Filip Koprčina (CEO)
01. Describe the problem/industry you are trying to intervene on (and be specific about the UN SDGs you are solving).
Did you know that the energy sector (Eurostat and the European environmental agency) is responsible for 78% of greenhouse gas emissions? So it’s the biggest area where we can make a huge impact. In addition to the pollution created by the production of energy from fossil fuels, there is also a lack of participation from citizens to combat climate change and global warming, due to the fact that they cannot easily invest in renewable energy. In addition, the EU and the UN state that we lack funding to achieve the 2030 goals we have set.
At Energy Shift, we aim to tackle SDG7 (Affordable Energy) and SDG13 (Climate Action) by enabling citizens to jointly invest in and co-own solar farms.
02. how did the idea to create a company come to mind? How was your team?
We had the idea when our Founder and CEO, Filip Koprčina, wanted to put solar panels on the roof of his parents’ house. He wanted to do that because he wanted to make a positive impact on the environment by using clean energy and by reducing his parents’ electricity bills as well. Filip expected the process to be quick and easy, but he found out that the reality was quite the opposite. The whole process was tedious and took months to complete. However, after all the effort, the production and sale of energy was not profitable because savings could only be achieved by not using energy from the grid.
As an entrepreneur, he realized that others might have the same problem, and that going through the whole process of investing in renewable energy might not be so continuous. There needed to be a simple way in which people could invest in renewable energy, benefit the environment, and accelerate the energy transition, while making a profit.
Thus, the idea for Energy Shift was born.
03. Why did you choose to participate in the techstars Paris sustainability Accelerator program?
We chose to participate in the Paris Techstars accelerator program because we believed it would get us to the next milestone in our business and solve some of the most pressing issues our business was facing. We were interested in joining the Techstars Sustainability Paris team because of its supportive environment and its huge network of startup founders, mentors and investors who want to help you improve your business. Being part of Techstars Paris is a unique experience, we really enjoyed working with the team and being part of a great community of founders.
04. Which people are you most proud of in your initial journey with your company?
What we are most proud of is our tenacity and perseverance. We faced many challenges and obstacles while starting the business , but we never stopped believing in our idea. With a lot of determination, we managed to overcome the obstacles in our way. Now, we have a successful start-up with a solution that is often recognized internationally.
05. How do you plan to measure the positive impact of your company in the next 5 years?
When you invest in renewable energy, you are automatically reducing CO2 emissions by replacing polluting fossil fuel energy production with clean and renewable energy. We intend to measure our positive impact in terms of the amount of CO2 emission reduction as well as the amount of clean energy produced. In addition to the impact on the environment, investments in clean and renewable energy are creating additional social and health impacts on the local communities.
For the latest news on our application, please visit our page.
