Belgian startup Powernaut has secured €2.4 million in pre-seed funding to drive the energy transition away from fossil fuels. The round was led by Berlin-based Revent and London’s Seedcamp, with participation from Belgian investors Pitchdrive and Syndicate One. The funding will enable Powernaut to scale its innovative software solution for managing decentralized energy devices, such as solar panels, electric vehicles, and heat pumps, helping energy suppliers optimize their operations while reducing costs for consumers.
As energy systems become more decentralized, millions of devices now generate and consume power locally, shifting away from traditional, centralized power plants. This rapid growth presents challenges for outdated electricity grids, which were not designed for such interconnected systems. Powernaut’s technology addresses this issue by coordinating decentralized devices to work harmoniously within the grid, ensuring efficient energy use and supporting the continued adoption of renewables.
Florentijn Degroote, co-founder and CEO of Powernaut, emphasized: “Navigating the energy transition is tough sailing, especially with so many renewables being installed without much coordination. Unlike traditional power plants, solar panels and wind turbines rely on fluctuating weather conditions, making our energy production increasingly unpredictable. To effectively add more renewables and keep costs low for everyone, we need to coordinate these smart connected devices effectively - and software and AI are essential in doing so.”
Since its launch in January 2024, Powernaut has partnered with industry leaders managing over 200MW of decentralized energy assets, equivalent to the output of 80 wind turbines or enough to power 40,000 homes.
Co-founder and CTO Serge Morel added: “Our new decentralised system has the potential to save consumers and businesses across Europe more than €300 billion annually, while cutting millions of tons of CO₂ emissions each year. Having our investors on board is crucial — they share our mission, provide capital, and bring valuable expertise from backing Europe’s leading unicorns. Their support will help us scale quickly, bring in new talent, and achieve our climate goals.”
