Bavaria’s feld.energy bags €10M to help farmers grow crops and produce solar power at the same time

Germany’s feld.energy closes seed funding to develop Agri-PV systems that allow farmers to grow crops and generate solar power on the same land.

Bavaria-based feld.energy, a German company in the agricultural photovoltaics (Agri-PV) sector, announced the closing of a €10M seed funding round.

The round was led by HV Capital, with participation from Future Energy Ventures, AENU, and Angel Invest.

Jan Palasinski, Partner at Future Energy Ventures, says, “Agri-PV is rapidly trending because it brilliantly addresses the growing land competition for food and energy production, offering win-win solutions for farmers through diversified income and enhanced crop resilience, all while driving the green energy transition forward. We believe that feld.energy’s exceptional founders are the ones who will bring Agri-PV from niche to the mainstream.”

Agri-PV, or agrivoltaics, is the use of the same land for both farming and solar power generation. It allows crops or livestock to coexist with solar panels, letting farmers produce food and renewable energy simultaneously while creating additional income and supporting the energy transition.

Philip Specht, Partner at AENU, adds “Feld.energy is leading the charge in the fast-growing Agri-PV market, transforming agricultural land into hybrid powerhouses that blend energy generation and farming.”

“We are thrilled to back Feld’s outstanding team as they tackle a huge economic opportunity while shaping a new chapter in renewable energy deployment and sustainable agriculture.”

Helping farmers produce sustainable energy and agriculture

Climate change and the energy transition are reshaping both agriculture and energy supply. Europe needs solutions that protect harvests, deliver decentralised energy, and make farming future-proof, ensuring a reliable supply, business opportunities, and stability for generations to come.

feld.energy, founded in 2024 by Dr. Adrian Renner and Lukas Zels, addresses this by enabling farmers to grow crops and generate solar power on the same land. 

Through a lease model, farmers can earn over €100,000 in 20 years while continuing food production and supporting the shift to renewable energy.

Agri-PV supports Germany’s goal of reaching about 60 per cent renewable energy in total energy use by 2050. It also lowers water use in farming and gives farmers a steadier source of income, helping offset losses from poor harvests. 

Fraunhofer ISE estimates that Germany could install up to 2,900 GW of Agri-PV, showing the scale of what could be done.

Capital utilisation

feld.energy will use the funds to grow faster, increase its ability to operate, and further build out its team. Its goal is to make using farmland for both farming and solar power a common practice, giving farmers more income while producing renewable energy.

Dr. Adrian Renner, co-founder and CEO, says, “Securing this seed round is a decisive step forward for feld.energy. Our vision is to prove that farming and renewable energy can complement each other to create lasting value.”

“By empowering farmers to generate clean electricity without compromising food production, we improve agricultural resilience and accelerate the shift toward a climate-neutral economy. This funding will help us strengthen our team and scale our solution so that farms everywhere benefit from this dual-use approach.”

What do the investors have to say?

David Kuczek, General Partner at HV Capital, says, “We are proud to back Adrian and the feld.energy team. Adrian has already shown with previous ventures that he can build scalable, impactful businesses, and we believe feld.energy has the potential to redefine how agriculture contributes to the energy transition. The Agri-PV sector is at an inflection point, and feld.energy is exceptionally well positioned to unlock its enormous potential.”

HV Capital is a European investor focused on early-stage and growth-stage companies. It manages €2.8B across nine funds and has invested in more than 250 internet and technology companies. The firm invests between €0.5M and €60M and can support startups through every stage of growth. Its portfolio includes companies such as Flix, Zalando, Delivery Hero, Sumup, Depop, Marvel Fusion, Sennder, Neura Robotics, Enpal, and Isar Aerospace.

John von Berenberg, Partner at Angel Invest, mentions, “Adrian and Lukas bring a new and innovative approach to the renewable energy sector – building a large and scalable company in the Agri-PV market that plays a significant role in the energy transition while having a positive impact on the agricultural industry and generating attractive returns for investors.”

Future Energy Ventures is a global venture capital firm founded by RWE and E.ON that invests in digital and asset-light solutions to speed up the energy transition. It combines industry expertise with investment capability, sets decarbonisation targets, and has supported companies in renewable energy, storage, grid modernisation, and energy access since 2016.

Founders of feld.energy

Adrian Renner is a serial entrepreneur and founder of feld.energy, his third company. At his previous company, he created over 1,000 jobs and managed more than €5B in annual purchasing across 20 countries. With feld.energy, he focuses on combining agriculture and photovoltaics to create societal impact.

Lukas Zels is co-founder and head of operations at feld.energy. He has 13 years of experience in the technology industry, including selling his first company, Locafox, in 2019, and leading Sezzle Inc.’s European expansion. He has been involved in renewable energy for several years and co-founded feld.energy to contribute to sustainable energy and agricultural solutions.