Rotterdam’s Skoon Energy bags €5.3M from Blue Bear Capital, others to transform on-site energy supply

Rotterdam-based Skoon Energy, an AI-powered software platform for clean mobile energy, announced on Thursday that it has closed $5.6M (approximately €5.3M) in a Series A round of funding led by Blue Bear Capital with participation from the Graduate Entrepreneur Fund. 

Skoon says the latest capital infusion will enable it to grow its team, advance the development of its software platform, and expand into new global markets.

The Series A round follows investments by Kees Koolen (early investor and CEO of Booking.com and former COO of Uber), Damen Shipyards, and Rabobank. 

What does Skoon solve?

A report by BloombergNEF reveals that at least $21.4T needs to be invested in the electricity grid by 2050 to support a net-zero trajectory for the world.

While electrification in buildings and transportation continues to advance, dirty fossil fuel-powered generators for temporary applications remain high due to grid congestion or black-out prevention.

Here’s where Skoon Energy comes into play! 

Skoon Energy: What you need to know

Skoon Energy was founded in 2017 to transform on-site energy supply. 

The company focuses on connecting users of traditional fossil fuel-powered generators with suppliers of clean mobile energy solutions, which include batteries, hydrogen, and solar generators.

Skoon’s software platform is powered by AI, enabling customers to choose the most suitable energy system for their needs. 

“With scalable and data-driven access to energy systems globally, grid operators can turn to Skoon to enable flexibility in the electricity grid. Instead of relying on legacy infrastructure, which can be outdated, grid operators can deploy a mobile grid—mobile energy systems—to support or replace their electricity grid at scale. This flexibility in time and location placement allows grid operators and their customers to save costs and efficiencies to unlock the benefits of freedom in planning,” says Peter Paul van Voorst tot Voorst, founder and CEO of Skoon Energy. 

Users can actively monitor their energy consumption and easily calculate their carbon savings.

According to the company, the platform is designed to provide cost-effective, zero-emission energy for various applications, including construction sites, events, and on-site film production. 

It helps reduce the reliance on fossil fuel generators for temporary power needs.

Skoon operates an online marketplace with over 150 verified suppliers offering clean mobile energy systems.  This marketplace facilitates the supply and demand for clean energy solutions across industries and end users.

European rental companies, including Atlas Copco, Volta Energy, and Morillo Energy already use the platform.  It is also adopted by large-scale energy users such as Vattenfall, the Dutch Ministry of Defence, and the Port of Amsterdam.

Challenges 

Talking about the significant challenges/opportunities for Skoon Energy, Peter Paul van Voorst tot Voorst says, “The energy market today is going through tremendous growth and rapid change, which is challenging for most companies to keep up with. Our years of experience replacing fossil fuel generators at project sites, such as construction and film sets, have positioned Skoon perfectly to provide clean mobile energy solutions everywhere. It also means Skoon is ready to tackle grid congestion challenges at a large scale.”

“The funding from Blue Bear Capital and Graduate Entrepreneur Fund not only validates our platform’s value but also serves as a critical launchpad to realize our vision to replace the use of fossil fuels at on-site projects and to provide clean power and true flexibility to electricity grids, globally,” adds Peter.

The Investor

Blue Bear is a venture capital and early growth equity firm driving the expansion of digital technologies into multibillion-dollar verticals across the energy, infrastructure, and climate industries. 

The VC’s portfolio covers operational AI, IoT, and cybersecurity technologies, deployed with enterprise customers to drive connectivity and efficiency across the world’s most critical industries. 

“Skoon unlocks access to low-carbon power generation to decarbonise the $10b global power rental market,” says Dr. Carolin Funk, partner at Blue Bear Capital. “Their platform provides an integral service that connects hard-to-electrify use-cases with innovative suppliers, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and improving overall grid stability.”

Graduate Entrepreneur Fund is a €58M early-stage fund that partners up with visionary alumni founders from the universities of Delft and Rotterdam. 

It provides companies with capital and support from an extensive network of +140 successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. 

“Flexibility is the future of electricity, and Skoon is the gateway to that future—a platform for easy access to clean mobile energy systems,” says Auke van den Hout, managing partner at Graduate Entrepreneur Fund. 

“Peter Paul, Daan, and the Skoon team have the right background to scale this business. As new investors, we are very excited to support them through our international networks,” adds Hout.