. World Hydrogen Summit: 18–20 May 2027, Rotterdam
The Sustainable Energy Council runs the summit with RX, the Dutch government, local authorities and the Port of Rotterdam, and CCUS World runs alongside it. It is where hydrogen buyers and offtakers meet, so it suits electrolyser, storage and hydrogen software founders. See our guide to startup events in the Netherlands.
9. The smarter E Europe: 7–10 June 2027, Munich
The smarter E Europe expects 2,600+ exhibitors and 100,000+ visitors. Around 170 start-ups get a place in its sponsored Start-up Area, with short talks on the Start-up Stage, and exhibitors can enter The smarter E AWARD between 1 December 2026 and 12 March 2027. See our list of startup events in Munich.
10. RE+: 15–18 November 2027, Las Vegas
RE+ is North America's largest clean energy trade show and the main entry point for European energy start-ups looking at the US market. See our list of startup events in Las Vegas.
Also worth a look
- SET Award 2027 (Start Up Energy Transition, powered by the German Energy Agency dena): applications are open in the last quarter of 2026, and 15 finalists pitch at the SET Tech Festival in Berlin in March 2027 (exact day not published). startup-energy-transition.com
- CERAWeek, Houston, 8–12 March 2027 (Announced: dates from second sources, the official site could not be checked), with an Innovation Agora for start-ups and investors.
- Smart Energy Week, Tokyo Big Sight, 24–26 March 2027 (autumn edition at Makuhari Messe on 6–8 October 2027). wsew.jp
- All-Energy, SEC Glasgow, 12–13 May 2027: the UK's renewable energy show. all-energy.co.uk
- Hello Tomorrow Global Summit, 1–3 June 2027: deep tech with an energy theme, the Hello Tomorrow Challenge finals and Women in Deep Tech. hello-tomorrow.org
- Solar & Storage Live, NEC Birmingham, 21–23 September 2027, with sister shows in Zurich, Verona, Paris and Lagos. solarandstoragelive.com
- Hydrogen Technology & Carbon Capture World Expo, Hamburg Messe, 19–21 October 2027, free to attend. hydrogen-worldexpo.com
- Free Electrons: the utility open-innovation programme's 10th cycle is taking applications for 2027. freeelectrons.org
- Building for climate, EV charging or batteries? See our climate tech events of 2027 and mobility events of 2027.
Dates not announced yet
- Enlit Europe: the 2026 edition is in Vienna on 10–12 November 2026; no 2027 date yet.
- EIT InnoEnergy The Business Booster: last held in Munich on 28–29 October 2026; no 2027 date yet.
- ADIPEC, Abu Dhabi: the 2026 edition runs on 2–5 November 2026; no 2027 date yet.
- Cleantech Forum Europe: only the 2026 edition is published.
- New Energy Challenge (Rotterdam): only the 2026 edition is published; no 2027 call yet.
- BNEF Summit and the EASE Energy Storage Global Conference: no 2027 dates found.
Why energy tech events matter: the numbers
- Global energy transition investment reached a record $2.3 trillion in 2025, up 8% on 2024, according to BloombergNEF.
- Climate-tech companies raised $77.3 billion in private and public equity in 2025, up 53%, the first year of growth after three years of decline, according to the same BloombergNEF release.
- Only about 11% of energy start-ups have a female founder, against 20% across all sectors, according to the International Energy Agency.
Raising for an energy company? Read our guide to venture capital for women founders.
How to choose an energy tech event
- Start from your buyer. Utilities go to E-world and Enlit Africa, industry to HANNOVER MESSE, wind developers to WindEurope, hydrogen buyers to Rotterdam, and solar and storage buyers to The smarter E Europe and RE+.
- Raising money? Cleantech Forum North America and Energy Tech Summit Europe are built for meetings between founders and investors.
- Use the start-up formats. The Founder's Pass in Bilbao, the sponsored Start-up Area in Munich and the Startup Pavilion in Copenhagen cost far less than a normal stand.
- Apply early. The SET Award takes applications in late 2026, and The smarter E AWARD closes on 12 March 2027.
- Go free first. The World Future Energy Summit and the Hydrogen Technology Expo in Hamburg are free to attend, which suits bootstrapped founders.
List your event
Do you organise an energy tech summit, pitch competition, demo day or hackathon in 2027? Send us the name, dates, city and official link, and we'll check whether it fits this list.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
🔗 Add an awesome event
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FAQ
What are the best energy tech events for startups in 2027?
Our top picks are E-world in Essen, HANNOVER MESSE, Energy Tech Summit Europe in Bilbao, the WindEurope Annual Event in Copenhagen, the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, The smarter E Europe in Munich, the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, Cleantech Forum North America, Enlit Africa and RE+.
When is The smarter E Europe 2027?
The exhibitions, including Intersolar Europe and ees Europe, run on 8–10 June 2027 at Messe München, with conferences on 7–8 June at ICM München.
Is there a cheaper ticket for founders at Energy Tech Summit 2027?
Yes. The Founder's Pass costs €699 and is reserved for pre-seed and seed energy and climate tech start-ups. The summit runs on 7–8 April 2027 in Bilbao.
When is the WindEurope Annual Event 2027?
On 20–22 April 2027 at the Bella Center in Copenhagen. Registration opens in December 2026.
When is the World Hydrogen Summit 2027?
On 18–20 May 2027 at Rotterdam Ahoy in the Netherlands.
Which energy events are free to attend in 2027?
The World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi (12–14 January 2027) and the Hydrogen Technology & Carbon Capture World Expo in Hamburg (19–21 October 2027) are free with registration.
How many energy start-ups have a female founder?
About 11%, against 20% across all sectors, according to the International Energy Agency.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
