For the third year running, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) organised the IRENA NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator (NewGen) programme. The programme was delivered 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.

Launched in 2023, the programme supports young innovators and entrepreneurs from around the world who work on advancing clean energy technologies in their respective countries.

This year, NewGen sees the participation of an inspiring group of 13 startups – out of which 6 are women-led – tackling urgent energy challenges across emerging markets. Three startups have been selected for the IRENA Rising Stars Award 2025. As this year’s Awardees, they will receive strategic mentorship and the opportunity to exhibit their solutions at GITEX North Star in Dubai this year.

The three winners are:

First Place: Cassetex – this Bangladesh-based company is building South Asia’s largest rentable battery network, while empowering women-led micro-energy entrepreneurs in doing so. Battery swapping allows electric vehicle (EV) users to use and share batteries from a common network. Swapping hubs provide the opportunity to exchange used batteries with new batteries. EV users pay through Cassetex secure mobile app, leaving the full responsibility of charging, maintaining and replacing batteries all on the Cassetex network. The AI-optimized, solar-recharged batteries for agri-food systems, transport, and off-grid electrification enables a just energy transition.

Commenting on their achievement, the Cassetex Team said, “IRENA NewGen has all the material a renewable energy startup needs to grow, scale and shine.”

Second Place: ClimaVault Africa – this Ugandan company tackles food waste and post-harvest losses through solar-powered cooling technology and edible coatings, which extend produce shelf life from 2 to 36 days without refrigeration and has already saved over 102,000 metric tons of food. Their solution has supported 120,000 customers and created over 60 jobs. With plans to scale across the continent, ClimaVault is empowering smallholder farmers and market grocers to improve income, reduce loss, contribute to food security and climate resilience.

“The IRENA NewGen has been pivotal for ClimaVault Africa in refining our business model and expanding our reach.” said ClimaVault Africa Team.

Third Place: Netagrow – based in Zambia, the company provides AI-powered agricultural tools to over 10,000 Zambian farmers, increasing yields by 40% and building climate-adaptive farming systems.

The Netagrow Team reflected on their experience, saying, “The NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator has been transformative for us. It reaffirmed our mission to empower farmers through AI and clean energy.”

Reflecting on IRENA’s youth initiatives and on the significance of the programme, IRENA Deputy Director-General Gauri Singh said, “At IRENA, we recognise the critical role of youth in driving change. We are committed to empowering the next generation of energy leaders through the different platforms of the IRENA Youth Forum, the NewGen, the IRENA Youth Council, and the NewGen Hackathons.”

Dr. Nawal Al Hosany, the UAE’s Permanent Representative to IRENA, remarked, “Digital technologies, artificial intelligence and data-driven solutions will be at the heart of this transformation, and it is youth entrepreneurs who are pioneering these tools to bring affordable, accessible, and scalable clean energy solutions to life.”

Speaking about the current cohort, Giulia Genuardi, Managing Director of Enel Foundation, said, “What made this NewGen cycle special is the strong synergy it created with one of our own initiatives, the WaatBoost program, designed for youth-led startups across Africa in the renewable energy space.”

“I am very pleased to say that our partnership with IRENA has evolved over the years, and we continue to work together to support renewable energy startups.” added Manoj Kumar, the founder of Social Alpha.

The IRENA NewGen 2025 reflects the agency’s broader mission to empower youth and position their innovations at the heart of the global energy transition. With tailored in-kind support alongside global exposure and capacity building, IRENA is enabling young entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into on-the-ground solutions.

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