French manufacturer Heliup have been crowned the Gold European Solar Startup Award 2025 winner for it’s pioneering range of stykon solar PV panels for flat rooftops. Their panels are light-weight weighing 5 kg/m2, have an efficiency of 20%, are resistant to extreme weather conditions, made in Europe, and have an easy and fast installation process.
The European Solar Startup Award is an annual prize presented by SolarPower Europe in recognition of the ground-breaking steps that solar innovators are taking towards a renewable-based energy system.
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Yannick Veschetti, President & Co-founder of Heliup, presented the company’s pitch alongside his co-finalists. Attendees voted on their favourite projects, and following a final vote, emerged victorious.
In his presentation, Veschetti highlighted how currently there is over 4 billion m² of available large rooftop space in the EU, and how Heliup wants to harness the potential of this available rooftop space, and fast-track solar installations across Europe.
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“We are honoured to receive the Gold European Solar Startup Award. This recognition highlights Heliup’s commitment to revolutionising solar energy with lightweight solutions manufactured in Europe that unlock the potential of commercial and industrial rooftops”, Yannick Veschetti said;
Strengthen Europe’s competitiveness
“At SolarPower Europe, we’ve always believed in the importance of supporting the brightest solar startups. Only with these forward-thinking innovators can we strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and guarantee a swift energy transition. Innovative solar startups like Heliup will be critical to the future growth of the solar sector, and shaping our solar-powered future”, Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe said.
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Three Solar Startup finalists were nominated by the expert panel following a successful online pitch. Alongside Heliup Gautier Moulin, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Aevy, and Felix Heimke, Senior Product Manager at Suena, presented their work on stage at the SolarPower Summit 2025.
The European Solar Startup Award 2025 jury panel was comprised of: Jenny Chase, Solar Analyst at BloombergNEF; Stefan Müeller, Co-Founder, Shareholder and Board Member at Enerparc AG; Felix Krause, Managing Partner at Vireo Ventures; and Michael Schmela, Director of Market Intelligence at SolarPower Europe. (hcn)
