Berlin-based energy startup autarc receives millions in financing from PT1, better ventures and Lieferando founder Kai Hansen to enable heating engineers to install one million heat pumps by 2030

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Berlin, 11.12.2023. The energy startup autarc has successfully completed its pre-seed financing and raised a single-digit million sum. In addition to better ventures and lead investor PT1 - PropTech1 Ventures, investors include many other well-known business angels such as C1 founder Christian Vollmann, Lieferando founder Kai Hansen, GridX founders David Balensiefen and Andreas Booke, RealXData founder Titus Albrecht, ZenHomes founder Jannes Fischer and Reachbird founder Philipp Martin. autarc wants to decarbonize the building with its planning software Speed up the sector, install one million heat pumps by 2030 and expand its team and reach in Europe.

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Heating systems in Europe are currently facing a double challenge: On the one hand, they are significant sources of CO2 emissions, and on the other hand, there is a lack of sufficiently qualified craftsmen to promptly change this situation. This is exactly where autarc comes in and sees a great opportunity for people and the environment: The software enables heating engineers to work more efficiently and productively. The start-up thus makes it easier to switch from traditional oil and gas heating systems to modern heat pumps, thus promoting sustainable energy sources and supporting the development of new businesses in this area.‍

The vision: Planning one million heat pumps by 2030

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‍“Our vision is ambitious but clearly defined: By 2030, we want to use our software to plan over one million plants and thus become a key player in accelerated decarbonization. We are convinced that this approach not only significantly reduces environmental impact, but also raises energy efficiency to a new level,” explains Etienne-Noel Krause, co-founder and CEO of autarc.

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‍autarc revolutionizes heating market by halving planning time with the help of artificial intelligence and LiDAR scanners

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‍The autarc software simplifies the planning process and installation of heat pumps and enables time savings of up to 50 percent. Installers currently need three to four times more time to make an initial offer for heat pump installations than for gas or oil heating systems. They also need 30 times more data to plan a heat pump system efficiently and in accordance with the law and spend almost half of their valuable working time on administrative tasks. With features such as LiDAR scanners and artificial intelligence, the startup is shortening the calculations for installations. “The heat supply in Europe will be completely decarbonized over the next two decades. In this context, the optimization of installation companies is an extremely important lever for rapid and large-scale conversion to sustainable systems. The team has already generated impressive traction in this context and we are looking forward to working with them to address this profoundly important challenge of the energy transition,” says Fabian König, investment manager of lead investor PT1 - PropTech1 Ventures.

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‍Sales of up to 29 billion euros in the heat pump market are possible by 2030

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‍“autarc plays a key role in accelerating the rollout of heat pumps, particularly in view of 59 percent growth in 2022 and the expected market potential of 29 billion euros by 2030 in Germany. With an operating system for everyone that offers clear installation steps and rapid data collection, is DIN-compliant and includes a customer portal to increase the efficiency of all parties involved, the autarc team combines technical expertise and market understanding to develop effective and user-friendly solutions. We are proud to support autarc in this growing market,” says Tina Dreimann, founder and managing director of better ventures. The Berlin-based startup autarc was founded in January 2023 by Etienne-Noel Krause and Thies Hansen. Krause (CEO) brings extensive expertise from his part-time studies in heating engineering, while Hansen (COO) draws on extensive experience in operations, finance and tech from his time at Trade Republic, Partech and Hamburg Süd. Together with autarc, they are pursuing the mission of accelerating the transition to climate-neutral apartments and houses by setting up the leading heat pump operating system for HVAC installers. The business model is based on a SaaS subscription for installers.

‍About autarc

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‍Founded in 2023, the startup autarc is developing an operating system (OS) for heating manufacturers to accelerate the transition to fossil-free heating in Europe. The autarc SaaS solution offers user-guided software to help new and old heating companies switch to the heat pump. As a partner of the trade sector, autarc offers users further simplifications through artificial intelligence or LiDAR scanners in addition to heating load, hydraulic balancing and sizing.

‍About PT1 - PropTech1 Ventures

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‍PT1 - PropTech1 Ventures invests in and promotes Futurebuilders: innovative entrepreneurs from across Europe who are facing the major challenges of our time caused by the increasing scarcity of natural resources, affordable housing and qualified workers. PT1 is an independent early-stage venture capital platform that supports these future builders in their mission to implement transformative real estate technologies while generating double returns for both their investors and society.

‍About Better Ventures

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‍better ventures is an angel club for impact-driven startups, which was initiated by Tina Dreimann, Cedric Duvinage and Christoph Behn. More than 70 successful entrepreneurs have already joined forces in the Angel Club to use capital, network and know-how to support ambitious founders in sustainably improving the world with their business models. The vision: to build a European ecosystem for sustainable investments that helps founders improve the world.