TheStorage, a company developing sand-based thermal energy storage for industrial heat applications, has raised €3.6 million in seed funding to accelerate commercialization and expand its team. The round was led by Voima Ventures, with participation from Superhero Capital, 2C Ventures, and Momentum.
The company’s technology targets one of the most persistent decarbonization challenges in heavy industry: the fact that 80% of industrial heat still runs on fossil fuels. With energy markets under increasing pressure, that dependence represents both an emissions liability and a growing business risk for industrial operators. TheStorage says that until now, no alternative has been able to compete with fossil fuel-based heat on both cost and technical performance simultaneously.
TheStorage’s sand-in-motion technology stores renewable energy as heat and makes it available on demand, delivering up to 70% lower energy costs and up to 90% fewer emissions with no trade-offs on technical performance. The system also enables industrial companies to participate in reserve energy markets, turning their storage assets into a potential revenue stream while supporting broader grid stability.
The company has already deployed a pilot installation at Nokian Panimo, a Finnish brewery, where the technology is producing fossil-free steam. The next phase involves broader commercialization and the development of its first full-scale facility.
KEY QUOTES:
“80% of industrial heat still runs on fossil fuels. With energy markets in turmoil, that’s not just an emissions problem, but also a significant business risk. Until now, there hasn’t been a real alternative that could compete on both cost and performance. We built one.”
Company statement
