SolidWatts, a Pully-based industrial heating startup, raised €850k in a pre-Seed investment to accelerate the commercialisation of its Radio Frequency industrial heating solution.
The round was led by Evercurious VC, with the participation of Switzerland’s Kickfund, COREangels Climate, and prominent angel investors. This funding marks a milestone in their mission to innovate industrial heating processes and drive sustainability in global industries.
“This investment empowers SolidWatts to accelerate the development and deployment of our technology, helping industries significantly reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and slash CO2 emissions,” said Dr Markus Aicheler, CEO of SolidWatts.
Co-founded in 2022 by Dr Markus Aicheler and Dr Jan W. Kovermann, Solidwatts aims to revolutionise industrial heating processes with state-of-the-art solid-state Radio Frequency technology. Its products enable industries to transition from fossil fuels to clean energy solutions, contributing to a greener planet.
Radio Frequency heating, also known as dielectric heating, is widely applied in processes such as drying, curing, welding, and chemical transformations due to its exceptional efficiency. However, traditional dielectric heating systems, based on vacuum tube technology, face significant limitations, including restricted power output, short lifespans, high maintenance costs, and safety concerns. SolidWatts, leveraging cutting-edge solid-state transistor technology, addresses these challenges, delivering efficiency, safety, and scalability.
SolidWatts aims to redefine dielectric heating by introducing fully digital process control, enabling precise adjustments to power, frequency, and phase for optimised industrial applications. Their systems reportedly achieve over 85% energy efficiency—twice that of traditional vacuum tubes—and can scale from 10 kW to megawatt levels, unlocking applications previously impractical for Radio Frequency heating.
This modular, platform-based approach ensures seamless integration, reduced carbon emissions, and lower operational costs. With enhanced safety features, longer service lifetimes, and compact designs, SolidWatts’ technology supports a wide array of industries, from food processing to advanced manufacturing, while driving innovation and improving operational reliability.
Their scalable architecture allows businesses to adapt quickly to changing demands, making it a transformative alternative for modern industrial heating needs.
According to SolidWatts, the industrial heating processes account for 20% of global energy demand and 10% of worldwide CO2 emissions, producing 3.6 billion tonnes annually. Electrifying even 1% of these processes using SolidWatts’ Radio Frequency technology could eliminate 36 million tonnes of CO2 each year – the equivalent of removing 7.8 million cars from the road.
The capital infusion will enable SolidWatts to accelerate its product development towards Megawatt power levels to meet the growing demand for more efficient and less polluting forms of large-scale industrial heating.
In the coming months, the company aims to recruit specialist engineering and business talent, and strengthen partnerships with key industry players to broaden market reach and accelerate the transition to clean, electrified industrial processes.