Follow-on investment in SPiNE: VERBUND X Ventures expands equity interest

VERBUND X Ventures, VERBUND’s venture capital unit, is participating in the second round of financing for SPiNE GmbH as part of a follow-on investment. The Munich-based startup is securing a total of 3 million EUR in growth capital. The round is being led by the Bayerische Beteiligungsgesellschaft (BayBG) and Energie 360°’s Smart Energy Innovation Fund. In addition to VERBUND X Ventures, existing investors Bayern Kapital, Scrape Ventures GmbH and Superangels are also participating.

The transition to clean energy is leading to a dramatic increase in system complexity: millions of decentralised energy plants will have to be networked and managed in real time. Despite billions of euros of investment, there is currently a lack of end-to-end digital infrastructure that securely integrates all the relevant actors and provides stable and efficient management. This is exactly where SPiNE comes in.

SPiNE develops digital key technology for the integration and control of decentralised energy systems

At the core of SPiNE is an innovative middleware platform that serves as a central interface between different applications and devices to efficiently enable the communication and control of energy management systems. It connects energy suppliers, installation companies, grid operators, OEMs and HEMS systems, processes energy data in real time, and provides secure, grid-compliant control.

In doing so, SPiNE is laying the foundation for new energy products, more efficient processes and the implementation of regulatory requirements—especially during the smart meter rollout. By 2032, around 28 million smart meter gateway installations are expected in Germany, including around 16 million with active control. SPiNE is addressing this demand with a scalable application platform and a network management system for monitoring and control. By 2027, more than 20,000 households will be networked via the platform.

Follow-on investment deepens partnership with Energie 360° across Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH) and strengthens the Energy Launchpad as a platform for scalable innovation

With this new investment, VERBUND X Ventures is strengthening its strategic cooperation with Energy 360° in the Energy Launchpad. Both companies are the initiators of the DACH-wide innovation network, which combines science, industry and startups to bring energy technologies to scale faster. SPiNE exemplifies this cross-border collaboration.

"SPiNE is an outstanding example of how we are driving forward targeted innovation in the Energy Launchpad together with strong partners. By working closely with Energie 360°, we are creating an environment in which technologies move faster from development to scaling. It is precisely this combination of partnership, market access and implementation capacity that is critical to sustainably accelerating the digital transformation of the energy world in Europe," says Franz Zöchbauer, Managing Director of VERBUND X.

With its follow-on investment, VERBUND X Ventures is underscoring its mission of driving forward the digitalisation of the transition to clean energy and scaling up innovative technologies together with strong partners in Europe.