How a Berlin Startup's Panels Could Transform Every Building's Walls

Jan de Vries · 2026-08-28

Here's a story that might just change how you think about the walls around you. A Berlin-based DeepTech startup called Nanolope just secured a pre-Seed funding round worth about $860,000. They're not building another app—they're turning ordinary building surfaces into something extraordinary: thermal batteries. It's a big idea for an even bigger problem. Let's dig in. ### The Funding and The Backers The $860k round was led by IBB Ventures through its pre-Seed Fund B#, known as "be sharp." They weren't alone. A group of seasoned business angels and experts from energy, real estate, and materials tech also jumped in. That's a pretty solid vote of confidence for a company just getting started. So, what exactly did they see? A team with a patent-protected answer to one of Europe's stickiest challenges: heating and cooling old buildings. ### The Core Problem: Our Leaky, Costly Buildings Think about the building you live or work in. Chances are, it's not exactly a model of efficiency. The building sector is one of Europe's biggest energy hogs. Outdated heating systems, poor insulation, and rising energy standards are creating a perfect storm of high costs and high emissions for property owners. And here's the kicker—full-scale renovations are often a nightmare. They're expensive, they take forever, and for many landlords or small business owners, they're just not financially feasible. That's the gap Nanolope is aiming to fill. Founded in 2025 by Dr. Felix Marske, Eric Matthes, and Dominik L. Schreiber, their mission is straightforward: make existing buildings more efficient, climate-friendly, and cheaper to run without tearing them apart. ### The Simple, Elegant Solution: Walls That Store Energy Dr. Marske put it perfectly: "The transition to sustainable heating will be decided in existing buildings. Many properties need solutions that can be retrofitted quickly and economically, without major structural interventions. That is exactly what we are developing." Nanolope's innovation is a panel system. But these aren't your average panels. They're designed to be installed on ceilings, walls, and floors, transforming those surfaces into passive thermal storage systems. Imagine your drywall quietly soaking up heat during the day and releasing it at night, or vice versa with cooling. The promised benefits are compelling: - More stable indoor temperatures year-round - Lower heating and cooling demands on the main system - Reduced energy consumption and CO₂ emissions - No need for massive, disruptive renovation projects ### Built Green, From the Ground Up This isn't a tech solution that creates another waste problem. Nanolope develops its materials using green chemistry principles. The panels are made from renewable, plant-based raw materials sourced within the EU. No rare earths are involved, and at the end of their long life, the materials are fully recyclable. Sabine Wolff, a Principal at IBB Ventures, highlighted why they invested: "The team convinced us with its expertise, experience, and ambition to set new standards in the construction industry with its patented energy storage materials in the face of climate change." ### What's Next for Nanolope? With this new capital, the plan is clear: scale up production, get initial pilot projects into real buildings, and grow the team. Their target customers are the folks who manage lots of space—housing companies and operators of commercial properties like hotels, offices, and cafes. It's a classic case of a deep tech startup tackling a fundamental industrial challenge. They're not just selling a product; they're selling a paradigm shift—where every square foot of a building isn't just space, but potential energy storage. It's one to watch, especially if you're in the business of managing properties or building a greener future.