German climate tech startup autarkize has successfully secured €2.3 million in seed funding to further its mission of advancing the creation of CO2 sinks and industrial decarbonisation. The funding round, led by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), with participation from Dutch impact investor Fair Capital Impact Fund, Interface Capital, Innovation for Impact, Floris Capital, and prominent business angels Lucas von Fürstenberg and Ulrich Blessing, will accelerate autarkize’s expansion into biogas technology, and heat and steam production sectors.
Founded in 2022 out of Pfronten, Germany, autarkize has developed a groundbreaking technology that transforms biogenic residues—such as waste wood, shells, and fermentation by-products—into renewable gas and certified biochar. This innovation provides a dual benefit: renewable gas can replace fossil fuels in industrial processes, while the biochar serves as a carbon sink. Each autarkize plant can sequester between 1,400 and 5,500 tons of CO2 annually and generate up to 10 GWh of renewable energy, significantly contributing to global climate change mitigation.
CEO Michel Konder said, “The financing allows us to launch our systems on a large scale, creating value for customers and contributing to climate protection. autarkize is positioned to be a leading provider in the transition to a sustainable energy future,”
Pioneering CO2 sinks and industrial decarbonisation
autarkize’s technology is highly standardised, with systems housed in sea containers that have a capacity of up to 2.5 megawatts. These containerised systems can be seamlessly integrated into existing biogas plants or industrial settings, making them versatile solutions for decarbonising industrial heat, particularly in local and district heating networks. By converting biomass waste into energy, autarkize’s plants not only provide climate-neutral energy but also help remove CO2 from the atmosphere, advancing the global effort to combat climate change.
Maximilian Scholz, Investment Manager at HTGF, emphasised the environmental and economic impact of autarkize’s innovation, “We see great potential in the utilisation of previously unused waste streams and biomass, which can be converted and utilised into high-quality synthesis gas and biochar using the innovative plant technology. This solution not only provides climate-neutral energy, but also makes an important contribution to CO2 reduction.”
Expanding sustainable energy solutions
autarkize’s strategic vision aligns with global goals to achieve sustainability within planetary boundaries. Patrick Knodel, CEO of Innovation for Impact, praised the company’s leadership, “Solutions that enable humanity to thrive within planetary boundaries, that enable circularity and that are pushed forward by purpose driven founders with strong backgrounds in their respective fields of expertise. autarkize ticks all the boxes.”
Similarly, Michelle de Rijk, Impact Investor at Fair Capital Impact Fund, highlighted the importance of autarkize’s solution in the global fight against climate change, “autarkize’s solution is a critical step towards becoming more resilient to the impacts of climate change. This investment aligns perfectly with our energy transition program, aimed at creating lasting, positive change for both people and the planet.”
autarkize has developed a technology based on 25 years of research that converts biomass into high-quality gas and biochar using pyrolysis. This process allows companies and regions to become energy self-sufficient while helping to address climate change by capturing and storing CO2. The company’s team includes experts in biomass, gas production, automation, and digitalization, working together to advance the energy transition.
With its latest funding round, autarkize aims to expand its global presence, focusing on creating large-scale CO2 sinks and promoting industrial decarbonization to combat the effects of climate change.
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