Phelas is a Munich-based technology company founded in 2020 that develops energy storage solutions and SaaS tools to accelerate the global transition to 100% renewable energy.[1][2][4] It builds the Aurora modular liquid air energy storage (LAES) system, which stores excess renewable electricity by liquefying air for long-duration use, making solar and wind power available around the clock, alongside the Catalyst SaaS platform for optimizing battery energy storage systems (BESS) financials and project planning.[1][2][3][5][6] Phelas serves utilities, renewable energy developers, industrial sectors, and project engineers by solving grid inflexibility, market complexity in renewables, and decarbonization challenges through scalable hardware and software that enhance revenue forecasting, scenario benchmarking, and deployment decisions.[1][2][5] The company raised €4.1 million in seed funding in early 2024 from investors like Deutsche Telekom hubraum, E44 Ventures, and others, enabling scaling to megawatt deployments in the EU, with a team of 15 employees and strong board support.[2][3]
Phelas emerged in 2020 from energy experts Justin Scholz (27), Pit Sippel (36), Christopher Knoch (29, CEO), and Leon Haupt (27), three of whom hail from Munich, leveraging the city's startup ecosystem, Technical University of Munich support, and local industry-research networks for early traction.[2][4] The idea stemmed from founders' realization that renewable project planners faced overwhelming market complexity and tech overload in energy storage, prompting a focus on simplifying clean energy via LAES technology and tools like Catalyst to make renewables "a no-brainer."[2][4][6] Pivotal early moments include seed funding of €4.1 million in 2024 (led by E44 Ventures), board additions like manufacturing expert Roger Lammin (ex-SpaceX, BMW) and Dr. Sharon Shacham (serial climate tech entrepreneur), and plans for a demonstrator and pilot project to build sector trust.[2][3][4]
Phelas rides the global energy transition trend toward 100% renewables, addressing intermittency of solar/wind via long-duration storage amid rising EU grid demands and decarbonization mandates.[1][3][6] Timing is ideal with 2024 seed funding aligning to post-energy crisis investments, EU megawatt-scale pilots, and market forces like volatile prices favoring flexible storage over batteries.[1][3][4] It influences the ecosystem by enabling utilities and developers to de-risk projects, scale hybrids (co-located, behind-the-meter), and integrate renewables seamlessly, accelerating climate innovation as part of portfolios like Third Derivative and hubraum.[3][5][6]
Phelas is poised to deploy its first Aurora demonstrator and pilot within a year, scaling to commercial systems and production in five, fueled by EU expansion and BESS optimization demand.[3][4] Trends like AI-driven energy modeling, stricter net-zero policies, and LAES maturation will amplify growth, potentially evolving Phelas into a key enabler of resilient grids. As renewable adoption surges, its hardware-software combo could redefine project viability, turning complex clean energy into the scalable default it set out to make.[2][5]
phelas has raised $4.0M in total across 1 funding round.
phelas's investors include BP Ventures, E44 Ventures, Rockstart.
phelas has raised $4.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $4.0M Seed in March 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2024 | $4.0M Seed | BP Ventures, E44 Ventures, Rockstart |
