Hamburg, Germany · Startup1KOMMA5° (named for the 1.5°C climate target) is one of Europe’s fastest-scaling energy transition companies, reaching unicorn status in roughly 21 months. Based in Hamburg, the firm tackles the “last mile” of decarbonization by combining a roll-up acquisition strategy with a software-defined energy platform. Instead of only selling solar panels, 1KOMMA5° acquires local installer businesses across Europe and digitizes them to deliver end-to-end home electrification — solar, batteries, heat pumps, and EV chargers — with consistent quality and financing. The company’s differentiator is Heartbeat, a proprietary energy management system that turns these assets into a virtual power plant. Heartbeat orchestrates when batteries charge or discharge based on real-time spot prices and grid conditions, allowing households to capture savings from dynamic tariffs and to export power during peak demand. In 2025, the system expanded to automated trading of household energy, making “free” electricity periods during windy or sunny hours a tangible consumer benefit. This blending of hardware deployment and energy-software automation allows 1KOMMA5° to capture margin both on installation and on recurring software and energy services. Founder Philipp Schroder (former Tesla country director and Sonnen executive) used his industry network to skip early accelerators, and the company instead embedded itself in the Hamburg Startup City ecosystem. Its acquisition engine is relentless: by buying regional market leaders, it locks in the most scarce resource in the sector — skilled installers — while rapidly expanding geographic reach. By early 2026, 1KOMMA5° had expanded beyond DACH into the Nordics, Spain, and Australia, positioning itself for a cross-continental footprint ahead of a public listing. The company has signaled an IPO-readiness push, backed by record turnover reported for 2024 and an expansion into branded hardware components to increase margin and supply-chain resilience. Its investor base blends strategic and growth capital: Porsche Ventures provided early backing, G2VP brought Silicon Valley cleantech expertise, Eurazeo and eCapital added European growth capital, and Norrsken VC underscored the impact thesis. In 2026, 1KOMMA5° is a case study in how Europe can scale climate tech through operational execution rather than pure technology — a disciplined roll-up with a software heart that turns millions of households into coordinated energy assets.
StartupGrowthCleanTechEnergyIoT
Munich, Germany · StartupProxima Fusion is a deep-tech fusion energy company spun out from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in 2023. It is developing quasi-isodynamic stellarator systems designed for stable, commercial fusion power generation and is targeting a demonstrator pathway toward net-energy performance in the next decade.
StartupGrowthDeep TechCleanTechEnergyClimate Tech
Bratislava, Slovakia · StartupAgeVolt offers a digital ecosystem for EV charging that integrates with building energy management to prevent overloads and blackouts. Its platform optimizes charging schedules, manages access, and supports payments across fleets and commercial properties. The company is building a network model described as a “booking.com for private chargers,” unlocking underused charging infrastructure. By 2026, AgeVolt is a notable Slovak player in smart charging.
StartupGrowthEV ChargingEnergySoftware
Zurich, Switzerland · StartupClimeworks is a Swiss climate tech pioneer specializing in direct air capture (DAC) of CO₂ – essentially technology to filter carbon dioxide directly out of the atmosphere. Founded in 2009 as a spin-off from ETH Zürich by engineers Jan Wurzbacher and Christoph Gebald, Climeworks has the distinction of building the world’s first commercial DAC plants. Its modular CO₂ collectors use a special filter that binds CO₂ when air passes through, then releases pure CO₂ when heated, allowing it to be captured and stored or reused. In 2017 Climeworks opened a prototype DAC plant in Iceland in partnership with Carbfix, where captured CO₂ is injected underground and mineralized into rock. By 2021, they launched “Orca” in Iceland – the largest DAC plant at the time – able to remove 4,000 tons of CO₂ per year, selling carbon removal as a service to corporate clients like Stripe, Microsoft and Shopify. Climeworks gained widespread attention as the first DAC unicorn: in April 2022 it raised $650M in an equity round (Europe’s largest-ever climate tech funding) at a valuation reportedly around $2 billion. Investors include Carbon Removal Partners and Big Oil venture arms, reflecting broad interest in negative emissions tech. As of 2025, Climeworks is scaling up “Mammoth,” a 36,000 tCO₂/yr plant in Iceland, and planning multi-megaton facilities by 2030. The EU and US policy push for carbon removal (with 45Q tax credits, etc.) strongly benefits Climeworks. The company also sells captured CO₂ for reuse in drinks and agriculture (a smaller market) and operates demonstration units in countries like Switzerland and Italy. With global climate goals increasingly reliant on carbon removal, Climeworks is positioned as a leader in an emerging industry. It touts a goal of removing 1% of global CO₂ emissions by 2050. While challenges remain (DAC is energy-intensive and currently expensive, around $600/ton), Climeworks has achieved real progress – turning sci-fi into reality. Its name comes up frequently in climate policy discussions, and it was highlighted at COP26 as an example of scalable climate innovation. In summary, Climeworks is a trailblazer in direct air capture, turning a bold lab idea into the world’s first commercial carbon removal service, putting Zurich on the climate tech map.
StartupGrowthClimateCleanTech
Stockholm, Sweden · StartupExeger manufactures Powerfoyle, a patented solar-cell material that converts both indoor and outdoor light into usable electricity. The flexible material is designed for seamless integration into consumer products, enabling self-charging devices without external cable charging in many use cases.
StartupGrowthHardwareCleanTechMaterialsConsumer Electronics
Bratislava, Slovakia · StartupInoBat builds custom-designed batteries for demanding applications such as aviation, premium EVs, and performance mobility. Unlike standard gigafactory players, InoBat focuses on tailored R&D, pilot production, and high-value customers that require specialized chemistry and form factors. By 2026, the company is a strategic player in the EU battery value chain with backing from partners like Rio Tinto and Gotion High-Tech, positioning Slovakia as a serious contributor to Europe’s energy storage ecosystem.
StartupGrowthEnergyBatteriesManufacturing
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