The business Autarkize, situated in Pfronten, has received a €2.3 million seed fundraising round. The company is scaling a market-ready system technology that produces high-quality gas from methane and hydrogen. Autarkize intends to use the additional funding to expand more quickly, particularly in the fields of heat and steam production and biogas technology.
Autarkize seeks to improve the world environment by advancing the decarbonization of industrial processes and building massive CO2 sinks. High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) headed the round. Other investors include well-known business angels Lucas von Fürstenberg and Ulrich Blessing, as well as Dutch impact investors Fair Capital Impact Fund, Interface Capital, Innovation for Impact, and Floris Capital.
Autarkize has created a novel method that turns biogenic residues—such as shells, waste wood, and fermentation byproducts—into certified biochar and renewable gas. While the biochar serves as a CO2 sink and has use in construction and agriculture, the gas replaces fossil fuels in industrial processes. With the ability to produce up to 10 GWh of renewable energy and sequester 1,400–5,500 tons of CO2 yearly, each autarkize plant can significantly reduce the effects of climate change.
“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,” said Michel Konder, CEO of autarkize.
The highly standardized systems offered by Autarkize are installed in marine containers with a maximum capacity of 2.5 megawatts. These containerized systems can be easily incorporated into industrial applications and current biogas facilities. Furthermore, they offer a great way to decarbonize heat, particularly for municipal district and local heating networks.
“We see great potential in the utilization of previously unused waste streams and biomass, which can be converted and utilized into high-quality synthesis gas and biochar using the innovative plant technology,” said Maximilian Scholz, Investment Manager at HTGF. In addition to producing energy that is climate neutral, this method significantly lowers CO2.
Innovation for Impact CEO Patrick Knodel seeks out “solutions that enable circularity, that allow humanity to thrive within planetary boundaries, and that are pushed forward by purpose driven founders with strong backgrounds in their respective fields of expertise.” Autarkize meets all the requirements.
“Autarkize’s solution is a critical step towards becoming more resilient to the impacts of climate change,” said Michelle de Rijk, Impact Investor at Fair Capital Impact Fund. This investment is ideally suited to our energy transition initiative, which aims to bring about long-lasting, beneficial change for the planet and its inhabitants.