Younergy: Worry free solar energy

Hello Pedro, and congratulations! Are you happy to have won the second stage of Venture Kick?
Of course, we’re putting a lot of effort in building a renewable energy champion. It’s really great to have Venture Kick recognizing our efforts.
 
What does Younergy do?
We sell solar energy to our customers directly from their roofs. This is how it works: We design and install a solar photovoltaics system for free; our customers pay us only for the energy that the system produces. The customers collect the benefit from going solar without paying for the solar system upfront or worry about administration and maintenance. This is what we call a “Solar Abonnement”: Worry free solar energy.
 
At what stage is Younergy today and what do you plan next? 
We’ve just launched in Switzerland and signed our first customers. In parallel we’re working in the development of the technology backbone that will allow us to efficiently manage a large number of decentralized solar projects.
 
How did the idea of Younergy come up? 
Decentralized power is disruptive and there is a very important opportunity in financing the world’s energy transition. The process requires investments of one trillion Euros in Europe alone and we shouldn’t reasonably expect that individuals and companies will jump in to put that money upfront. Innovative companies will need to develop services that allow people to benefit from solar while paying as they go. Those companies will be able to originate a portfolio of decentralized solar assets that are financed by institutional investors. Younergy was founded to become that bridge.
 
What distinguishes your technology from your competitors’?
Younergy competitive edge comes from the utilization of technological advances along the complete value chain including: Advanced solar potential modeling of roofs to identify the buildings who can benefit most from solar installations, powerful CRM tools to streamline the complex, time consuming quotation, approval and installation processes of solar and a highly efficient operations platform to autonomously gather billing, analytic and diagnostic data across a large number of installations.
 
Why did you apply for Venture Kick and what are the benefits of such a program for you? 
Venture Kick is the leading competition for start-ups in Switzerland. Great newtwork, amazing training and seed support are all very important. In addtition to that you get an important credibility boost that opens doors.
 
In your opinion, how did you convince the jury on stage two? 
I would say we were able to convince them that there is a huge market opportunity for Younergy and that the team has worked very hard over the past few months to make it work.
 
And how do you think you will convince the jury at the final?
We can’t reveal that, not just yet (laughs).
 
Tell us something about yourself and your co-founder that nobody knows...
My co-founder has three cats and speaks four languages.
I learned how to ski at the age of 24 in a fairly unorthodox way. In my first day of skiing, one cold December day at Engelberg, all blue slopes were closed. I was with an overconfident friend who thought he could teach me in a red slope. I believed him… and it took me the whole afternoon to go through my first and only slope that day. Though I fell 53 times I managed to preserve bones and joints intact. Blue slopes became a piece of cake ever since but I would advise you not to try this at home!        

Younergy's solar abonnement: How does it work?