Clean Energy Wire CLEW
Clean Energy Wire (CLEW) is a Berlin-based nonprofit journalism organization, jointly owned by Stiftung Mercator Foundation and the European Climate Foundation, that provides free reporting, factsheets, and training on Europe's energy transition with a focus on Germany, serving international journalists and climate policy stakeholders.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Clean Energy Wire CLEW does
Clean Energy Wire (CLEW) is a Berlin-based nonprofit journalism organization that reports on Europe's energy transition with a primary focus on Germany's Energiewende, operating under the legal entity 2050 Media Projekt gGmbH. Founded in 2014 and jointly owned by Stiftung Mercator Foundation and the European Climate Foundation, CLEW produces free news, factsheets, deep-dive dossiers, and country guides on European and German energy and climate policy. Its technology platform is a Drupal-based website (cleanenergywire.org) supplemented by Matomo analytics, YouTube and social media integrations, Cleverreach-managed Daily and Weekly email newsletters, and the Twingle donation platform.
CLEW's product portfolio combines journalism with structured training and community programs: a global CLEW Journalism Network with a member directory and map; funded training programs (Summer Academy, masterclasses, research tours); cross-border reporting grants of €2,500 per winning team; and COP fellowships (including COP29 with the Stanley Center). Supplementary tools include an Expert Finder Database, the "Ask CLEW" research support service, and policy agenda trackers for EU and German energy/climate events. CLEW also runs an India-Germany Climate and Energy Journalism Programme in partnership with The Migration Story, funded by Heinrich Böll Stiftung.
The business model is a classic foundation-funded nonprofit: all content and services are provided free of charge, with no subscriptions, paywalls, or advertising. Revenue consists of institutional foundation grants and donations, with the two sole shareholders as the primary funders and additional program-specific support from Journalismfund Europe and Heinrich Böll Stiftung. Distribution is fully open: direct website access, email newsletters, social media on X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky, plus in-person events. Customer segments are dual — journalists (primary demand side) and policymakers, researchers, NGOs, and civil society (secondary demand side) — with no revenue concentration on individual end users.
Clean Energy Wire CLEW firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clean Energy Wire CLEW
- Legal name
- 2050 Media Projekt gGmbH
- Website
- https://cleanenergywire.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Clean Energy Wire (CLEW) is a Berlin-based nonprofit journalism organization, jointly owned by Stiftung Mercator Foundation and the European Climate Foundation, that provides free reporting, factsheets, and training on Europe's energy transition with a focus on Germany, serving international journalists and climate policy stakeholders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Clean Energy Wire CLEW is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Clean Energy Wire CLEW business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Institutional Foundation Grants and Donations: CLEW is a not-for-profit journalism initiative. Its operations are funded entirely by institutional foundation grants and donations. The sole shareholders/primary funders are Stiftung Mercator Foundation and the European Climate Foundation. Additional funding comes from Journalismfund Europe and the Heinrich Böll Stiftung for specific programs. Donations are accepted via the website.
- Donations (Individual): Individual donations are processed via the Twingle platform. CLEW states its work is 'not for profit' and relies on donor support to maintain its free journalism and training offerings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free access to all CLEW content and services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Clean Energy Wire CLEW product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clean Energy Wire CLEW is a non-profit journalism organization that publishes free news articles, factsheets, dossiers, and country guides on Europe's energy transition with a primary focus on Germany. It also operates the CLEW Journalism Network connecting international climate reporters, runs funded training programs (Summer Academy, masterclasses, research tours, fellowships), awards cross-border reporting grants, maintains an Expert Finder database, and delivers daily and weekly email briefings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CLEW News Reporting Service Free journalism covering Europe's move to climate neutrality with a primary focus on Germany. Includes news articles, factsheets (concise background Q&As), deep-dive dossiers, and country guides/dispatches. Intended for journalists, policymakers, researchers, NGOs, and the interested public.
- CLEW Journalism Network An online member directory and global map connecting international journalists covering the energy transition, enabling members to collaborate, share contacts, and co-pitch cross-border stories. Free membership for reporters worldwide.
- Cross-Border Reporting Grants Competitive grant programme funding cross-border collaborative reporting on energy transition topics. €2,500 awarded to each winning team of journalists from at least two countries and different media outlets; recipients must include an editor's letter of publication intent. Open internationally.
- CLEW Summer Academy Fully funded week-long climate journalism training academy held in Berlin, with travel, accommodation, and meals covered for selected European journalists. Includes lectures, workshops, and field components on energy transition reporting.
- CLEW Masterclasses Training sessions and web events providing journalists with direct access to expert knowledge on key energy transition stories. Open to journalists via the CLEW website.
- CLEW Research Tours In-person research tours providing journalists with direct access to the most important stories on the energy transition, including site visits and expert briefings. Open to journalists via the CLEW website.
- COP29 Cross-Border Energy Transition Reporting Fellowship Reporting fellowship at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan for 5 selected international journalists covering energy transition and the green workforce. Travel, accommodation, visa costs, travel insurance, and a €1,000 stipend are covered. Co-organized with the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.
- CLEW Expert Finder Database Searchable online database of energy and climate experts available for media interviews, organized by topic and organization. Free for journalists seeking interviewees.
- CLEW Daily and Weekly Email Briefings Free email newsletters — Daily Briefing covers German energy and climate coverage from the past 24 hours, and Weekly Briefing delivers updates from across Europe and the latest from the Journalism Network.
- India-Germany Climate and Energy Journalism Programme Bilateral training programme bringing together 14 journalists from India and Germany for four days of training on green technology, industrial policy, and gender dimensions, followed by cross-border reporting grants. Jointly run with The Migration Story and supported by Heinrich Böll Stiftung.
Quantifiable outcome
- Supported 14 journalists from India and Germany in a joint climate journalism programme with cross-border reporting grants
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Clean Energy Wire CLEW
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Clean Energy Wire CLEW technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Clean Energy Wire CLEW partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.
- The Migration StoryflagshipThe India-Germany Climate and Energy Journalism Programme is a joint initiative of Clean Energy Wire and The Migration Story, bringing together 14 journalists from India and Germany for four days of training on green technology, industrial policy, gender dimensions, followed by cross-border reporting grants. Supported by Heinrich Böll Stiftung.
- Stanley Center for Peace and SecurityflagshipClean Energy Wire and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security co-organized the COP29 Cross-Border Energy Transition Reporting Fellowship, selecting 5 journalists globally to report on energy transition and the green workforce during COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Stanley Center co-funded travel, accommodation, and stipends.
- Just Transition Mechanism / EU Just Transition FundminorCLEW's cross-border grants on 'Leaving no one behind in Europe's green transition' referenced the EU's Just Transition Mechanism and its €19.2 billion Just Transition Fund as the policy framework topic for the journalism grants. This is a reference to EU policy rather than a formal partnership.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Clean Energy Wire CLEW competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Grist: US-based nonprofit climate journalism outlet covering climate, energy, and environmental policy with foundation funding. Comparable to CLEW in editorial focus on climate/energy transition and nonprofit/grant-supported model.
- Inside Climate News: US-based nonprofit investigative climate and energy journalism outlet supported by philanthropic grants. Closely comparable to CLEW in nonprofit funding model, energy/climate editorial focus, and reliance on foundation support for investigative and contextual reporting.
- Climate Central: US-based nonprofit that produces climate science communication, journalism, and visual storytelling with foundation and grant funding. Highly comparable to CLEW as a foundation-backed nonprofit producing specialist climate/energy journalism and visual content.
- Yale Climate Connections: Nonprofit climate journalism and content production initiative hosted at Yale with foundation support, producing articles, radio, and video on climate and energy topics. Comparable to CLEW in foundation-backed nonprofit model and focus on accessible climate/energy journalism.
- Carbon Brief: UK-based specialist climate and energy policy journalism outlet that publishes in-depth articles, factsheets, and analysis on UK, EU, and global climate policy. Directly comparable to CLEW in editorial scope, format (news + explainers), and target audience of policymakers and journalists.
- Atmos Magazine: Climate journalism and storytelling outlet covering energy transition, policy, and culture with editorial support from foundations and individual donors. Comparable to CLEW in specialist climate/energy journalism focus and nonprofit/grant-supported operating model.
- The Energy Mix: Canada-based daily clean energy news and commentary service that curates and contextualizes energy-transition stories. Comparable to CLEW in editorial focus on energy transition and in offering a daily briefing format to a specialist readership.
- DeSmog: Global investigative journalism outlet focused on climate disinformation and fossil fuel industry influence, organized as a nonprofit. Comparable to CLEW in mission-driven climate journalism and grant-supported operating model, though DeSmog leans more toward investigative/disinformation beats.
- Dialogue Earth: Nonprofit environmental journalism outlet (formerly chinadialogue) covering climate and energy across Asia, Latin America, and globally. Comparable to CLEW as a mission-driven, grant-funded specialist climate/energy journalism outlet publishing contextual reporting for an international policy audience.
Emerging players
- Energy Monitor: Specialist publication covering the global energy transition with policy and market analysis. Comparable to CLEW in energy-transition editorial scope and European/global policy focus, though commercial rather than purely nonprofit in its funding model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Clean Energy Wire CLEW social profiles
Digital presenceClean Energy Wire CLEW financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clean Energy Wire CLEW leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Clean Energy Wire CLEW funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clean Energy Wire CLEW 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 Clean Energy Wire CLEW
What does Clean Energy Wire CLEW do?
Clean Energy Wire CLEW is a non-profit journalism organization that publishes free news articles, factsheets, dossiers, and country guides on Europe's energy transition with a primary focus on Germany. It also operates the CLEW Journalism Network connecting international climate reporters, runs funded training programs (Summer Academy, masterclasses, research tours, fellowships), awards cross-border reporting grants, maintains an Expert Finder database, and delivers daily and weekly email briefings.
Is Clean Energy Wire CLEW a public or private company?
Clean Energy Wire CLEW is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Clean Energy Wire CLEW founded?
Clean Energy Wire CLEW was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Clean Energy Wire CLEW based?
Clean Energy Wire CLEW is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Clean Energy Wire CLEW make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Institutional Foundation Grants and Donations are the primary driver. The others are donations (Individual).
Who are Clean Energy Wire CLEW's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Grist, Inside Climate News, Climate Central, Yale Climate Connections, Carbon Brief, Atmos Magazine, The Energy Mix, DeSmog and Dialogue Earth. Energy Monitor is listed as an emerging player.
Does Clean Energy Wire CLEW have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clean Energy Wire CLEW.