The World CleanTech Awards Jury Reveals the WCSA2025 ACWA Power Innovation Award Finalists — the World’s Most Promising CleanTech Startups and Innovators

Tomasz CleanTech Business Club
10 hours ago
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Updated: 8 hours ago

“From Clean Hydrogen to Clean Water, Energy Storage, AI and Digital Solutions — 48 submissions from 25 countries across six continents shaping the next CleanTech decade”

Paris – Manama – Riyadh | 16 January 2026

The World CleanTech StartUPs Awards 2025 (WCSA2025) Jury proudly announces the Finalists of the WCSA2025 ACWA Power Innovation Award, recognising 12 outstanding CleanTech startups selected through a rigorous international Jury process.

Founded by the CleanTech Business Club (CBC) and powered by ACWA Power, WCSA2025 ACWA Power Innovation Award attracted 48 submissions from 25 countries across six continents, reflecting an exceptional diversity of technologies spanning Clean Hydrogen, Renewable Energy, Clean Water, Energy Storage, AI, Digitalisation, and cross-sector enabling solutions.

Prof. Eicke R. Weber, Honorary Chair of the WCSA Jury; Professor Emeritus, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley; Former Director, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), stated:

“We are extremely pleased with the quality, diversity, and ambition of the submissions received for this year’s edition of the World CleanTech StartUPs Awards. Despite an exceptionally busy global context, the Awards attracted 48 submissions from 25 countries across six continents. This confirms that #TogetherWeAreStronger is not merely a slogan, but a genuine catalyst for global collaboration and impact.”

WCSA2025 ACWA Power Innovation Award – Official Finalists

1. Clean Hydrogen & Derivatives Category:

Hysata (Australia) for its high-efficiency capillary-fed electrolysis technology
H2Pro (Israel) for its decoupled water electrolysis technology

2. Renewable Energy & Power Generation Category:

DynoRotor Inc. (Canada) for its low-cost power generation from slow renewable resources
USMBA / Green Energy Park (Morocco) for its integrated renewable energy and power systems

3. Energy Storage & Flexibility Category:

CellCircle UG (Germany) for its direct recycling for a sustainable battery value chain
GMZ Enerji (Türkiye) for its advanced energy storage and flexibility technologies

4. Clean Water & Water–Energy Nexus Category:

Nines Photovoltaics (Ireland) for its plasma-based decarbonisation of solar cell manufacturing, significantly reducing ultrapure water, chemical, and energy intensity
Glencal Technology Co., Ltd. (Japan) for its zero-OPEX desalination and mineral recovery technology

5. Digitalisation, AI & Smart Infrastructure Category:

SonneNext Energy GmbH (Germany) for its AI-driven energy management solutions
Vectar Energy (Nigeria) for its digital MRV platform enabling transparent clean energy projects

6. Cross-Sector & Enabling Technologies Category:

TMEVnet (South Korea) for its high-efficiency thermal management and cooling platform
HVO SUISSE SA (Switzerland) for its continuous pyrolysis converting non-recyclable plastic waste into biofuels

The WCSA2025 ACWA Power Innovation Award Winner will be revealed during the WCSA2025 Saudi Arabia Awards Ceremony, held as part of ACWA Power Innovation Days 2026, on “Day 0” – 26 January 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Thomas Altmann, Executive Vice President – Innovation & New Technology at ACWA Power and Co-Chair of the WCSA, commented:

“The level of innovation demonstrated by the WCSA 2025 finalists has been truly outstanding. The selection process was highly competitive, with many teams presenting solutions with strong potential for real-world impact. I would like to sincerely thank the Jury Members for their valuable expertise and dedication, and I look forward to announcing the WCSA 2025 winner during ACWA Power Innovation Days in Riyadh in January 2026.”

WCSA2025 Special Distinctions by the CleanTech Business Club

In addition to the ACWA Power Innovation Award, the CleanTech Business Club is pleased to introduce the recipients of the WCSA2025 Special Distinctions by CBC, recognising outstanding ecosystem, sectoral, and regional leadership aligned with CBC Hubs:

WCSA2025 Special Distinction by CBC Morocco Hub – USMBA / Green Energy Park (Morocco) for their leadership in advancing Morocco’s CleanTech ecosystem through integrated renewable energy systems, research, education, and regional collaboration.
WCSA2025 Special Distinction by CBC AI & Digitalisation Hub – NeuralLake (Brazil) for their autonomous Edge AI infrastructure enabling intelligent, resilient, and scalable digital solutions for CleanTech and industrial operations.
WCSA2025 Special Distinction by CBC Maritime Hub – SeaTrain Technology (USA) for their SeaTrain™ Autonomous Subsea Logistics Glider System, an innovative logistics solution supporting decarbonisation, efficiency, and resilience in maritime and port operations.

The official awarding of the WCSA2025 Special Distinctions by CBC will take place during the WCSA2025 Morocco Awards Ceremony in April 2026, held on the occasion of the 8th CBC Annual Leadership Forum in Casablanca, Morocco featuring the Grand Opening of the Joint Center of Excellence in Clean Hydrogen at the École Hassania des Travaux Publics (EHTP)

The ceremony will also feature the reveal and awarding of the WCSA2025 Personal Awards:

WCSA2025 Visionary Founder Award (Dr. Charlie Gay Award),
WCSA2025 Visionary Investor Award (Paddy Padmanathan Award), and
WCSA2025 Visionary Accelerator Award (Prof. Eicke R. Weber Award).

About the Awards:

Created in 2023, the World CleanTech StartUPs Awards (WCSA), founded by the CleanTech Business Club (CBC) and powered by ACWA Power, are a prestigious annual global competition recognising the most innovative and disruptive startups in CleanTech, Clean Hydrogen, and Clean Water, as well as the visionary founders, investors, and high-impact accelerators enabling their success.

The WCSA aim to inspire innovation and accelerate growth across the CleanTech ecosystem by providing startups with a global platform to showcase their breakthrough technologies and scalable solutions. Beyond celebrating technological excellence, the Awards support the global transition towards sustainability by recognising the leaders and organisations driving meaningful impact across energy, water, and digital transformation.

The Awards are supported by a growing ecosystem of strategic partners and leading global organisations, contributing to the advancement of innovation, deployment, and cross-sector collaboration throughout the CleanTech decade, including: