Switzerland-based Voltiris, a company that helps greenhouses boost sustainability and profitability by optimising solar energy use, has raised CHF 4.8M (approximately €5.07M) in its seed round of funding.
The round was co-led by EquityPitcher Ventures and 3M Ventures, the venture capital arm of 3M, with additional participation from the climate tech VC fund Satgana and several family offices.
Nicolas Weber, co-founder of Voltiris, says, “This milestone brings incredible momentum, and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with investors who offer not only capital but deep expertise in areas like industrialisation, energy-as-a-service models, scaling hardware in Agriculture, and strategic alignment with our mission.”
Sascha Horrig, Founding Partner at EquityPitcher, adds, “With this new round of financing, Voltiris is ready to significantly expand its activities. Together with 3M, we will take the integration of agronomy and solar energy to a new level.”
What does Voltiris offer?
Founded by Nicolas Weber, Dominik Blaser and Jonas Roch, Voltiris is an EPFL spin-off based in Lausanne. The company has developed solar modules designed specifically for greenhouses with light-sensitive plants.
These modules use a large reflector to allow photosynthesis-essential light to pass through while redirecting unused wavelengths to generate solar energy. This enables energy-intensive greenhouses to operate cost-effectively, sustainably, and independently of the power grid.
Voltiris has already completed 12 commercial pilot projects across Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, showcasing its proprietary spectral filter technology.
The company has also formed strategic partnerships with energy providers Elektra Baselland and Romande Energie.
Voltiris demonstrates how technologies can integrate agriculture with energy production. Operating in over 10,000 hectares of high-tech greenhouses in the Netherlands, the company looks to make contributions to decarbonisation.
Capital utilisation
Voltiris will use the proceeds to expand in key agricultural regions and implement committed large-scale projects.
The funding will also speed up technology commercialisation and support achieving market-leading production costs, including through a partnership with 3M for production.
Voltiris CEO and co-founder, Nicolas Weber, says, “This funding allows us to accelerate commercialisation, optimise our solution, and conduct our secured pipeline of projects in key markets like Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium.”
“Over the past two years, we’ve validated the unique value Voltiris brings to greenhouse growers: improved profitability, sustainability, and energy independence. This is not the finish line—it’s just a tipping point in our growth and deployment.”
“We’re looking to grow our team in agronomy, solar project development, and sales as we expand our pipeline of projects.”
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