enerkii closes round to slash 50% from industrial players’ energy bills while decarbonising their processes

Founded by gridX veterans, enerkii has already secured 18 contracts with German industrial leaders - planning projects with a total capacity of 87 MW - and has Europe-wide expansion plans

Munich, 16 July 2025 - enerkii, the company supplying affordable renewable energy for industry, has closed a funding round led by World Fund, Europe’s leading climate VC.

enerkii is addressing a major problem: the industrial and commercial sectors’ carbon footprint. Energy production still accounts for around 75% of global CO₂ emissions, and energy-related CO₂ emissions continue to rise, reaching a record high of 37.4 billion tonnes. 

Despite rising availability of renewable power and storage systems, the industrial sector has been slow to decarbonise. Over 80% of industrial companies in Germany don’t yet have a renewable energy system in place. These industrial players face eight-figure, up-front investment/capital costs for installing renewables infrastructure and storage on-site, and enormous asset and energy market complexity. For example, German utilities giant RWE recently invested €50 million for the development of two large battery energy storage systems. Another example is the 2018 Shell / ITM Power investment of ≈€20 million in the REFHYNE Project, a 10 MW Electrolyser refinery in the Rhineland.

This is where enerkii comes in. The company was launched in March 2024 by experienced founders David Balensiefen (founded and exited gridX to E.ON), and gridX veterans Henry Thierhoff and Hendrik Abel.

The team has created a unique company that offers both: 

• An Operating System (OS) for the commercial and industrial sector that enables enerkii to calculate the optimal energy system configuration for a company in just 15 minutes, eliminating the need for expensive consultants and reducing the time it takes from weeks to minutes.
• To actually run renewable energy and battery storage systems on customers’ premises, operating as a small independent power provider. 

Through this “energy-as-a-service model”, enerkii offers a software and hardware solution that delivers cheaper energy. All without customers having to take on any risk or investment requirements. In fact, enerkii delivers a 50% discount to energy bills on average.

Crucially, unlike competitors, enerkii integrates the complexity of the entire renewables system. It offers solar assets, storage systems to increase utilisation of energy on site, charging infrastructure, and will soon incorporate further energy components including heat pumps. Through its OS, enerkii enables the calculation of optimal energy configurations, allowing enerkii to manage customers' excess energy and grid relationship, thereby addressing both the complexities of the energy market and renewables capability.

“We are here to help the industrial companies that form the backbone of our economies”

enerkii co-founder Hendrik Abel said: "What's been missing in this space is an operator who can provide expertise, financing and operation from a single source. We are filling that gap with enerkii.There is no investment, no complexity. We only earn when the customer saves. This makes decarbonisation a no-brainer and an immediate competitive advantage.” Co-founder Henry Thierhoff added: “We offer a package where sustainability isn’t just an altruistic act with a ‘green premium’, but actually offers a ‘green discount’.”

Building a new decentralised renewables provider for Europe    

The enerkii team has already secured 18 contracts with German industrial leaders, planning projects with a total capacity of 87 MW, and will use fresh funding to power Europe-wide expansion plans and make key hires. 

They are tapping into a 35 bn. TAM market, and aim to become the main decentralised renewable energy supplier for the commercial and industrial space across the continent.

Daria Saharova, General Partner at World Fund, said: “Industry accounts for over a quarter of EU energy use, yet 80% of German industrial sites still rely on fossil fuels. enerkii changes that. It cuts energy bills by 50%, removes risk for customers, and slashes emissions. Led by repeat entrepreneurs with a proven track record, enerkii is poised to decarbonise one of Europe’s most polluting sectors With Germany targeting 80% renewable electricity by 2030 under the EEG, and the EU mandating a 42.5% renewable share by 2030, enerkii offers the right solution at the right time.”

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About enerkii:
Founded in 2024 by David Balensiefen, Henry Thierhoff and Hendrik Abel, enerkii develops modern, emission-free energy systems for commercial customers. Based in Munich, Germany, the company enables easy and economical access to solar power and storage systems through an Energy-as-a-Service model - without risk or investment requirements.