New Partnership Funds Green Tech Start-Ups at Danish Universities

The Danish foundation, Vissing Fonden, is teaming up with DTU Skylab, Aarhus University (the Kitchen), and the University of Copenhagen (KU Lighthouse) university innovation hubs to offer grants of DKK 200,000–300,000 to early-stage energy start-ups, aiming to accelerate the development of new technologies that can help reduce Denmark’s reliance on fossil fuels.

The funding targets start-ups in the critical transition from concept to working technology, a phase that is often difficult for many tech startups.

“Deep tech start-ups face long development timelines. This funding opportunity helps founders gain traction, test their technology, and move closer towards market readiness,” says Mikkel Sørensen, Director of DTU Skylab.

For all stages of the process

The grants can be used for commercialisation, prototyping, and pilot testing. Eligible start-ups may be working on anything from battery storage and CO₂ capture to digital energy platforms and AI-powered grid solutions. Applications span sectors such as construction, transport, and manufacturing.

“It is essential that our ecosystem has earmarked funds for sustainable deep tech startups. Deep tech startups, especially the ones trying to solve some of society's biggest challenges, such as green energy and sustainable transition, have a big funding need for technical development even from the very early stages, and the early funding is essential for these ideas to become real-life solutions. Vissing Foundations grants of 2-300.000 DKK is truly filling a pivotal gap in the funding landscape and making a big difference,” says Ida Bjerring Mehl, Funding Programme Manager at DTU Skylab

The initiative supports not only technologies directly targeting energy and climate challenges, but also smart solutions with an indirect impact on said challenges.

The universities will identify and nominate promising ventures, while the foundation will evaluate applications and award funding on a quarterly basis.

Four calls

Vissing Fonden hands out grants four times a year, with the next upcoming call happening on November 30, 2025.

The initiative is open to university-affiliated founders through Aarhus University, the University of Copenhagen, and DTU. More information on how to apply is available from each university’s innovation hub.