Kiwigrid GmbH, operator of an Energy IoT industry platform, has successfully completed its third and so far its largest financing round. While AQTON SE has significantly increased its share, the company based out of Dresden attained innogy SE and LG Electronics as new investors. The existing venture capital Investors High-Tech Gründerfonds and Innogy Venture Capital have sold their entire shareholding within this financing round.

The investment round was led by AQTON SE and includes a double-digit million euro figure. In addition to the further development of the platform and the products building on it, Kiwigrid's focus in the coming years will be on internationalization as well as to establish international security and intelligence standards for the energy grid of the future.

 

“The greatest challenge for the future energy network is connectivity, interoperability and intelligent communication of decentralized energy systems. For this purpose, an industrial platform is required which integrates, controls and automates the generation, consumption and storage of decentralized energy systems. Together with our investors, we want to drive the development of this platform worldwide and thus establish a standard,” says Dr.-Ing. Carsten Bether, founder and CEO of Kiwigrid. Daniel Söntgerath, Kiwigrid COO, adds: “AQTON SE, innogy SE und LG Electronics are among the world's leading companies in their respective segments. More than 123 million customers rely on their products and solutions. With these strategic partnerships, Kiwigrid is establishing itself as an industry-leading company at the forefront of the global energy market.”

 

AQTON SE has profound knowledge and decades of experience in developing and leading industrial companies. “The future of the energy market is decentral. By expanding its stake in Kiwigrid, AQTON is committed to a secure industrial standard for the integration of decentralized energy systems into the power grid. This is how we create the prerequisites for the optimal use of renewable energy,” says Stefan Quandt, entrepreneur and owner of AQTON SE.

 

innogy SE supplies 23 million customers with energy, operates distribution networks with a total length of 574,000 kilometers and has decentralized plants for the generation of energy from regenerative sources with a total connection capacity of more than 3,600 megawatts. innogy thus brings competencies in all energy-related value creation stages. “Kiwigrid‘s intelligent solutions exactly meet the needs of our customers: they can efficiently manage their self-consumption and reduce their costs by selling the self-produced electricity from the PV system, or by charging the electric car in their garage,” says Peter Terium, Chief Executive Officer of innogy SE.

 

Kiwigrid’s group of investors is rounded off by LG Electronics, a global frontrunner and innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances. “In addition to our innovative and market-leading products in many other areas, LG Electronics is expanding its portfolio in energy business, including industry-leading solar panels, battery-based energy storage systems, and energy management solutions. Our investment in Kiwigrid will strengthen our position as a provider of innovative energy solutions enabled by decentralized energy resources and energy IoT platform,” says Mr. Sang Bong Lee, President of LG Electronics and head of its Energy Business Center, explaining the investment in Kiwigrid.

 

Together with its investors, Kiwigrid is seeking up to two other strategic partners to invest in the company. The core element of the collaboration will be the Kiwigrid platform, which promises a high degree of security and intelligence for the future energy network. Today, Kiwigrid already has a broad network of partners with more than 50 energy suppliers, equipment manufacturers and software developers. In addition to the three investors, these include BMW, Devolo, EnviaM, E.ON, Gemalto, Janitza, Lichtblick, Plugwise, Sharp, Solarwatt, Sonnen, Stadtwerke Düsseldorf, and Victron.

 

Kiwigrid founder Bether concludes: “Without our investors, long-standing partners, and advisory board members, including Prof. Dr. Andreas Pfeifer, Jan Stenger, Dr. Frank Starrmann and Romy Schnelle, Kiwigrid would not be where it stands today. We are greatly indebted to all of them. Furthermore, I am delighted to announce that were able to win three high-profile professionals for our advisory board: for innogy, Carl-Ernst Giesting, Senior Vice President Retail Executive Committee, for LG Electronics, Dr. Steve Oh, Senior Vice President, Energy Business Center and on behalf of AQTON, the former CEO of EnBW, Hans-Peter Villis, will join the advisory board.”

 

 

 

About Kiwigrid

 

Kiwigrid operates Europe's leading Energy IoT industrial platform. The platform integrates decentralized energy producers, storage systems, intelligent measuring systems, consumers and charging systems for electric mobility, networking and intelligently controlling all of these elements. Based on this infrastructure, Kiwigrid develops solutions for innovative value-added services in the area of energy management. The cloud-based architecture ensures maximum scalability and security. Open interfaces and a huge network of partners ensure connectivity and interoperability that is unrivaled in Europe. Kiwigrid's partners and customers come mainly from the sectors of energy, automotive, telecommunications, electronics and real estate. For more information please visit: www.kiwigrid.com.

 

 

 

About AQTON SE

 

AQTON SE is an investment holding of the entrepreneur Stefan Quandt based in Bad Homburg v. D. Höhe. AQTON SE currently holds interests in the automotive industry, digital security & identity protection, photovoltaics & smart grid as well as rating. For more information please visit: www.aqton.eu.

 

 

 

About innogy SE

 

innogy SE is the leading European energy company with total sales of 46 billion Euro (2015), employing more than 40,000 people, and with activities in 16 European countries. With its three divisions, Grid & Infrastructure, Retail and Renewable Energies, and, it addresses the requirements of a modern decarbonized, decentralized and digital energy world. Focal point of innogy's activities are 23 million customers. The most important markets are Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and some countries in Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe, especially the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Regarding the generation of electricity from renewable energies at a total capacity of 3.6 gigawatts, innogy is also active outside these regions, for example in Spain, Italy and the MENAT region (Middle East, North Africa and Turkey). With planned investments of around 6.5 billion euros (2016-2018), innogy is building the energy market of the future and driving forward the energy transition. Innogy started operations on April 1, 2016. The company has emerged from the restructuring of the RWE Group. With the IPO in October 2016 innogy SE became the most valuable energy company in Germany. For more information, please visit: www.innogy.com.

 

 

 

About LG Electronics

 

LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing 77,000 people working in 125 locations around the world. With 2016 global sales of USD 47.9 billion (KRW 55.4 trillion), LG comprises four business units ― Home Appliance & Air Solutions, Mobile Communications, Home Entertainment and Vehicle Components ― and is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, mobile devices, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators. LG Electronics is a 2016 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. For more news and information on LG Electronics, please visit www.LGnewsroom.com.