VERBUND X Ventures invests in climate tech start-up Deutsche Sanierungsberatung

VERBUND X Ventures is taking a stake in Deutsche Sanierungsberatung (dsb). Founded in 2024, the start-up is making energy-efficient home renovation easier to navigate, more transparent and more scalable for customers. VERBUND X Ventures and Simon Capital are the joint lead investors in the Series A financing round with a total volume of €10m. Existing investor Vireo Ventures is also taking part in the round of financing.

dsb: holistic approach to energy-efficient home renovation

In Europe, residential buildings are among the key levers for the energy transition and currently account for around 30% of CO₂ emissions. However, renovation remains a complex, costly and time-consuming process for many homeowners. Comparing quotations from different providers is often difficult, renovation measures are frequently evaluated in isolation and multiple on-site visits can delay implementation. dsb addresses these challenges by taking a holistic approach that considers a home’s entire energy profile rather than focusing on individual technologies such as heat pumps or solar panels. Based on this comprehensive assessment, dsb provides tailored renovation recommendations that improve energy efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions.

“Europe’s competitiveness and climate targets are also shaped by decisions made in people’s homes. Every geopolitical crisis causes energy costs to soar, with homeowners left to bear the consequences. The way forward is a decentralised, independent and sustainable energy supply, and millions of renovated homes are the key to making that happen. Nevertheless, the process remains too complicated, too opaque and too expensive. This is precisely where we come in. We make energy-efficient renovation as straightforward as possible by providing homeowners with an end-to-end solution",” says Sebastian Schmidt, CEO and co-founder of dsb.

A digital platform integrates energy consulting, funding, planning and implementation

At the core of the solution is a vertically integrated platform that connects every stage of the home renovation journey. Certified energy consultants use digital tools to capture all relevant building data on-site at customers’ homes, creating a digital twin of the property. This serves as the foundation for a customised renovation roadmap (iSFP) that prioritises measures over several years and unlocks additional public funding. dsb also identifies all applicable subsidies available through KfW, BAFA and regional funding programmes, and handles the application process through to the final disbursement of funds. Homeowners can then obtain and compare transparent, tailored quotations from local installation companies and book the selected services through a vendor-neutral platform.

For homeowners, this structured process reduces the time required by around 60% while providing independent, transparent insights into available renovation options, prices and local providers. Installation companies benefit as well, as pre-qualified customers who have already accepted a quotation reduce the time and effort involved in sales and planning.

Digital customer solutions as drivers of the energy transition

With this investment, VERBUND is reinforcing the strategic role of digital customer solutions in accelerating the energy transition.

Michael Strugl, CEO of VERBUND AG, explains, “The energy transition is shaped not only by how renewable energy is generated, but also by how efficiently it is used in households, buildings and everyday life. Energy-efficient renovation is a critical lever in this transformation. With dsb, we are investing in a company that makes the renovation journey easier to navigate, more transparent and more scalable for customers. At the same time, dsb complements our strategic ambition to provide customers with even more comprehensive support for decentralised energy solutions in future – from solar panels and heat pumps to smart energy management.”

The investment offers VERBUND promising opportunities to build on existing and future customer solutions in the field of decentralised energy applications. dsb’s expertise in energy-efficient building renovation can provide valuable input for technical discussions and help foster an even deeper understanding of market and customer needs.

Strong growth momentum and fresh capital for scaling up

The current market dynamics and regulatory environment in Germany provide attractive conditions for scaling up dsb. Rising energy efficiency requirements, the growing use of heat pump technologies and the expansion of decentralised energy solutions are driving demand for integrated renovation approaches. With the fresh capital raised in its Series A financing round, the company plans to refine its platform, expand its partner network and develop additional revenue streams. These include NODUS, a subscription-based energy consulting bundle combining a dynamic electricity tariff, a home energy management system and a smart meter.

Franz Zöchbauer, Managing Director of VERBUND X, says, “dsb is already demonstrating impressive growth momentum and strong customer growth in a strategically important future market. Since it was founded in 2024, more than 10,000 homeowners have turned to dsb for advice. Together with Simon Capital and Vireo Ventures, we look forward to supporting dsb as it enters its next phase of growth.”