Student Energy

What Student Energy does

Student Energy is a Canadian-registered charity (Registration 823621909 RR 0001) founded in 2009 and headquartered in Vancouver (with a registered office in Calgary) that operates a global, youth-led programs ecosystem for 18-30-year-olds engaged in the sustainable energy transition. The organization delivers all programming at no cost to participants and serves a primary end-user base of students, early-career professionals, and youth climate advocates across more than 120 countries, with secondary stakeholder groups comprising energy-sector employers seeking talent pipelines, governments seeking youth engagement in energy policy, and climate philanthropists seeking youth-led delivery partners.

The product portfolio spans 15 distinct programs. Core digital assets include the Energy System Map, a free interactive education platform with 3.6 million+ user interactions, and the Global Youth Energy Outlook, a first-of-its-kind youth-led dataset of 42,000+ survey responses across 129 countries with accompanying Action Toolkits. Cohort-based learning programs include the 10-month virtual Fellowship (770+ participants since 2021), the Career Training Program (200+ participants, third year running), Guided Projects (60+ in its second cohort), and Greenpreneurs (a 12-week virtual business incubator). The biennial Student Energy Summit — seven editions since 2009, with SES 2026 scheduled for Manaus, Brazil — is the operational centerpiece. Distribution is handled via 62 student-led university chapters, COP and energy-event participation, broad social-media presence (LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Threads, Facebook), and institutional partnerships.

Revenue is grant- and donation-driven rather than commercial. Funding sources include Canadian federal departments (Natural Resources Canada, Global Affairs Canada; CAD $5.3M from NRCan in September 2022), Canadian family foundations (Trottier, McConnell, Peter Gilgan, RBC, North Family, Toronto Foundation), corporate and corporate-foundation sponsors (Bezos Earth Fund as SES 2023 headline sponsor; Enel Foundation, DNV, Ørsted, BC Hydro, Co-operators), and international government/philanthropic partners (Government of Denmark, BE OPEN). Total funding stewarded exceeds CAD $10M since 2009. Operations are run by 30+ full-time staff under Executive Director Helen Watts, with no disclosed API, no proprietary technology platform, and no monetization model beyond philanthropy.

Name

Student Energy

Legal name

Student Energy

Website

https://studentenergy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Student Energy is a Canadian youth-led charity founded in 2009 that runs a global programs ecosystem empowering 18-30-year-olds in the energy transition. Free education, fellowships, incubators, and research reach 50,000+ youth across 120+ countries, funded by foundations, governments, and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Energy Education and Training

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Student & Alumni Communities (BPAMABAK)

Keywords

• Youth energy education
• Clean energy training
• Energy transition fellowships
• Clean energy incubators
• Sustainability research programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Grants: As a registered Canadian charity (Registration: 823621909 RR 0001), Student Energy operates primarily through donations from foundations and individuals, including support from Natural Resources Canada, Trottier Family Foundation, McConnell Foundation, Peter Gilgan Foundation, RBC Foundation, and others.
2. Foundation and Corporate Sponsorships: Partnership funding from organizations like Enel Foundation (knowledge partner), Bezos Earth Fund (headline sponsor for SES 2023), and corporate partners for specific programs and events.
3. Government Funding: Funding from government bodies including Global Affairs Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and other national governments to support youth energy programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Student Energy is a youth-led nonprofit that delivers free education, training, mentorship, incubator, fellowship, and convening programs (including the Student Energy Summit, SevenGen Indigenous Clean Energy Summit, Greenpreneurs incubator, Career Training Program, Fellowship Program, and Mentorship Program) for young people aged 18-30 in the energy sector. The organization also publishes primary research such as the Global Youth Energy Outlook and operates a digital education platform called the Energy System Map, supported by a global network of university chapters in more than 40 countries.

Product overview

Student Energy is a global youth-led nonprofit organization offering a multi-faceted programs ecosystem designed to empower young people at every stage of their energy journey. The portfolio consists of 15 distinct programs/products: the Energy System Map (a digital ed-tech platform with 3.6M+ user interactions), the biennial Student Energy Summit (world's largest youth-led energy conference), Greenpreneurs (12-week virtual business incubator), the Global Youth Energy Outlook (youth-led research with 42,000+ respondents), the Clean Economy Bridge Research Program (transatlantic climate policy initiative), the Career Training Program (cohort-based skills development), Guided Projects (clean energy social enterprise incubator), Chapters network (62 student-led university clubs), the Fellowship Program (10-month virtual program with 770+ alumni), SevenGen (Indigenous-focused summit), Mentorship Program, Green Jobs Program (with wage funding and up to $1,000 employment support), Research and Youth Engagement, Youth Energy Narratives Council, and the Ignite Youth Clean Cooking Incubator. These programs provide education, hands-on experience, global networking, and youth-led research capabilities for the sustainable energy transition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Energy System Map

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000+ youth engaged from 120+ countries through Programs Ecosystem
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BE OPENcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026BE OPEN, a Swiss foundation focused on youth sustainability competitions, partnered with Student Energy to co-host the International Student Energy Summit (SES) 2026 in Manaus, Brazil, at the Federal University of Amazonas. The partnership previously included SES 2023 at NYU Abu Dhabi with 650 young people from over 100 countries. BE OPEN invited summit delegates to participate in its annual competition program aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• adelphicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Adelphi, an international consultancy specializing in climate, environment, and development, partnered with Student Energy to co-develop and co-implement the Clean Economy Bridge Research Program. The pilot cohort brings together 15 young leaders from Canada, the United States, and Germany for policy-relevant research on AI applications, energy, sustainable agriculture, climate policy, and transatlantic cooperation.
• Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost partner for Student Energy Summit 2026, providing venue and local coordination for the world's largest youth-led gathering on energy held in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
• Enel FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian think-tank and knowledge partner on Student Energy's Career Training program and Global Youth Energy Outlook Action Toolkits. Provides knowledge support, peer review, and expertise to strengthen participant skills and maximize outreach to international institutions.
• Climate Emergency Collaboration GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated at COP28 to facilitate roundtable events uniting youth and philanthropic actors to address challenges in youth-led energy organizations engagement.
• Clean Cooking AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support youth delegation at Clean Cooking Forum 2022 in Accra, Ghana. Student Energy coordinated 20 diverse youth delegates from 14 countries, with 70% from Sub-Saharan Africa and 50%+ women, participating in plenary sessions and intergenerational roundtables.
• Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership announced October 2022 to collaborate on youth engagement in energy access and clean cooking initiatives.
• ØrstedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch Energy Transition Skills Report at COP27, containing survey results and recommendations from 5,000 young people on accessible entry points for energy transition careers.
• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to share Youth Impact Framework initial findings at COP27, supporting youth-inclusive project design principles.
• NYU Abu DhabicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost partner for Student Energy Summit 2023, venue and coordination support for over 1,000 pre-registered youth participants.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Roots & Shoots (Jane Goodall Institute): Global youth-led environmental network organized around local chapters in schools and universities, with programs in education, projects, and leadership development. Closest structural analogue to Student Energy's chapter-based model but focused on biodiversity rather than energy.
• AIESEC: Global youth-led nonprofit with a chapter-like network of local committees at universities, running leadership programs, fellowships, and global exchange. Operates with a similar youth-driven, globally distributed, volunteer-based engagement model.
• Engineers Without Borders Canada: Canadian youth-engaged nonprofit running chapters, fellowships, and programs focused on international development and systems change. Highly comparable operating model, funding base, and youth-energy focus in the Canadian nonprofit context.
• Youth Climate Lab: Youth-led organization focused on climate policy and energy transition, running training and convening programs for young people. Direct peer in the youth energy/climate engagement space with overlapping programs and target audience.
• EarthEcho International: Youth-focused environmental education organization that builds youth networks, produces digital content, and convenes young leaders around ocean and climate issues. Comparable model of youth-led education, digital platforms, and global convening.
• SustainUS: US-based youth-led nonprofit that places young people in international policy spaces (UN, COP) and runs delegations and fellowships on climate and sustainability. Direct analogue to Student Energy's youth-delegation and policy-engagement model.

Broad incumbents

• 350.org: Larger and older climate organization with substantial youth programs, global mobilization campaigns, and presence at UN climate conferences. Overlaps with Student Energy in climate activism and youth engagement but operates at a much broader scale and scope.
• Clean Energy Council: Established industry body representing the clean energy sector, with education, training, and workforce-development programs. Comparable mission of building clean-energy talent pipelines, but as an industry association rather than a youth-led nonprofit.

Emerging players

• Climate Cardinals: Youth-led climate education and translation nonprofit, focused on making climate information accessible to non-English-speaking communities. Overlaps with Student Energy's educational mission and youth network model, but at a smaller, more focused scale.

Others

• Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI): Intergovernmental organization supporting green growth and energy transition in developing countries, with programs that engage youth and build workforce capacity. Thematically related to Student Energy's energy-transition mission and shares government and foundation funder relationships, but operates as a treaty-based intergovernmental body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/studentenergy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@studentenergy
• Facebookfacebook.com/studentenergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studentenergy
• Instagraminstagram.com/studentenergy
• TikToktiktok.com/@studentenergy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Student Energy