Europe’s factories are struggling with electricity prices around 50% higher than in the US or China, putting production sites under significant pressure. Fluctuating wind and solar output, along with the lack of flexible energy use within factories, only exacerbate the problem.
FION Energy, a Berlin-based cleantech startup, believes it has found a practical way to help. The German company has secured €1.4 million in pre-seed funding, led by HTGF and Norrsken Evolve, with support from experienced business angels.
The investment will help the company accelerate the rollout of its AI-optimised battery storage systems, expand the team, and further develop the platform.
What does FION Energy solve?
Founded by Philipp Hamm, Johannes Meriläinen, and Dmytro Dzifuta, the Berlin-based company offers a simple, all-in-one solution: it analyses a site, sizes the battery system, procures the right hardware, installs it, and then runs the entire system on an ongoing basis.
Philipp Hamm, Co-Founder & Managing Director of FION Energy, said, “European industry is losing ground because of high electricity costs. With FION, energy becomes predictable and profitable again – our AI turns battery storage into a real competitive advantage.”
The company’s proprietary AI dispatch engine learns consumption patterns, reads tariffs and market prices and controls the battery autonomously. This reduces peak loads, lowers grid fees, and enables price arbitrage, all without requiring additional work from the factory. The result, according to the company, is up to 50% lower electricity costs.
It also outpaces rivals such as Sonnen, Tesla Powerwall, and EnBW by prioritising plug-and-play savings over custom engineering. Early pilots prove the model.
What’s next?
Over time, the startup plans to connect industrial sites into a decentralised energy network, where factories don’t just consume power but also manage and trade it intelligently. Several battery systems are already installed at industrial customer sites; further projects in Germany and across the EU are in the pipeline.
Anne Umbach, Investment Manager at HTGF, said, “High energy costs are one of the biggest challenges for industry. FION offers a scalable solution that reduces costs and simplifies the onboarding process for battery storage. A strong team, a clear market – that’s why we are investing.”
