The smarter E

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.

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

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

• Energy exhibitions
• Renewable energy conferences
• Smart energy events
• Solar industry trade shows
• Energy storage conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Business Directory Listings: Paid company profiles in international business directory featuring multilingual presentation, top placement, and direct customer contact capabilities
3. 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
4. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Solar Promotion International GmbHcoreOthersSubsidiary organization of Solar Promotion GmbH that organizes international conferences and exhibitions in the field of renewable energies alongside the parent company.
• Conexio-PSE GmbHcoreOthersSubsidiary 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)coreOthersLeading 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)coreOthersInternational 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)coreOthersInternational exhibition and conference for charging infrastructure and electromobility under The smarter E umbrella. Covers European, South American, and Indian markets.
• EM-Power (brand)coreOthersExhibition and conference for electrical infrastructure and energy management, part of The smarter E event portfolio with presence in Europe and South America.
• SolarPower EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association whose market reports and outlook publications (Global Market Outlook, European Market Outlook for Battery Storage) are featured on The smarter E platform.
• Fraunhofer ISEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute whose studies on topics like German energy system transformation are published through The smarter E media center.
• MESIA (Middle East Solar Industry Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional solar industry association whose annual Solar Outlook Report is published through The smarter E platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/ThesmarterE
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThesmarterE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-smarter-e

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The smarter E