Delft-based GEHECO secures €350K to make homes more sustainable with eco-friendly heating solutions

Delft-based GEHECO, a company that aims to enable carbon-neutral heating in buildings, has secured €350,000 in funding from UNIIQ, a proof-of-concept investment fund for Zuid-Holland.

The funding, part of the Early Phase Financing programme, will support the development of GEHECO’s drilling technology. This technology enables the installation of underground heat exchanger tubes in homes that are difficult to reach with traditional methods.

In a statement translated from Dutch, Jasper Geselschap, fund manager at UNIIQ, says, “GEHECO’s innovation has the potential to transform the geothermal heat pump market. It makes sustainable heating more accessible to homeowners and contributes to a climate-neutral future.”

Enabling carbon-neutral heating in buildings

In the Netherlands, installing a water-water heat pump has traditionally been complex, expensive, and limited to homes with sufficient space due to the need for large equipment.

GEHECO, a startup focused on making these systems more accessible, has developed a patented system that simplifies installation by “pushing” itself into the ground.

Arjen van der Horst, technical lead at GEHECO, says, “Our aim is to develop such a compact system that one can lay the piping for Brine heat pumps via the house’s crawl space hatch.”

This innovation reduces costs, speeds up the process, and minimises invasiveness, making geothermal systems feasible in previously unsuitable areas, including urban environments.

GEHECO’s new drill tool, designed to install wells from within the home, aims to expand the availability of water-water heat pumps, contributing to the energy transition and reducing CO2 emissions.

The company aims to drive sustainability and technological innovation by providing eco-friendly heating solutions.

Capital utilisation

This investment helps GEHECO move closer to its goal of making homes more sustainable and promoting geothermal energy as an eco-friendly heating solution.

Onno Bierhoff, CEO of GEHECO, says, “This investment will help us further develop the technology, conduct technical demonstrations at The Green Village in Delft and bring it to the market.”

“Our solution makes it possible for homeowners to switch to geothermal energy efficiently and in an environmentally friendly way, even with limited space. This makes the water-water heat pump a viable alternative!”

Brief about UNIIQ

UNIIQ is a €28.8M investment fund that supports entrepreneurs in the Dutch province of Zuid-Holland during the proof-of-concept phase. The fund provides seed capital to help bring innovations to market and bridge the gap between a concept and a promising company. 

UNIIQ collaborates with knowledge institutions and incubators to assist in strategic development, offering convertible loans to both academic spin-offs and innovative startups.

Founded in 2016 by TU Delft, Erasmus MC, Leiden University, and InnovationQuarter, UNIIQ aims to facilitate the transition to follow-up financing with entrepreneur-friendly terms.