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The energy industry has been a topic in the Munich Startup Podcast several times, for example in the episodes on Energy Storage or hydrogen. And power plant concepts have also been our topic before. The three startups that we Episode 6 had presented – Sinn Power, Kite power and Electrochaea – we'll take another look at them at the beginning of this episode (starting at minute 02:15). The focus will be on how they've developed since then.
Water, sun and gas
Following this, we will introduce four more startups pursuing various energy generation solutions. We will start with EnergyminerThe startup, founded in 2021, is developing a new type of hydroelectric power plant. It floats in the river instead of damming it, which is intended to prevent the negative ecological impacts of hydropower. We explain exactly how this works starting at minute 6:25.
After hydropower, we turn to solar energy, where Munich startups are also actively involved in the development of this technology. Virtuous Re (from minute 08:45), for example, has developed its platform PVRadar A solution has been created that simplifies the planning of solar power plants. The solution helps estimate how new developments such as autonomous cleaning robots, battery storage, or double-sided solar modules will impact the plant's performance and cash flow.
The TUM spinout Reverion In turn, it works with biogas and hydrogen as energy sources. Founded this year, the startup is developing a novel high-temperature fuel cell system. This can process both gases significantly more efficiently than previous systems. Furthermore, the solution can also be operated reversibly, generating hydrogen or biogas from existing electricity. You can hear more about the technology and financial situation of Reverion starting at minute 11:00.
With the power of the sun
The last startup we will focus on in this episode is Marvel FusionThe Munich-based company is working on a solution for nuclear fusion and has already achieved several financial milestones. Meanwhile, more is known about the Power plant concept from Marvel Fusion. Starting at minute 13:45, we explain how the startup is rethinking nuclear fusion and how far it's progressed with its solution. A brief (and admittedly superficial) excursion into the fundamentals of nuclear fusion illustrates what the startup is doing differently compared to previous approaches.
The VC Possible Ventures
Finally, we introduce you to the investor Possible Ventures (starting at minute 19:00). In its search for "frontier technology" with a positive impact on people and the planet, the VC has already invested in around 100 startups. It focuses on cutting-edge technology from fields such as synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, robotics, Web 3.0, quantum computing, 3D printing, and space exploration. The VC is also interested in power plant concepts: Both Reverion and Marvel Fusion are part of the Possible Ventures portfolio.
Update: Unfortunately, there was an error in the podcast. Marvel Fusion does not use a deuterium-tritium mixture as fuel, as mentioned in the podcast, but rather proton-boron. The fusion process is different from that of deuterium-tritium and has several advantages. For example, high temperatures are not required to trigger fusion, and no radioactive waste is produced in the form of neutron-activated parts of the fusion chamber. Furthermore, boron is more readily available than deuterium and tritium. Furthermore, Marvel Fusion had already conducted experiments with other universities before collaborating with LMU and validated some aspects of its concept.
