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- October
2020
Ecosummit invests in smart solar utility Sunvigo
Solar is by far the most important renewable energy on planet Earth. To grow the number of PV systems on global rooftops a lot faster, we have to make the solar purchase decision and PV system operations as simple as possible for consumers. The solution is to package the complex bundle of solar technology, financing, installation, operations and insurance into a super easy solar electricity tariff provided by a new smart solar utility. Sunvigo are the new kids on the block, in this case the residential solar market in Germany. After aggregating a strong partner network including a smart meter operator and several PV installers, the Cologne-based solar-as-a-service startup already have their first happy customers making their own solar power at home while paying only their monthly electricity bill. Most importantly, the 3 co-founders Vigen Nikogosian, Michael Peters and Bastian Bauwens are a great team: intelligent, well educated, modest and ambitious, with impressive track records and highly motivated to maximise their impact until 2030. That’s why Ecosummit invested €50K in the €500K Seed round together with Zurich-based Übermorgen Ventures and other smart green angels.
Read more- 24
- February
2020
Solar data manager Solytic raises Series A from EWE and Vattenfall
Data is key and enables new business models. The more data you have the better. This is also true in the solar industry and that’s why solar data manager Solytic is a hot startup these days. We’re happy to break the news that Solytic celebrates the first closing of its Series A raising almost €5M from new investor EWE and existing investor Vattenfall, 2 of the top 5 utilities in Germany. As a result, Vattenfall owns a bit more than 20% and EWE a bit less than 20%. The A round was also joined by 3 business angels led by ex-Goldman Sachs banker Frank Oliver Lehmann. EWE’s impressive investment manager Justin Müller met Solytic’s Enrico Ohnemüller and Vattenfall’s Alexander Hain on 16 May 2019 at Ecosummit Berlin and learned that Solytic was planning a new round. As EWE is transforming into a smart green utility that believes in the power of data and wants to grow its renewable energy business, the Berlin-based startup immediately looked like a good strategic fit and smart investment. In fact, Solytic is open to talk to new investors providing strategic value because the next financing round is already planned.
Read more- 15
- February
2015
Alexandre Askmo pitches Exeger
Ecosummit TV: Alexandre Askmo pitches Exeger at ECO14 Berlin. Exeger is the most-advanced developer of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) that have been invented by Professor Michael Grätzel in 1991. The Stockholm-based startup was founded in 2009, raised more than $30M and is supported by the Swedish Energy Agency. In 2014, Exeger inaugurated the world’s largest DSC factory that uses screen printing in the city centre of Stockholm. Dye-sensitzed solar cells are less sensitive to light angle and provide stable efficiency in all light and temperature conditions. As DSCs can be designed in any colour and printed on any shape a lot of applications are possible including consumer electronics, wearable devices and building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). Exeger works on commercial prototyping this year and plans its commercial launch in 2016 for which they are fundraising another $10-20M.
Read more- 16
- February
2014
Bloomberg’s Michael Wilshire analyses clean energy investment activity and trends
Ecosummit TV: Michael Wilshire, Director of Analysis at Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), talks about clean energy investment activity and trends at ECO13 London. BNEF provides independent market intelligence to investors and researches into the massive clean energy industry with a focus on policy, technology, economics, finance and supply chains. Clean energy attracted $281B of new investments in 2012 of which a small but important portion is VC and PE driving innovation.
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- September
2012
Felix Krause pitches PV marketplace Milk The Sun
Ecosummit TV: Not only their name is cool but also their business model. Felix Krause pitches Milk the Sun at ECO12 Berlin. The Berlin-based smart green startup develops and operates an online marketplace for existing and planned PV systems connecting buyers and sellers. Milk the Sun’s goal is to establish solar investments as a liquid asset class that can be easily traded. There are several service providers attached to the marketplace that can help make a PV installation more effective and cost-efficient, thus increasing ROI. Milk the Sun is live in Germany, UK and Italy and looks for funding to accelerate their company growth.
Read more- 19
- August
2011
Joachim Maass pitches German CSP startup Solar Tower Systems
Joachim Maass, Founder and CEO, pitches his German startup Solar Tower Systems to investors at ECO11. Solar Tower Systems is in the very promising business of CSP (Concentrated Solar Power), has the first customers and revenues, a strong management team and currently looks for €1.5M funding. Should be an easy deal.
Read more- 5
- July
2011
5th Munich Cleantech Conference on 14 July 2011 – Interview with Curt Winnen
On Thursday next week, 14 July 2011, the Munich Network, headed by Curt Winnen, produces the 5th Munich Cleantech Conference (MCC11). That’s rather sustainable and proves a lot of experience in bringing together smart green startups, investors and corporates. Below you find our interview with Curt about the MCC11. Myself, I joined the investor-heavy congress last year and will attend the upcoming MCC11, too, as Ecosummit is one of the media partners.
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- May
2011
Tilman Eichstaedt of Inventux on Thin-film Solar and German Grid Parity in 2011
Tilman Eichstaedt, management team member of Inventux, gave a very interesting presentation at ECO11 about the Berlin-based thin-film solar manufacturer and the future prospects of solar power. According to Tilman, we will have reached grid parity in Germany in the second half of this year. The feed-in tariff in Germany for larger installations (more than 1.000 KW) will be around €0.20 per KWh in Q3 and Q4 of 2011 while people pay €0.22 per KWh in Germany.
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- May
2011
Ecosummit TV – Carl Berninghausen pitches 3G Clean Fuel Startup Sunfire
Sunfire CEO Carl Berninghausen pitches his super hot 3G clean fuel startup at ECO11. Afterwards, he is joined by his colleague Nils Aldag during the interview with Ane Mari Aakernes, our Ecosummit TV moderator. Based in Bremen with 7 employees, Sunfire raised €1.2M so far. Sunfire produces third generation synthetic bio fuel (3G bio fuel) without using biomass. Sunfire transforms CO2 and water into clean fuel using renewable energy.
Read more- 27
- April
2011
Ecosummit TV – ECO11 – Nick Kanopoulos – Brite Solar
Nick Kanopoulos, cofounder and CEO of Brite Solar, pitches his 3G solar startup to investors at Ecosummit 2011. Afterwards, Nick is interviewed by Ane Mari Aakernes, our Ecosummit TV moderator during ECO11. Brite develops transparent coloured PV panels that can be used as energy-producing building windows. Brite currently looks for €2M venture capital to enable mass production of their PanePower Solar Windows. Brite is a Greek startup with R&D in Greece and Marketing and Sales in the US. Nick agreed to share his Brite Solar Slides as PDF.
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