Participated · Series A · Jun 2020

Solytic provides an energy monitoring platform that uses AI to create a digital twin of PV installations and assess performance. The company focuses on automatic performance assessment through its analytical model and real-time analytics. It has operated in the German PV market since 2017 and monitors close to 200,000 independent distributed PV installations, accumulating a database of more than 50 TB. Solytic works with international brands such as Kostal and Vaillant. The new capital will be used for further product development and to build AI-based care technology for PV installations. The company plans to start operations in Poland and Western Europe and is seeking partners among companies that install and operate PV systems. Solytic is a Germany-based PV monitoring software startup that has released an online tool comparing major commercially available solar monitoring platforms. The comparison evaluates ten criteria, including platform cost per 1 MW generated annually, requirement for additional hardware, ticketing systems, configurable performance reports, error detection and interpretation, irradiation data, performance-ratio calculation, and distinction between string plan and digital twin/portfolio management. Solytic’s platform scored best in the comparison, registering the lowest platform cost per 1 MW, requiring no additional independent hardware, and offering all tracked features. Gantner’s Web Portal, Quantum’s Renewable Cloud and Synaptiq were also evaluated, with Gantner roughly 55% more expensive per MW and the others not publicly sharing per‑MW costs; Synaptiq alone was scored to offer optional string plan/digital twin distinguishment. In March Solytic secured what it described as "a medium seven‑digit sum in its Series A round," roughly $9 million, with key investments from Vattenfall, EWE and THELO Investors. Following the funding announcement the company said it plans to expand monitoring coverage from 100,000 PV plants to 1,000,000 within three years.

Participated · Equity · Jan 2011

Sulfurcell develops, manufactures and sells CIGS/CIGSe thin‑film photovoltaic modules and building-integrated PV solutions for BIPV, solar construction and commercial rooftops. The company has commercialized at scale since shipping its first modules in 2005 and is ramping up a 35 MW production facility. Sulfurcell reports manufacturing full‑scale thin‑film modules at 12.6% efficiency and is targeting 14% efficiency within 12–18 months through ongoing R&D. The company employs about 250 people and has developed an automated industrial manufacturing process for its second‑generation thin‑film technology. Sulfurcell was founded in 2001 as a spin‑off from the Helmholtz Centre for Materials and Energy and has received multiple rounds of growth financing to support production and R&D, including a prior €85m round used to build a Berlin production facility. The recent equity raise will fund expansion and market introduction of its second‑generation CIGSe PV technology.