Leonardo DiCaprio Backs This Stockholm Energy Startup

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-08

When Leonardo DiCaprio puts his money behind a startup, people pay attention. But this time, it's not a flashy tech company in Silicon Valley. It's a Stockholm-based energy company called Elvy that's quietly reshaping how European households use power. The investment amount? Undisclosed. But it's part of a second close worth about $1.55 million (€1.43 million) in a previously announced funding round. And it comes right after Elvy posted a tenfold revenue jump in 2025 compared to the year before. ### Why DiCaprio's Bet Matters This isn't Leo's first rodeo in European energy tech. He backed Enpal, a German residential solar provider, back in 2023. So when he says he's excited about Elvy, he knows the landscape. "Leo has supported the energy space for a long time," says Johan Outinen, CEO and co-founder of Elvy. "His involvement is a strong vote of confidence in our potential to help build a better world." DiCaprio echoed that sentiment: "Elvy is demonstrating that energy efficiency can be both measurable for homeowners and scalable as a business." He pointed out that the company can cut a household's energy consumption by an average of 60%. That's a big number. And it hints at something bigger: a new model for how energy gets produced, managed, and consumed. ### The Bigger Picture: European Energy Tech Is Heating Up Elvy's news lands in the middle of a funding surge. According to EU-Startups, more than $174 million (€160.9 million) has flowed into European companies working on household electrification, building efficiency, and distributed energy management in 2026 alone. Some notable rounds: - $22.7 million (€21 million) for London-based Axle Energy to connect distributed energy assets to electricity markets - $16.2 million (€15 million) for Oslo-based Photoncycle to develop seasonal household solar storage - $10.8 million (€10 million) for Berlin-based GALVANY to expand heat-pump installation and optimization And then there's Berlin-based Cloover, which secured a $1.1 billion (€1.02 billion) debt facility in January, plus another $93.2 million (€86.2 million) financing facility in September to support residential energy deployment. Clearly, investors see something big here. ### What Elvy Actually Does Founded in 2023, Elvy installs smart, integrated energy systems and software. It's all bundled into what the company calls the world's first energy subscription. The goal? Help households cut consumption, save money, and become active participants in Europe's energy transition. By combining hardware with optimization software, Elvy lets households manage energy more intelligently. Think of it like a smart thermostat on steroids—but with a business model that turns regular houses into flexible energy assets. "Today's subsidies demand the consumer take on the financial burden of transitioning to renewables," Outinen explains. "Not only does it put the risk on the consumer, it also excludes everyone that doesn't have that financial ability. With our app, consumers can earn money on speeding up the transition." He adds: "We wish the government would enable this, but until then, we created our own subsidy program in order to democratise the energy transition." That's a bold stance. And it speaks to a frustration many feel: green energy shouldn't be a luxury for the wealthy. ### The Road Ahead Households are Europe's second-largest energy consumer. That's a massive savings potential waiting to be tapped. Elvy's 10x revenue growth in 2025 shows the model is gaining traction. With DiCaprio on board and a referral platform rolling out, the company is poised to scale. The question now: can Elvy bring integrated energy systems to more homes without losing its mission? If the past year is any indication, they're just getting started.