Munich Startup's $4M Bet: Software That Slashes Power Bills 40%

Jan de Vries · 2026-09-11

Furo, a Munich-based energy software company formerly known as Lumera Energy, just closed a €3.44 million ($4 million) funding round. The goal? Make industrial battery storage actually pay off for factories and big facilities. The round was led by US investor TQ Ventures, with participation from Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners (Sheryl Sandberg's fund), Neo, and CDTM Venture Capital. ### Why Software, Not Hardware, Is the Real MVP Here's the thing: most industrial batteries sit there running on rigid, pre-programmed rules. They charge and discharge on a fixed schedule, completely blind to what's happening with weather or electricity prices. Furo's platform flips that. It forecasts power prices and weather up to 48 hours ahead, then optimizes battery operation in real time. When prices spike, it sells. When they dip, it charges. Simple in theory, tricky in practice. "Our customers did not buy a battery in order to own a technology, but in order to lower their electricity bill," said Lena Sophia Voß, co-founder of Furo. "In one of the most volatile power markets in the world, that is decided by the software, not by the hardware." According to the company, customers cut electricity costs by up to 40%. That's not pocket change when you're running energy-intensive operations in Germany, where power prices rank among the highest globally. ### From Dorm Room to 6,000 Sites Voß founded Furo in 2025 with Leonie Wagner and Simon Wittner. The trio met during a joint master's program at the Centre for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM) of LMU Munich and the Technical University of Munich. Fast forward to today: over 800 companies use Furo across more than 6,000 sites in Germany and Europe. The platform adapts to different roles—installers, project developers, storage manufacturers, and utilities—handling everything from system sizing to energy trading. > "Lena, Leonie and Simon understand the European energy market at an extraordinary level of depth. It's a remarkable example of team-market fit." — Schuster Tanger, co-founding partner at TQ Ventures ### The Bigger Picture: Volatility Is the Enemy Global energy demand from AI data centers is skyrocketing. Industrial companies feel the pinch hardest, especially in Germany. The problem isn't renewable energy itself—it's price volatility, high grid fees, load peaks, and inflexible consumption. Inflexible energy demand costs industrial companies an estimated $580 billion a year worldwide. That's a massive inefficiency, and it's exactly what Furo is targeting. Earlier this month, Furo announced a partnership with Berlin-based LUOX Energy to launch a combined solution for optimizing commercial and industrial battery storage. And in May 2026, the company rebranded from Lumera Energy. With this fresh $4 million, Furo plans to expand into more European markets and grow its team. If they can keep proving that software beats hardware in the energy game, that 40% savings claim might become the new industry standard.