• Ucaneo

  Led · Seed · Sep 2024

  Ucaneo develops patented direct air capture (DAC) technologies that leverage renewable energy-driven electrochemistry and novel solvents to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and provide a sustainable CO₂ source for industrial use. The company is headquartered in Berlin and positions its technology as a way to help companies meet regulatory and sustainability targets while closing the carbon cycle. Supported by a Techno-Economic Analysis and an independent feasibility study, Ucaneo’s DAC approach has the potential to reach costs below €300 per ton of CO₂ in the near term. Ucaneo operates an industrial pilot—described as one of Germany’s largest DAC projects—to generate operational data under real-world conditions. The company plans to use new funding to progress to Germany’s largest DAC demonstration plant, targeted for commissioning in the first half of 2026. Ucaneo previously completed a €6.75 million Seed round in September 2024. Ucaneo develops electrochemical direct air capture technology that mimics the human lung, using electricity and a specialised biomimetic solvent to continuously remove and concentrate atmospheric CO2 at room temperature. The process yields a pure CO2 gas ready for industrial use, and the technology is energy-efficient and compatible with intermittent renewables such as solar and wind, enabling energy price arbitrage and on-demand removal. Supported by an extensive techno-economic assessment and an external third-party feasibility study, Ucaneo projects costs just below €300/tCO2 in the near term and targets below €100/tCO2 long term. The company intends to use its €6.75m seed funding (including grants) to build one of Germany’s largest DAC testing and development facilities and to develop its first industrial-sized product. By 2026 Ucaneo aims to have that industrial product in place to prove performance and scalability and is participating in a Milkywire Climate Transformation Fund project after being selected as one of 13 suppliers from over 220 CDR suppliers. Ucaneo is led by co-founders Florian Tiller (CEO) and Carla Glassl (CTO) and has relocated to the high-tech Campus in Marzahn within the MotionLab.Berlin hardtech ecosystem.

• Necture

  Led · Series A · Mar 2024

  Necture (formerly Ubiq) offers a human-driven, predictive SaaS platform that provides vehicle-specific recommendations for operational tasks such as rebalancing and charging. The platform helps fleet managers optimize operations and enable seamless transitions to EVs. Necture partners with shared mobility providers including MILES, Eloop, and Awto, and manages 15,000 vehicles across Europe and the Americas. In March 2024 the company secured additional funding, bringing its Series A total to €7.0M. Lead investors in the round include Smart Energy Innovationsfonds and Verbund X Ventures, with existing backers Speedinvest and smartworks innovation GmbH also participating. The company plans to use the investment to expand its reach, accelerate growth, and advance its vision of a sustainable future powered by EVs.

• suena

  Led · Seed · Dec 2023

  Hamburg-based Suena Energy has built a proprietary Energy Trading Autopilot that uses real-time data, forecasts and AI algorithms to optimise and trade the flexibility of energy storage systems and renewable assets across power and ancillary service markets. The software produces dispatch schedules aimed at maximising revenue while limiting battery degradation and risk. A strategic priority is the fast-growing segment of co-located storage projects, whose operational and regulatory complexity Suena addresses with a flexible, market-adaptive platform. Customers use the product to develop storage projects more quickly, efficiently and profitably, supporting a more decentralised and decarbonised grid. The company has already secured key customers and laid out clear growth plans. Proceeds from the latest financing will fund international expansion, scale the business model, and advance co-location optimisation capabilities. No revenue or user metrics were disclosed in the article.

• Service4Charger

  Participated · Series A · Jun 2023

  Service4Charger supplies EV charging infrastructure and maintenance services to private, public and commercial customers, backed by an in-house team of digitally equipped electrical engineers called "Mobile Heroes." The company has raised a €10 million Series A to fund growth and operational expansion. Management says the capital will enable expansion into additional markets and hiring of more local operational staff and Mobile Heroes across Germany. Service4Charger is already in commercial partnership with bp (and its German brand Aral) to support rollout of EV charging. Under a multi-year commercial agreement with bp, the pair plan to expand several thousand charging points over the next few years. Leadership cited the funding and collaboration with bp and Energie 360° as key to driving electrification of mobility.

• Distran

  Participated · Series B · Jun 2023

  Distran is a pioneer and manufacturer of portable ultrasonic cameras used to detect gas leaks across industries including Oil & Gas, chemical, power generation, composites manufacturing, and space. Its Ultrasonic Cameras combine an integrated microphone array with an optical camera to pinpoint leaks from distance without contact, cutting inspection times by up to 10x versus other techniques. The company launched its first ultrasonic camera in 2013 and has since acquired global industry customers; its devices are used in more than 40 countries and NASA has used the Distran Ultra Pro on the ISS since December 2020. Distran employs more than 50 people and operates from its headquarters in Switzerland with offices in Germany, France, Denmark, the USA, and Bahrain, supported by a worldwide distributor network. Following its recent financing, the company plans to expand its global commercial network and introduce new products with improved reliability, safety, and reduced environmental footprint. Management has set a target to help save over 100 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent by 2026, tying its product development to emissions-reduction goals. Distran is a Zurich-based spin-off of ETH Zurich that develops phased-array acoustic sensors for industrial condition monitoring. Its flagship product, the Ultra M, is a fast hand-held gas leak localization device that shows leaks in real time on the device screen, enabling safer and roughly 10x faster plant inspections. The Ultra M is already used by major corporations to increase safety, availability and reliability of industrial plants. Distran's phased-array sensors spatially filter sounds to locate defects such as gas leaks or discharges from a safe distance, addressing limitations of traditional acoustic sensors in noisy industrial environments. The company is supported by the Swiss Climate Foundation and aims to reduce risks for industrial workers and the environmental impact of industry. Distran plans to accelerate the market roll-out of the Ultra M and expand its team and operations using new financing proceeds.

No current team members are available.