Oslo-headquartered Vind AI, an AI platform for wind park design, has snapped €3 million in seed funding. The round was led by Norrsken VC, which recently backed NALA and Workpay. It also saw participation from Spacemaker founders, Arkwright X, and the company’s employees.
Growth plans
Vind AI will use the funding to reach new customers and build the product further. It will grow its team, with a mix of industry experts, software designers, and developers, and hires in the commercial team.
Alexander Danielsson, Partner at Norrsken VC said, “We are excited to support Vind AI’s growth in an industry that is set to explode over the coming years. Reaching goals for energy from wind can only be achieved by making the design and implementation of wind projects both streamlined and well-budgeted, and this is exactly what Vind AI is doing. We look forward to working with and supporting the team on their journey!”
What role does Vind AI play?
The wind industry faces significant challenges as it works towards meeting ambitious goals set by the European Commission, which aims for wind energy to account for 50% of its energy by 2050, up from the current 11%. Legacy tools for planning and designing wind projects do not utilise software tools available for developers, including AI. Vind AI seeks to address this gap with its innovative platform.
AI-driven wind park designing
Founded in 2022 by former employees of Spacemaker – Helene Bøhler, Jan-Tore Horn, and Hilde Njøten, Vind AI aims to equip the wind industry with the software necessary to address the growing demand for wind energy.
It is an online tool for the early phases of design up until pre-feed for wind projects, offering the next generation of tools that use modern software development, including AI. This will ensure that every eventuality of a wind project is modelled before the costly process of building begins. The company’s goal is for their customers to be able to produce more energy at a lower cost by making much better design decisions. They are able to test numerous different ways to place the turbines or cable them together to make sure the final project generates the most energy at the lowest cost.
CEO and Co-Founder of Vind AI, Helene Bøhler added, “As the wind industry gears up for immense growth, our ambition is to lead this transformation by becoming the industry standard for both offshore and onshore wind projects, as well as energy storage. At Vind AI, we see vast opportunities to not only support the expansion of renewable energy, but also to push it forward with the best technology available. Our vision is to empower the wind industry to achieve new heights and to help meet the global demand for sustainable energy.”
Customer base
The Norwegian startup’s customers currently include industry giants like TotalEnergies, RWE, Corio. Its real-time data analysis on wind patterns, grid connections, environmental constraints, and social factors such as visual impact, helps users make informed decisions and mitigate potential issues before construction.
Current customer, Neil Koronka, Technical Authority with Corio Generation added, “Vind AI’s platform provides the enhanced speed and flexibility that we need to efficiently evaluate high volumes of scenarios when optimising our sites, as well as appraising new opportunities. Rapid energy production analyses – together with customisation options and quick set-up – increases our capacity to soundly evaluate key sensitivities. Additionally; the park layout tools, comprehensive data layers, and highly collaborative platform enable us to work across disciplines to deliver high-quality wind farm design concepts.”
Our thoughts on Vind AI
The company is changing how wind parks are designed with its AI-powered platform, making the planning process faster and cheaper. The tool helps developers place turbines in the best spots to get more energy while keeping costs low. With real-time data, it helps spot and fix problems early. This makes Vind AI a key player in helping the wind industry grow and meet global renewable energy goals.
