Dutch startup Physee, known for its electricity-generating smart windows that harness solar power raised €1.5M ($1.85M). The investment will help Physee fast-track product development and sales and marketing functions.
The round was led by Clean-Tech Real Estate Consortium which consists of Dutch real-estate industry leaders, Daan van der Vorm (Vorm Ontwikkeling), Coen van Oostrom (Edge Technologies), Job Dura (Dura Vermeer Groep), the Van Veggel Family (Timeless investments), and serial investor Dinko Valerio (CRXL).
A sustainable future simply must include a better view on how we develop and utilize the buildings we spend 90% of our time in. Because we spend so much time in buildings they are responsible for 40% of the global electricity consumption. At PHYSEE our mission is to make buildings comfortable self-thinking power plants,” said PHYSEE CEO Ferdinand Grapperhaus Jr.
Physee was founded by Ferdinand Grapperhaus Jr. (CEO) and Willem Kesteloo (CFO) in 2014. Both founders were previously associated to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Digital Leader program consisting of digital experts and start-up ecosystem builders from across Europe. This may have helped Physee’s selection as Technology Pioneer for the WEF.
Physee’s products
Physee’s core products are PowerWindow, SmartWindow, and a tablet app. The PowerWindow is a transparent double-paned window that converts light into electricity.
“Imagine yourself at work looking outside the window, knowing the glass you’re looking through is charging your mobile phone,” PHYSEE
Physee’s energy harvesting windows address a core problem which is conventional solar panels are limited to the roof or an off-site location. This not only creates a near-ugly look on rooftops but also wastes precious sunlight that a smart window glass may harvest.
The other product SmartWindow lets the “whole office automatically adjust based on the information it receives through windows. Sensors in the SmartWindow measure the climate conditions and calculate the preferred building settings.”
Physee also provides EESY app which communicates PowerWindow information such as generated electricity, money saved and battery performance.
Another Dutch startup that harnesses solar power is Lightyear. It raised €5M in Series A funding to make solar cars a mainstream product. Yet another startup Hiber plans to launch several nano-satellites to provide internet in rural areas.
Quick facts about Physee
Here are some interesting facts about Physee
- Physee is a spin-off company of Delft University of Technology
- The startup has installed commercial projects at the renovated headquarters of the Goede Doelen Loterij, at the Zuid-As business district in Amsterdam, Rabobank office in Eindhoven, and BOLD tower in Amsterdam.
- The startup became one of the winners of the World Start-Up Competition in 29th MIPIM real estate conference in Cannes, France.
- Physee was selected among hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum’s “technology pioneers”.
- Physee’s CEO appeared in the late night show Jinek Live, a live talk show at the KRO-NCRV presented by Eva Jinek. The show can be accessed here.
- Physee was handed €500,000 of prize money by Her Majesty Queen Máxima after the startup won the tenth edition of the Postcode Lottery Green Challenge
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