Regensburg, November 2022 – In a seed financing round, High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) is investing 600 thousand euros in the platform technology developed by ESy-Labs. The new capital will be used to expand the technical equipment and hire additional employees to further advance the ESy-Screening technology.
The electrosynthesis of organic fine chemicals and electrolytic recycling methods developed by ESy-Labs enable significantly more efficient and new processes to be developed in order to make better use of resources. ESy-Screening provides access to this more sustainable alternative compared to the conventional chemical processes used to date.
ESy-Screening combines high-throughput screening and artificial intelligence to develop and optimize electrosynthesis processes in a cost- and time-saving manner. This significantly shortens the time to technical application.
"Electrosynthesis is one of the technologies that will act as a game changer in chemical synthesis in the coming years, especially under the current geopolitical circumstances and scarcity of raw materials. We are taking a big step forward in sector coupling between the chemical industry and the energy sector,” explains Prof. Dr. Siegfried R. Waldvogel, founder and CTO of ESy-Labs.
With seed financing from HTGF and public funding projects, ESy-Screening will be fully available with the planned automation in three years. Interested parties can already get an impression of electrosynthesis with the existing screening technology. This uses electric current to activate substrates instead of stoichiometric reagents.
"In the short to medium term, we expect a market volume for ESy-Screening and license income from in-house developments in the mid double-digit million range. In order to achieve this, we are very pleased that HTGF is at our side as a partner and supporting our growth,” says Dr. Tobias Gärtner, CEO and founder of ESy-Labs.
"The electrochemical synthesis developed by ESy-Labs offers a more sustainable alternative to many previously established industrial reactions. I look forward to working with the strong team around Dr. Gärtner and Prof. Waldvogel to bring new sustainable chemical and recycling processes to market maturity,” says Dr. Nik Raupp, Investment Manager at High-Tech Gründerfonds.
About ESy-Labs GmbH
ESy-Labs GmbH, based in Regensburg, was founded in 2018 and has been operating at the interface between the energy and chemical industries ever since. With electrosynthesis as its central technology, ESy-Labs is working towards playing a decisive role in shaping the energy transition for Germany as an industrial location. The number of employees, currently 6, is to be expanded to up to 15 with the investment and funding already acquired. Further information can be found on our website www.esy-labs.de.
Press contact:
ESy-Labs GmbH
Dr. Tobias Gärtner, Geschäftsführer
Siemensstraße 7
93055 Regensburg
+49 941 94686700
info@esy-labs.de
www.esy-labs.de
About High-Tech Gründerfonds
The seed investor High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) finances technology start-ups with growth potential and has supported more than 680 start-ups since 2005. With the launch of its fourth fund, HTGF has over 1.3 billion euros under management. The team of experienced investment managers and start-up experts supports the young companies with know-how, entrepreneurial spirit and passion. The focus is on high-tech start-ups in the fields of digital tech, industrial tech, life sciences, chemistry and related business areas. To date, external investors have invested more than 4 billion euros in the HTGF portfolio in more than 1,900 follow-up financing rounds. In addition, the fund has already successfully sold shares in more than 160 companies.
The fund investors in the public-private partnership include the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, KfW Capital, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and over 40 companies from a wide range of sectors.
Media contact
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Stefanie Grüter, Partnerin Communications & Relations
T.: +49 228 – 82300 – 188
s.grueter@htgf.de
Contact Investor
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Dr. Nik Raupp, Investment Manager
n.raupp@htgf.de
