re.alto will be showcasing the innovative capabilities of its energy API platform this month as a finalist of the ABB Electrification Start-Up Challenge.

The challenge is hosted by Swiss engineering group ABB alongside its innovation growth hub SynerLeap, in partnership with Microsoft. Now in its second year, the challenge features a 10-day competition across three categories – Smart Power, Smart Buildings and Distribution Solutions – before culminating in a finale event in front of a grand jury on June 23^rd.

re.alto is one of just 30 start-ups selected globally to take part in the prestigious event and will be competing in the Smart Power category. The competition, with this year’s theme ‘Speeding Up Sustainability’, aims to leverage disruptive technology to improve operational efficiencies, automation and energy management, with a focus in particular on sustainable digital solutions.

The winner in each of the three categories will receive a €30,000 prize as well as the opportunity to work closely with ABB Electrification R&D teams to further develop their products. The winners will also receive access to Microsoft experts, including valuable one-to-one business coaching.

This year, Smart Power finalists have been briefed to develop a scalable digital solution which can deliver easy access to reliable streams of global data related to energy production and consumption and integrate it with ABB’s energy management platform. The data will play a crucial role in benchmarking consumption and measuring sustainability goals.

The re.alto API marketplace offers an end-to-end digital platform from energy data discovery to contract management, integration and analytics. It provides direct cost-efficient and resource-light access to a wide range of energy data sources, avoiding the need for a restrictive reseller framework.

The API platform will be presented to a grand finale judging panel which includes some of the biggest names in the European tech and energy industries, including Andrew Reid, Head of Microsoft for Start-Ups in Switzerland and Anton Kotov, Chief Digital Officer for ABB Electrification. This year’s winner will be following in the footsteps of the 2020 Smart Power victor – Israeli start-up Fsight, which impressed the judges with its AI solutions for distributed energy management.

With more than 100,000 employees across 100 countries, ABB is a leader in the field of robotics and heavy electrical equipment. It connects software to its broad portfolio of electrification, robotics, automation and motion technology to drive a more sustainable global future. The ABB Electrification Challenge forms an integral part of its strategy of increased collaboration with start-ups to develop its technology offering, particularly for its Electrification business sector.