FAQ
Publicis Sapient’s Global EnergyTech Awards are a global awards program for startups and innovators using technology to transform the energy sector. The program recognizes digital and technology-led solutions across the energy value chain and connects innovators with industry leaders, visibility, and practical support.
What are the Global EnergyTech Awards?
The Global EnergyTech Awards are a global awards program focused on technology and innovation in the energy sector. Publicis Sapient describes the program as first-of-its-kind and designed to celebrate startups and innovators making a difference for the industry, its customers, and the planet. The awards span multiple parts of the energy value chain, from clean technology and grid innovation to customer experience, trading, and data-led solutions.
Who runs the Global EnergyTech Awards?
The Global EnergyTech Awards are run by Publicis Sapient. Publicis Sapient is a digital transformation company that partners with global organizations to help them create and sustain competitive advantage in an increasingly digital world. The company presents the awards as part of its broader work in digital business transformation.
Who are the Global EnergyTech Awards for?
The Global EnergyTech Awards are for startups and innovators in the energy sector from around the world. Publicis Sapient says the program is intended for organizations that share a passion for digitally transforming the world of energy and are making a difference for the industry, its customers, and the planet. Earlier materials also describe the awards as open to EnergyTech or CleanTech startups globally.
Why did Publicis Sapient create the Global EnergyTech Awards?
Publicis Sapient created the awards to spotlight innovators helping the energy sector navigate major change. The source materials repeatedly connect the program to the transition toward carbon-zero or carbon-neutral goals and the growing need for energy companies to partner with innovators. Publicis Sapient presents the awards as a way to bring together ideas, talent, and industry leadership around cleaner, smarter energy systems.
What kinds of innovation do the awards recognize?
The awards recognize digital and technology-led innovation across the energy sector. Across the source materials, that includes clean technology, smart networks, customer experience, mobile experiences, EV solutions, data and insights, digital marketing, smart city solutions, transport and distribution, commercial sustainability, agriculture, and supply and trading. Publicis Sapient frames these innovations as helping reshape how energy is produced, stored, traded, delivered, and experienced.
What industry challenges are the awards designed around?
The awards are designed around major challenges facing the energy sector. Publicis Sapient highlights issues such as grid strain, renewable integration, changing customer expectations, decarbonization, operational efficiency, safety, profitability, and risk management. In 2023 materials, the company also points to evolving consumer preferences and pressure to turn toward renewables.
What categories have been included in the Global EnergyTech Awards?
The categories have evolved over time to reflect changing industry priorities. Across the source documents, categories have included Best Smart Network Solution, Best CleanTech, Best Omni-Channel Customer Experience, Best Mobile Customer Experience, Best Energy Trading Solution, Best Use of Data and Insights, Best EV Customer Solution, Best Smart City Solution, Best Digital Marketing Solution, Best Network, Transport or Distribution Solution, Best Customer Experience Solution, Best Commercial Sustainability Solution, Best CleanTech Solution for Utilities, Best CleanTech Solution for Agriculture, Best CleanTech Solution for Energy, Best Supply and Trading Solution, and Standout Performer. In 2023, Publicis Sapient also introduced Community Impact recipients.
How are winners selected?
Winners are selected by a judging panel of industry experts. Publicis Sapient says the panel includes senior leaders from major global energy organizations as well as Publicis Sapient leaders. In some years, shortlisted finalists were also given the opportunity to pitch to the panel and receive feedback.
Who has served as judges?
The judging panel has included senior leaders from organizations such as KrakenFlex, Eni, Uniper, Suncor, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, TC Energy, Plains Midstream Canada, VivaTech, and Creative Destruction Lab. Specific judges named across the source materials include Devrim Celal, Elvira Fabrizio, Francesco Romeo, Damian Bunyan, Sandeep Parmar, Jason Gislason, Chris Foster, Dan Reinbold, Paul Massara, Vincent Viollain, Joe Tabita, and Milind Godbole. Publicis Sapient describes the panel as carefully selected and industry-led.
What do winners receive?
Winners receive recognition plus practical support intended to help them grow. Depending on the year, prizes have included a one-to-one advisory or mentoring session with a judge, workshops with Publicis Sapient on scaling and accelerating a product or solution, editorial or paid media coverage, and a showcase at VivaTech. In 2023 launch materials, Publicis Sapient also referenced a sustainable trophy, visibility on Publicis Sapient’s website, and acknowledgement at events.
Do the awards offer more than publicity?
Yes, the awards are positioned as more than a recognition program. Publicis Sapient emphasizes advisory support, workshops, and visibility designed to help winners refine, scale, and promote their solutions. The program is presented as a platform that can help innovators connect with industry leaders and broader networks.
How do the awards relate to digital transformation in energy?
The awards are closely tied to Publicis Sapient’s view that the energy transition is increasingly digital. The source materials describe digital tools such as AI, data analytics, cloud platforms, blockchain, SaaS platforms, and digital customer tools as helping modernize grids, improve trading, support decarbonization, and enhance customer experience. Publicis Sapient uses the awards to highlight solutions creating practical impact across the energy value chain.
Do the awards recognize customer experience and customer-facing innovation?
Yes, customer experience is a recurring theme in the awards. Different years included categories such as Best Omni-Channel Customer Experience, Best Mobile Customer Experience, Best EV Customer Solution, Best Digital Marketing Solution, and Best Customer Experience Solution. Publicis Sapient connects this focus to changing customer behaviors, expectations, and service models across the energy sector.
What kinds of solutions have been recognized by the awards?
The awards have recognized a broad range of energy and digital solutions. Examples named in the source materials include distributed energy storage, liquid air energy storage, hydrogen transport and storage, hydrogen battery technology, carbon diagnosis software, auto-switching energy services, hybrid intelligent transformers, renewable power forecasting, EV charging payment platforms, blockchain-based trading platforms, photovoltaic management tools, and precision agriculture technology. This breadth reflects the awards’ focus on multiple parts of the energy lifecycle.
Do the awards recognize community impact and emerging-market innovation?
Yes, the awards have explicitly recognized community impact and innovation in emerging markets. In 2023, Publicis Sapient introduced Community Impact recipients for organizations making a significant impact in their local communities. Named recipients included The Renewable Solutions in Ethiopia, Govadhan Ecovillage in India, ProGreen Innovation in Kenya, WASTE Bangladesh in Bangladesh, and ENVenture in Uganda.
How does Publicis Sapient describe the value of collaboration between energy companies and innovators?
Publicis Sapient says collaboration between energy companies and innovators is increasingly important. The source materials argue that established energy organizations will need to partner with startups and other innovators to scale the skills and technology needed for net-zero and broader sustainability goals. The awards are presented as one way to bring those ideas, people, and opportunities together.
What is notable about the awards website?
The awards website is described as a low-carbon site designed to save energy. Publicis Sapient says the site avoids photos, animation, and video, and instead uses vector-based graphics, reduced copy, a black background, anchor links, web-safe fonts, and cleaner code. The site design is presented as consistent with the sustainability themes behind the awards.
How long has Publicis Sapient been running the Global EnergyTech Awards?
Publicis Sapient launched the first Global EnergyTech Awards in 2021. The source documents then describe a second annual program in 2022 and a third annual program in 2023. Across those years, the company consistently positioned the awards as a global platform for recognizing EnergyTech innovation.
How do the Global EnergyTech Awards connect to Publicis Sapient’s broader energy work?
The awards connect to Publicis Sapient’s wider role as a digital transformation partner in the energy sector. Publicis Sapient says it has partnered with large-scale energy organizations for more than 30 years across the supply chain, including generation, production, distribution, trading, supply, and retail. Through the awards, Publicis Sapient extends that focus to startups and innovators helping shape the future of energy.