Gradyent, based in Rotterdam, creates digital replicas of heating and cooling systems in three dozen European cities. The “digital twins” help energy providers lower carbon emissions and simulate failures. Gradyent “makes it possible to analyze concrete scenarios, optimize supply versus demand, identify bottlenecks and study the embedding of new assets,” said Timo Aaltonen of Helen, a Finnish energy company that manages one of Europe’s largest district heating systems.
Helen has reported a 40% drop in carbon emissions from heat production since it started using the digital twin software. Gradyent partnered with Shell in October to create a digital replica of a steam grid in Rotterdam that processes 772 tons of steam per hour.
Low-carbon heating
Swiss impact investor Blue Earth Capital led Gradyent’s oversubscribed $30.7 million Series B funding round. It was joined by the Belgium-based Capricorn Partners (unrelated to US-based Capricorn Investment Group), Energiiq, Eneco, Helen Ventures and others.
“Energy companies are replacing CO2-emitting heating units with diverse electrified assets, heat sources, and storage solutions, making optimization more complex than ever before,” said Mikko Huumo of SEB Greentech Venture Capital, which also participated in the round.
