Vireo Ventures

🚀Officially sold out! Next Monday, March 3, we’re bringing together leading voices in the climate tech ecosystem in Barcelona to explore emerging climate trends for 2025. As part of the event, 6 startups will take the stage to pitch bold ideas and breakthrough technologies for tackling the climate crisis. Huge thank you to our co-hosts Inclimo Climate Tech Fund SET Ventures Acton Capital LUMO Labs Zubi Labs and ClimateHack for making it happen. See you in Barcelona! 4YFN, Felix Krause Lou Arzur Sandro Michelmann Matthias Engel Sven Heiligtag Thomas L. Mischa Wetzel

Today, the 𝐄𝐔 𝐮𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥 - aiming to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, accelerate decarbonization, and secure the future of manufacturing. Key pillar of the deal? Making energy, specifically electricity, affordable for manufacturers who have borne the fallout of the gas price crisis, exacerbated by the geopolitical tensions. The Commission claims it can deliver energy bill reductions for homes and businesses of €45 billion this year and aims for 40% of renewable energy technology to be produced within the European Union.   Key elements of the plan include: THE ACTION PLAN ON AFFORDABLE ENERGY: Reducing energy bills for industries and businesses by accelerating clean energy rollouts, enhancing electrification, and reducing fossil fuel dependence. GRIDS MANUFACTURING PACKAGE: Allocating at least €1.5 billion to support the European supply chain for grid components. THE INDUSTRIAL DECARBONISATION ACCELERATOR ACT: Driving demand for clean products. MOBILISING CAPITAL TO SUPPORT EU-MADE CLEAN MANUFACTURING: €100 Billion for clean industry, New State Aid Framework, an Industrial Decarbonisation Bank, & stronger InnovationFund. CIRCULAR ECONOMY ACT: Stepping up circularity and reducing dependencies on raw materials. It’s encouraging to see the plan setting the right priorities: lowering taxes on clean electricity and boosting the deployment of renewables, grids, and flexibility solutions to cut overall energy costs. However, the coming months will be critical in shaping these policies into real actions. We believe that electrification is key to Europe’s competitiveness - and must be a core priority. Expanding renewable grids, electric mobility, and efficiency solutions will strengthen the EU’s role in global sustainability efforts. Read the full document in the comments below.

🏡 𝐃𝐒𝐁 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 €3.6𝐌 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲-𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 – 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨! We have led DSB’s €3.6 million Seed round, joined by FoodLabs, IBB Ventures, FJ Labs, Saxovent, Silence, G-FUND, and a strong network of business angels. Germany faces a massive renovation challenge: 16 million buildings must be upgraded by 2033 to meet EU energy efficiency standards. DSB makes this process easier by offering independent energy consulting combined with a digital platform that connects homeowners with trusted local craftsmen. Their approach covers everything from solar panels and heat pumps to insulation and energy management. With this funding, DSB will scale its platform, expand its craftsman network, and integrate smart energy solutions—laying the groundwork to support 1 million renovation projects across Europe by 2030. As Felix Krause, Managing Partner at Vireo Ventures, puts it: "DSB’s vision to modernize homes sustainably aligns with our mission to accelerate the energy transition. The team combines deep industry expertise with a strong execution mindset—key ingredients to drive real impact." Looking forward to working with Sebastian, Niclas, Adam, and the entire dsb team on this next phase. Stephan Schulze, Till Hoelzer, Jeff Weinstein, Jesko von Viereck, Borja Moreno de los Rios, Konstantin Urban, Jonathan Uthe-Spencker, Jeramiah Seidl, Dr. Christine Prauschke, HEIMATBOOST GmbH #Funding #ClimateTech #EnergieSanierung #SeedRound #DSB #HausSanierung #Nachhaltigkeit #PropTech #Energiewende

Great news for European energy and climatetech! 🇪🇺 Scale Energy becomes the latest addition to our Vireo Ventures portfolio. Founded by Elias Aruna, Christoph Koessler and Nikolas Fendel, Scale Energy has raised 2€M in Seed funding to build the largest decentralized battery storage network in Europe. 🔋 We were convinced by Scale Energy’s approach of using existing grid connections to store energy in batteries, avoiding costly new infrastructure. Scale Energy estimates its solution could save German industry over €9 billion annually in energy costs. Additionally, it will help industrials enhance their energy security, lower CO₂ emissions, and at the same time meet their sustainability targets. This solution comes at a critical time - as Europe urgently needs technologies that reduce energy costs, stabilize the grid, and accelerate decarbonization. The round was led by Climentum Capital, with participation from us at Vireo Ventures and existing shareholders Antler and P3A. A number of high-profile angel investors with deep industry expertise also joined the financing round, including Dr. Christine Prauschke, former Chief Digital Officer at Enpal, Henning Gebhardt, former Global Head of Equities at DWS, and Thomas Rüschen, former Deutsche Bank senior executive. Further industrial expertise comes from Frankfurt based family office SKR Capital. Scale Energy will finance its storage projects through a separate CapEx facility provided by a DACH based energy focused infrastructure investor with a commitment for 100 MW. Welcome to the Vireo Ventures portfolio, Scale Energy!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮. THE GRID’s first gathering as part of this year’s E-world energy & water brought together 200 investors, startups, and key players from corporates and the energy ecosystem — and you made it a success! We truly enjoyed every minute alongside our friends from World Fund, BRYCK.COM, and HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds, as well as our fantastic co-hosts: VERBUND X, EnBW New Ventures, and TÜV NORD GROUP. A big thank you also to Startup Energy Transition by DENA and our E-World Ticket Partner, Essener Wirtschaftsförderung, for their support! 📅 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄! Join us for the next edition of THE GRID: 8th May 2025 in Munich during The smarter E / Intersolar. Let’s keep shaping the future of energy—together. ⚡ See you in Munich! #THEGRID #EnergyInnovation #Startups #Investors #Networking #SmarterE2025 #EWorld2025 #startupsxvcs Picture credits: Jan Auditor

We're happy to be back in Essen at E-world energy & water - kicking off the first day with our annual Energy Tech Pitch Session! Our colleague Felix hosts 12 companies on stage RIGHT NOW. Come by to the Future Forum Stage to see them pitch and ask questions directly to the founders of: Podero Gridcog Pleevi VEIR BitWatt Systems j4energy Optimeering encentive Blindleister clever-PV reLi Energy KlimaShift If you dont make it time, make sure to drop by our booth in Hall 3 - 3H120 today or tomorrow to meet the entire Vireo team. Coffee will be on us!

🌱 VERBUND X Ventures joins Vireo Ventures as a strategic LP 🤝 Welcome VERBUND X! The Corporate VC arm of Austria’s leading energy group VERBUND, VERBUND X shares our vision for innovation and electrification as key drivers of building the future energy system. With VERBUND X on board, Vireo now partners with four major European utility companies — a clear sign of trust in our mission and recognition of the role venture capital plays in advancing the energy transition. Franz Zöchbauer, Managing Director of VERBUND X, captures the alignment perfectly: “Vireo’s focus on early-stage energy tech startups in Europe fits seamlessly with our strategy. Their experienced team, with a strong track record, opens the door to top-tier deal flow while creating valuable synergies through shared expertise and co-investment opportunities. Together, we can identify and scale innovative technologies to make a meaningful impact on the energy transition.” VERBUND X now joins our network of strategic partners, which include, among others, the European Investment Fund (EIF) and EnBW New Ventures. We’re proud to have such strong supporters by our side, all united by the same mission: driving the energy transition forward. Thank you for your trust and collaboration: Michael Strugl, Franz Zöchbauer, Tanja Reiter and the entire team at VERBUND X.

Our Managing Partner, Felix Krause, recently sat down with Valerie Thompson at pv magazine Global to talk about solar energy opportunities and startups. He shared how venture capital can play a key role in driving innovation in the energy transition, investing & accelerating growth of critical energytech solutions like digital energy technologies and software-enabled business models. He mentioned one standout example from our portfolio, Green Fusion - a company revolutionizing heating management software for multi-family homes. Their technology enables control, monitoring, and optimization of hybrid and conventional heating systems. Another portfolio company Amperecloud provides data monitoring and integration into monitoring, management, and maintenance applications for both solar and battery energy storage systems. Felix also highlighted emerging opportunities in bidirectional EV charging, agrivoltaics, and sector coupling, as well as the importance of collaboration between startups and incumbents to scale solutions in a rapidly evolving energy landscape. Read the full interview in the comments below! #energytransition #electrification #VC #solarenergy

𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐨 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐄-𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 & 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 2025 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧! In just a few days, we’ll be heading to E-world energy & water, Europe’s premier energy industry event, bringing together over 800 exhibitors and 25,000 visitors from around the world. The event is a showcase of the latest innovations driving the clean energy transition. As a program partner, we’re proud to continue fostering collaboration between established players and the most promising startups shaping the future of energy systems. 🚀 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 – 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 11 Join us as 12 selected startups pitch their innovations in clean energy, electrification, and smart cities. They’ve been chosen from over 60 applications spanning 13 countries and will present their ideas to an audience of DSOs, TSOs, utilities, Stadtwerke, VCs, and innovation experts. Featured startups include: Podero, Gridcog, Pleevi, VEIR, BitWatt Systems, j4energy, Optimeering, encentive GmbH, Blindleister, clever-PV, reLi Energy, and Klimashift 📅 When: February 11, 11:00 AM 📍 Where: Future Forum, Hall 5 🍻 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐱 𝐕𝐂 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 – 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 12 THE GRID is fully booked! We’re excited to host this exclusive networking event in collaboration with World Fund, HTGF | High-Tech Gründerfonds, and BRYCK.COM, and sponsored by VERBUND Ventures, EnBW New Ventures, and TÜV NORD GROUP. If you couldn’t secure a spot, let’s connect at our booth! 👋 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐔𝐬 in 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 3 – 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 3𝐇120 Throughout the event, you’ll find the Vireo Ventures team in 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘭 3 – 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 3𝘏120. Stop by to discuss how we can collaborate to enable the all-electrified world! We’re excited to meet old friends and new faces. See you there! #EWorld2025 #EnergyTransition #Innovation #CleanEnergy 

Wow! January 2025 has already flown by. Let’s take a quick look at what’s been happening at Vireo Ventures and across our portfolio: #VireoUpdates ________________________________ #NewLook & Website 📺 We’re excited to unveil our fresh branding—check out our new website at vireo.vc! #TeamAddition 🎉 A very warm welcome to Lou Arzur, who joins Vireo Ventures as an Investment Manager. We’re thrilled to have her on board! E-world energy & water 2025 Is Coming ⚡ As in previous years, we’ll be hosting our #startuppitch session, showcasing 12 winners driving innovation to decarbonize urban spaces. Where? 📍 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘮 in Hall 5 at 11:00 📍. Come learn more about their transformative solutions and explore potential partnerships. #PortfolioHighlights ________________________________ Green Fusion 🚀 💰 Raised €12M in a #SeriesA round to revolutionize heating systems with AI-driven optimization. The round was led by HV Capital and XAnge, with participation from BitStone Capital, Übermorgen Ventures, kopa ventures, Brandenburg Kapital GmbH and us. Atmen💡 🫧 Announced a new partnership with Schneider Electric to advance tech-enabled green certification for hydrogen and Power-to-X (PtX) supply chains. HeyCharge 🤝 🏢 Formed a game-changing partnership with Vonovia to bring EV charging to over 500,000 apartments in Germany. About:Energy 🔋 🏎️ Featured in Forbes alongside McMurtry Automotive Limited, highlighting how they reduced battery development time by 70% for the world’s fastest electric vehicle. ECO2GROW🌱 ⚡ Entered a cooperation with Energiekontor AG to connect green power with Germany’s “Mittelstand.” PIONIX GmbH 🔌 🔋 Partnered with Hubject to simplify #PlugandCharge testing and boost efficiency for OEMs. Granular Energy 🎉 Honored to be named to the Cleantech Group Global Cleantech 100 list for the second consecutive year. Cozero 🌎 👏 Kicked off 2024 by sharing impressive data: 65+ customers managing 121M tCO2, with 5.3M tCO2 saved and 2.3K suppliers tracked through its platform. Great work! metiundo GmbH ⚡ 🤝 Contributing to Germany’s largest 4.7MWp “Mieterstromprojekt”, in partnership with metergrid and Calor Energy GmbH. e-mobilio 🤝 🚗 Celebrating a successful partnership with GP-International Consulting to train companies in e-mobility solutions. ________________________________ #Connect with Us at Vireo Ventures Are you innovating in ClimateTech? A visionary investor? Interested in collaboration or investment opportunities? Reach out to us at [email protected] or visit www.vireo.vc.