Realyze Ventures leads the round; Pi Labs, Asterion Ventures and existing investors Übermorgen Ventures and NAP are participating
Electricity has become one of the most volatile cost factors for many companies. The Belgian startup Companion.energy has secured 7.8 million euros in an oversubscribed seed round to help large industrial and commercial companies manage, optimize and economically use their energy assets via software. Realyze Ventures, one of Europe's leading sector-specialized early-stage venture capital funds, is leading the round. The new international investors Pi Labs (United Kingdom) and Asterion Ventures (France) are participating as co-investors, as are the existing investors Übermorgen Ventures and NAP.
The Companion.energy platform manages over 2 TWh of energy annually – this corresponds to an energy volume of around half a billion euros for the company's customers. Currently, plants are operated in Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, including photovoltaic systems, wind turbines, battery storage, electric boilers and EV charging infrastructure.
From energy cost risk to competitive advantage
The shift from coal and nuclear power to wind and solar power has made electricity prices much more volatile. Prices no longer fluctuate seasonally, but within minutes. For large companies with high energy consumption, this is an immediate financial risk.
In addition, there is a structural problem in the company's own organization: local teams manage the systems on site – solar panels, batteries, charging stations – while central purchasing and finance teams are responsible for energy contracts and hedging strategies. Today, coordination between the two sides is mostly done via manual processes and spreadsheets – sufficient for the past, but too slow for today's market dynamics.
This is exactly where Companion.energy comes in. The platform connects a company's assets to wholesale, intraday and balancing energy markets in real time, bringing together operational data, contract structures, grid costs and market prices on one interface. The software continuously forecasts energy demand, determines the optimal times for consuming, storing or selling energy and controls the systems automatically – without manual intervention.
As a result, companies stop passively accepting price fluctuations and instead begin to actively use their operational flexibility as an economic advantage.
Strong growth with multinational customers
Companion.energy already works with some of Europe's largest energy consumers. The customer base includes TotalEnergies, KPN, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Interparking and the Proximus Group – complemented by logistics companies, telecommunications providers and real estate portfolios. More than 30 large companies use the platform directly; through partnerships with energy suppliers, a further 75+ customers are reached.
Within a year, the company has increased its customer base and turnover tenfold, surpassing the mark of one million euros in annual recurring revenue. Existing customers are continuously expanding the use of the platform. The software has already proven that it can process thousands of assets and data points simultaneously across multiple markets and asset types.
Founders Thomas Vyncke and Jonas Verstraeten spent years implementing large energy projects for leading industrial groups before founding Companion.energy. The know-how built up in the process has flowed directly into the product and has given them the credibility and network to win multinational corporate customers from the very beginning.
With the new capital, Companion.energy will accelerate its expansion in Europe and expand the team in a targeted manner.
Why Realyze Ventures Invested
Buildings are increasingly being equipped with their own energy systems – solar panels, battery storage systems, charging stations, heat pumps. As their prevalence grows, so does their potential to actively participate in energy markets instead of simply consuming electricity. As the power grid becomes more dynamic, the ability to intelligently manage commercial and industrial sites – reducing CO₂ emissions, reducing energy costs, and managing energy flexibly – becomes a real competitive advantage. Companion.energy is a central enabler of this development.
The investment strengthens the energy focus within the Realyze portfolio. Companion.energy is part of a clear portfolio strategy: Realyze Ventures focuses on companies that help buildings and industrial sites manage their energy flows more intelligently – by reducing costs, reducing emissions and tapping into new revenue streams from existing assets.
Realyze Ventures' investors, including leading companies in the European construction and real estate industries, are increasingly looking to offer integrated energy solutions as part of their service offering – beyond the actual construction process. Platforms like Companion.energy open up exactly this opportunity for them.
"Today, energy teams in companies operate in markets that move every minute – no longer on a monthly basis," says Thomas Vyncke, co-founder of Companion.energy. "Operational complexity has changed fundamentally, but most software solutions have not. Our customers don't want another dashboard and another advisor. They want a system that continuously controls and optimizes energy operations."
"We are impressed with the robustness of Companion.energy's software and its ability to manage highly complex energy environments across multiple locations and markets," says Marnix Roes, Investment Manager at Realyze Ventures. "Germany alone offers enormous potential, as industrial and commercial companies are increasingly looking for ways to optimize flexibility, electrification and energy exposure operationally instead of manually."
