Future Energy Ventures Research
Investment Thesis
Future Energy Ventures (FEV) is a Europe-headquartered venture capital firm founded in 2016 (originating from innogy Ventures / innogy Innovation Hub, backed by E.ON SE) that invests in the software, AI, and digital-infrastructure layer that makes an electrified, decentralized, and renewable energy system work. FEV's core belief is that the physical build-out of renewables, batteries, and chargers is commoditizing, and that the real investable value now sits in the connectivity and intelligence layer that lets clean energy flow, balance, and adapt in real time. The firm organizes its focus into three areas: Future Energy (grid intelligence, storage, decentralized energy markets), Future Cities (smart-city and built-environment technology), and Future Technologies (AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, and other frontier tech that enables the first two).
Sector Focus
FEV invests at the intersection of energy, electrification, and frontier technology, spanning:
- Grid intelligence, energy storage, and energy optimization software
- Decentralized energy markets, flexibility, and demand-response platforms
- EV charging, smart mobility, and connected-vehicle infrastructure
- Digitization of buildings, industry, and the built environment
- AI, cybersecurity, robotics, and advanced computing that enable new energy and infrastructure models
Stage Focus
FEV's sweet spot is Series A and beyond: digital, scalable, asset-light companies that have already demonstrated product-market fit. The firm occasionally does earlier seed-stage or seed-extension checks (e.g. Solarize) for exceptional teams already in its network, but the large majority of new investments are Series A and Series B.
Check Size
Per FEV's own FAQ: Series A checks are typically €1-5 million; later-stage checks (Series B and beyond) are typically €5-10 million.
Lead Tendency
FEV explicitly states it leads investment rounds on a case-by-case basis rather than as a fixed policy — it has led several recent rounds (Pstryk, Reel Energy, Solarize) but also participates alongside other leads (GridCARE, led by Sutter Hill Ventures and John Doerr).
Recent Activity
FEV closed Future Energy Ventures Fund II at €205 million plus a dedicated €30 million Italy vehicle (total €235 million) in November 2025, anchored by E.ON SE and the European Investment Fund, with additional backers including KfW Capital, ABN AMRO, CLP, BGK, ISA Energia, Borusan, Zorlu Holding, Telos Impact, KELAG, MTR, and Sabanci Climate Ventures. The fund is actively deploying:
- July 2026: Led a €7 million Series A in Pstryk (Poland, dynamic electricity pricing), alongside Axpo, Montis, ffVC and Simpact Ventures
- May 2026: Led a €15 million Series A in Reel Energy (Denmark/Germany, unified power-market operating system)
- May 2026: Participated in GridCARE's $64 million Series A (US, AI data-center power acceleration), led by Sutter Hill Ventures and John Doerr
- February 2026: Led a seed-extension round in Solarize (Germany, decentralized energy billing/subledger platform), alongside existing investors Point Nine and Picus Capital
Portfolio Highlights
Over its decade of investing (since 2016, as innogy Ventures and then FEV), the firm has backed 45+ companies across grid software, EV charging, IoT security, and climate data, including Tado (smart home climate, European market leader), Bidgely (AI utility analytics), ev.energy and Virta (EV smart charging), Hubject (eRoaming for EV charging), Heliatek (thin-film photovoltaics), Buildots (construction-site AI), Sight Machine (manufacturing analytics), Piclo (flexibility marketplace), Station A (US clean-energy marketplace), and newer additions Gridcare, Reel Energy, Solarize, and Pstryk.
Team
FEV runs a genuinely international partnership across three regions:
Europe (Germany):
- Jan Lozek — Managing Director & Co-Founder; 25 years in energy and tech, ex-RWE AG, Innogy SE, E.ON SE
- Veronique Hördemann — Managing Director & CFO; founding member of innogy Ventures
- Jan Palasinski — Investment Partner; 15+ years in cleantech/finance, ex-E.ON CVC, Innogy Venture Capital
- Moritz Jungmann — Investment Partner; leads FEV's Berlin office and network/comms, founder of two prior companies
- Fanny Rohr — Head of People and Operations
- Natalie Milde — Investment Associate and Head of Impact
- Maciej Lehmann — Investment Associate
- Alessa Sänger — Investment Manager
- Başak Günver — Investor Relations Associate
- Luisa Müller — Investment Analyst
- Julia Wittoesch — Office Manager
- Claudia Cymek — Executive Assistant
North America:
- Patrick Elftmann — Managing Partner; board/observer for Bidgely, Enervee, ev.energy, Vinli; ex-Partner at innogy Ventures, 11+ years at Accenture and Deloitte
- Anna Trendewicz — Principal; PhD Colorado School of Mines, ex-McKinsey, ex-E.ON, ex-State Grid Corporation of China
Israel:
- Ohad Mamann — Investment Partner; 15 years of VC transactional experience, board/observer for Placense, Oriient, Hopon, Firstpoint, Vicarius, Buildots; ex-Partner at Horn & Co. Law Offices
Decision Process
FEV operates as a multi-partner investment team (Managing Directors plus regional Investment Partners across Germany, North America and Israel) rather than a solo-GP structure, consistent with a partnership decision process.
Founder Preferences
FEV looks for founders who "understand the complexity of energy markets and have the conviction to transform them" — technical and industry-literate founders building asset-light, scalable software businesses at the boundary of energy and digital infrastructure.
Geographic Focus
Primarily Europe (Germany, Poland, Nordics), with an active North American practice (Silicon Valley/Palo Alto) and an Israel practice; portfolio spans Europe, North America, Israel, and select APAC investments.