The smarter E
The smarter E Digital is a B2B online platform operated by Solar Promotion GmbH that provides year-round access to smart energy content, an international business directory, and event listings. It serves energy professionals and vendors across solar, storage, EV charging, and smart grid sectors globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersMunich, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The smarter E does
The smarter E Digital is a B2B online platform operated by Solar Promotion GmbH, headquartered in Pforzheim, Germany. It serves the smart energy industry — spanning photovoltaics, energy storage, electric mobility, smart grids, and adjacent renewables — by providing year-round digital access to expert content, an international business directory, and event listings. The platform is the digital arm of Solar Promotion's physical event portfolio, which includes the Intersolar, ees, Power2Drive, and EM-Power exhibition and conference brands held across Europe, South America, the Middle East, India, Mexico, and Africa. The user base comprises 25,000+ registered professionals and 30,000+ newsletter recipients spanning utilities, project developers, installers, manufacturers, and researchers in 30+ countries.
The platform is built around four integrated modules: a Media Center hosting video recordings of conferences and webinars, a weekly expert podcast, studies, interviews, and whitepapers; a Business Directory offering international B2B company profiles with multilingual presentation; an Events calendar covering worldwide industry events; and personalized "My Contents" recommendations for registered users. Core technology is a web-based digital platform with multi-language support (German, English, Portuguese), integrated media hosting, podcast distribution, and self-serve account management. Notable content partners include SolarPower Europe, Fraunhofer ISE, and the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA), whose studies are surfaced through the platform.
Revenue is generated through four streams: premium subscriptions at €180/year for unlimited digital content access; business directory company profiles at €250/year; advertising and sponsorship inventory including program sponsorships (€3,000–€10,000), newsletter banners (€1,200), website banners (€1,500–€4,000), and podcast sponsorships (from €1,500); and event registrations tied to the underlying exhibition and conference business. The go-to-market is event-driven: physical shows serve as the primary acquisition channel, with the digital platform extending engagement year-round. A free account tier acts as the funnel into paid subscriptions and directory listings, while enterprise sponsorship and listing products are sold to B2B vendors seeking targeted reach into the global energy professional audience.
The smarter E firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The smarter E
- Legal name
- The smarter E Digital (operated by Solar Promotion GmbH)
- Website
- https://thesmartere.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The smarter E Digital is a B2B online platform operated by Solar Promotion GmbH that provides year-round access to smart energy content, an international business directory, and event listings. It serves energy professionals and vendors across solar, storage, EV charging, and smart grid sectors globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The smarter E industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Energy Industry Events & Conferences
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- On-Demand Video Hosting & Content Repurposing (VOD Libraries, Highlights, Editing) (THAHAOAN)
Keywords
Where The smarter E is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munich
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The smarter E business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Premium Subscriptions: Annual subscription providing unlimited access to all digital content including conference recordings, studies, and webinars. Billed at €180/year (€15/month equivalent), auto-renewing annually.
- Business Directory Listings: Paid company profiles in international business directory featuring multilingual presentation, top placement, and direct customer contact capabilities
- Sponsorship Packages: Program sponsoring for video content (€3,000-€10,000), newsletter banners (€1,200), website banners (€1,500-€4,000), podcast sponsorship (from €1,500), and custom marketing packages
- Event Registrations: Ticketed access to conferences, exhibitions, seminars, workshops, and webinars across multiple international events in Europe, South America, Middle East, and Asia
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free Account - Basic Access |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium Account - Unlimited Access |
| Subscription | Annual | Company Profile in Business Directory |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Program Sponsorship Packages |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Website Banner Advertising |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Podcast Sponsorship |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
The smarter E product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The smarter E organizes and hosts international exhibitions and conferences for the smart energy sector, operating as the umbrella brand for Intersolar, ees, Power2Drive, and EM-Power events across multiple continents. It also operates a digital platform (thesmartere.com) that provides year-round access to conference recordings, webinars, podcasts, studies, and whitepapers, complemented by an international B2B business directory. Revenue is generated through event registrations, premium content subscriptions, business directory listings, and sponsorship packages.
Product overview
The smarter E Digital is a unified digital content and networking platform for the smart energy industry. The platform operates a modular structure consisting of: the core Digital Platform (thesmarterE.com) providing the web infrastructure; the Media Center as the primary content repository for videos, webinars, podcasts, and publications; the Business Directory as an international company networking module; and the Events module for conference and exhibition listings. The company offers tiered access through a Free Account (limited content from 2022-2025) and a Premium Account at €180/year (full access to all content). Premium company visibility is available via Business Directory profiles at €250/year. Major conference brands include The smarter E Europe, ees Europe (energy storage), Intersolar Europe (solar), and Power2Drive Europe (e-mobility), with sister events across South America, Middle East, and India.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The smarter E Podcast: Podcast exploring latest trends and developments in renewable, decentralized, and digital energy industry. Hosted by Tobias Bücklein and Zackes Brustik.
- The smarter E Europe
- The smarter E South America
- The smarter E India
Products and services
- The smarter E Digital Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- Access to 25,000+ energy industry professionals
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The smarter E
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The smarter E technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
The smarter E partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Solar Promotion International GmbHcoreSubsidiary organization of Solar Promotion GmbH that organizes international conferences and exhibitions in the field of renewable energies alongside the parent company.
- Conexio-PSE GmbHcoreSubsidiary of Solar Promotion GmbH that provides seminar and training services in cooperation with the digital platform. Organizes professional development courses including PV planning and installation seminars.
- Intersolar (brand)coreLeading international exhibition and conference series for solar industry that operates under The smarter E umbrella alongside ees, Power2Drive, and EM-Power events. Events held in Europe, South America, Middle East, India, and Africa.
- ees (brand)coreInternational exhibition and conference for batteries and energy storage systems operating as part of The smarter E event portfolio. Present in Europe, South America, and India markets.
- Power2Drive (brand)coreInternational exhibition and conference for charging infrastructure and electromobility under The smarter E umbrella. Covers European, South American, and Indian markets.
- EM-Power (brand)coreExhibition and conference for electrical infrastructure and energy management, part of The smarter E event portfolio with presence in Europe and South America.
- SolarPower EuropeminorIndustry association whose market reports and outlook publications (Global Market Outlook, European Market Outlook for Battery Storage) are featured on The smarter E platform.
- Fraunhofer ISEminorResearch institute whose studies on topics like German energy system transformation are published through The smarter E media center.
- MESIA (Middle East Solar Industry Association)minorRegional solar industry association whose annual Solar Outlook Report is published through The smarter E platform.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The smarter E competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- RE+ (formerly Solar Power International): RE+ is the largest solar, energy storage, and clean energy event in North America, operating as a direct competitor in the same business-event category for solar and storage audiences that The smarter E serves in Europe.
- SNEC (International Solar Energy Exhibition): SNEC is one of the largest international solar PV exhibitions globally, headquartered in China, directly competing with The smarter E's Intersolar brand for global solar industry participation and exhibitor mindshare.
- ENLIT Europe: ENLIT is a major European energy industry event series covering utilities, smart grids, and power, directly comparable to The smarter E's energy vertical events and overlapping on B2B utilities audience.
- EU PVSEC (European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference): EU PVSEC is the leading European conference for PV research and industry, comparable to The smarter E's Intersolar Europe as a peer solar-focused event bringing together researchers, manufacturers, and project developers.
Broad incumbents
- Messe Frankfurt: Messe Frankfurt is a major German exhibition organizer hosting energy and building-technology events, comparable to Solar Promotion as a similar German-headquartered trade fair operator with global event presence.
- RX Global (Reed Exhibitions): RX Global is one of the world's largest B2B exhibition organizers with broad energy and industrial event presence, comparable to The smarter E in event-driven GTM but at significantly larger scale and geographic reach.
- Hannover Messe: Hannover Messe is the world's leading industrial trade fair including energy and hydrogen halls, comparable as an adjacent incumbent in industrial B2B events with overlapping audiences in industrial energy transition.
- Informa Markets (POWERGEN, All-Energy): Informa Markets runs major global energy events including POWERGEN and All-Energy, operating as a much larger incumbent organizer with broader event portfolios competing for the same energy-industry marketing budgets.
Others
- Intersolar Middle East: While under the same corporate umbrella as The smarter E, Intersolar Middle East is identified here as a related regional event brand sharing Solar Promotion's event infrastructure and audience overlap.
Regional players
- PV Expo (Japan): PV Expo is a leading Japanese PV exhibition serving the APAC solar market, comparable to The smarter E's APAC-facing events but operating primarily in Japan rather than competing directly in The smarter E's core European geographies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The smarter E social profiles
Digital presenceThe smarter E financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The smarter E leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The smarter E funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The smarter E M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The smarter E
What does The smarter E do?
The smarter E organizes and hosts international exhibitions and conferences for the smart energy sector, operating as the umbrella brand for Intersolar, ees, Power2Drive, and EM-Power events across multiple continents. It also operates a digital platform (thesmartere.com) that provides year-round access to conference recordings, webinars, podcasts, studies, and whitepapers, complemented by an international B2B business directory. Revenue is generated through event registrations, premium content subscriptions, business directory listings, and sponsorship packages.
Is The smarter E a public or private company?
The smarter E is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The smarter E founded?
The smarter E was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The smarter E based?
The smarter E is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does The smarter E make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Premium Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are business Directory Listings, sponsorship Packages and event Registrations.
Who are The smarter E's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are RE+ (formerly Solar Power International), SNEC (International Solar Energy Exhibition), ENLIT Europe and EU PVSEC (European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference). Broad incumbents are Messe Frankfurt, RX Global (Reed Exhibitions), Hannover Messe and Informa Markets (POWERGEN, All-Energy). Intersolar Middle East is listed as an others. PV Expo (Japan) is listed as a regional player.
Does The smarter E have an API?
No public API is recorded for The smarter E.
What industry is The smarter E in?
The smarter E's product category is Energy Industry Events & Conferences. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAGAM, Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics), with a secondary code of THAHAOAN, On-Demand Video Hosting & Content Repurposing (VOD Libraries, Highlights, Editing). Its NAICS code is 56192.