Heat pump installation and energy startup nuuEnergy has closed a seven-figure pre-seed funding round in spring 2025.
Investors include HTGF, business angel club better ventures, with members such as energy entrepreneur Marco Vogt, alongside EnjoyVenture, Vireo Ventures, and Bynd. The funding will be used to launch and scale regional specialist craft businesses and to further digitalize the entire process from individual planning to installation and maintenance.
Unreliable installers, complex planning, opaque pricing—many Germans are still hesitant to switch to heat pumps. Digital providers often prioritize aggressive growth with a strong focus on sales, often at the expense of installation quality. Traditional craft businesses, on the other hand, frequently lack the capacity for in-depth consulting and planning.
This is where nuuEnergy comes in: Founded in 2023, the company combines the efficiency of digital processes with the quality and customer proximity of traditional craft businesses.
“Our customers want a local partner to guide them through the entire process, with top-notch quality in planning, installation, and service. That’s exactly what we offer through our regional businesses and digitalized planning,” says Tobias Klug, co-founder and CEO of nuuEnergy.
The Better Way to Heat Pumps – Local, Digital, Human:
nuuEnergy establishes its regional craft businesses, fully integrated into the company. This allows nuuEnergy to merge the benefits of digital workflows – such as software-based planning and streamlined subsidy management—with the hands-on expertise and local presence of traditional tradespeople. A dedicated regional contact ensures smooth coordination and alignment throughout all stages.
Julia Rafschneider, co-founder and CRO of nuuEnergy, said: “We’re the skilled trades’ answer to the big digital players who focus purely on sales and neglect quality. Our technicians are not just service providers – they’re the heart of our company. They are the experts; they plan, install, and deliver excellent craftsmanship. We provide the processes and technology to support them in doing just that.”
From initial consultation to final installation, all steps come from a single source. Tailored planning by skilled professionals ensures that every heat pump is precisely matched to its building. Proper sizing and high-quality installation reduce operating costs and extend the system’s lifespan. The Munich-based company has already successfully launched a second location in Hamburg, with a third site currently in planning.
A Growth Market with Enormous Potential:
Demand for heat pumps is growing rapidly, despite a market dip in 2024. Following a record year in 2023, with over 350,000 installations in Germany (a 50% increase over 2022), the industry expects rising numbers again in 2025. By 2030, the German Heat Pump Association (BWP) forecasts up to 500,000 units installed annually to meet climate goals. The environmental impact is significant: switching to heat pumps can reduce a building’s CO₂ emissions by up to 70%. However, a shortage of skilled workers and inefficient processes are slowing progress. This is where nuuEnergy’s infrastructure comes in—to drive a new generation of the energy transition: locally rooted, digitally enabled, and human-centered.
For better ventures, this investment marks a key move in addressing one of the most critical levers in the energy transition. “Germany’s skilled trades sector holds the key to a successful heating transition—but a lack of skilled labor and inefficient processes are holding it back. nuuEnergy blends digitalization with excellent craftsmanship and offers a solution that doesn’t currently exist in the market—but is urgently needed,” says Tina Dreimann, founder and managing director of better ventures.
HTGF has been observing the heat pump market for some time and made a conscious decision to invest in the Munich-based startup: “Every house is different, and making renovations scalable is a challenge. We see nuuEnergy as the first convincing solution where a scalable model is emerging in close partnership with skilled trades—enabling millions of homes to switch to heat pumps without compromising quality,” says Johannes Weber, Principal at HTGF.
About nuuEnergy:
Founded in 2023, nuuEnergy specializes in the planning and installation of heat pumps. With a unique business model, the company combines the advantages of digital processes with the quality and proximity of traditional craft businesses. The goal: to make the switch to climate-friendly heating as simple, efficient, and high-quality as possible.
About better ventures:
better ventures is Europe’s leading alliance for impact entrepreneurs. The network has invested in over 45 impact startups with more than 80 entrepreneurial angels and focuses on scalable business models that unite impact and returns. better ventures believes that entrepreneurs, founders, angels, and family business owners are the most powerful lever to tackle the greatest challenges of our time.
About EnjoyVenture:
EnjoyVenture is one of Germany’s oldest venture capital firms, investing in early-stage technology and growth companies for over 25 years.
About Vireo Ventures:
Vireo Ventures is a Berlin-based early-stage fund specializing in European startups in the energy and electrification sectors.
About Bynd:
Bynd is a leading Iberian startup fund that has been investing in disruptive European tech companies for 15 years.
About HTGF – High-Tech Gründerfonds:
HTGF is one of the leading and most active early-stage investors in Germany and Europe, financing start-ups in the fields of DeepTech, IndustrialTech, ClimateTech, DigitalTech, Life Sciences, and Chemistry. With its experienced investment team, HTGF supports start-ups in all phases of their development into international market leaders. HTGF invests in pre-seed and seed phases and can participate significantly in later-stage financing rounds. Moreover, across its funds, HTGF has over 2 billion euros under management. Since its inception in 2005, HTGF has financed more than 770 start-ups and achieved almost 200 successful exits.