Energy will be a bottleneck in 2026 — and at the same time a huge market. Grids, storage and flexible demand must grow in parallel with the expansion of renewable energy. Because this is exactly where major levers for CO2 reduction and cost reduction are located. Startups are therefore not only building hardware for energy, but also software and AI that are supposed to optimally control generation, storage and consumption. But: Only a few solutions are truly scalable and ready for the market. That’s why Gründerszene asked VCs Lightspeed and Antler: Which energy startups are really promising?