1 The EIC Accelerator Project

EIC Accelerator Program Overview

The EIC Accelerator program, part of the European Innovation Council (EIC), is a flagship initiative aimed at supporting innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups in Europe, specifically those engaged in deep technology sectors. The program is designed to bridge the funding gap for high-risk, high-potential projects and facilitate the transition of groundbreaking ideas into market-ready products and services.

Funding Structure

The EIC Accelerator offers two types of funding: grants and equity investments.

Purpose in the Ecosystem

The EIC Accelerator plays a crucial role in the European deep tech and startup ecosystem by fostering innovation and competitiveness. It aims to:

• Support High-Risk Innovations: It targets startups and SMEs that are developing disruptive technologies, which typically face challenges in securing funding from traditional sources.
• Encourage Collaboration: The program promotes partnerships between startups, corporations, and research institutions, enhancing knowledge transfer and resource sharing.
• Facilitate Market Entry: The funding helps companies navigate the complexities of bringing innovative products to market, addressing barriers that may hinder their growth.

Scaling and Private Sector Funding

By providing substantial financial backing, the EIC Accelerator enables companies to scale their operations and attract further investment from private sectors. The credibility associated with EIC funding often serves as a signal to private investors, increasing their willingness to invest. The combination of grant and equity financing creates a robust financial foundation, allowing companies to implement their business strategies effectively and accelerate their growth trajectories.

EIC Accelerator Winner: Energy Robotics GmbH

Company Profile: Energy Robotics GmbH, based in Germany, has emerged as a significant player in the field of autonomous inspection technologies through its innovative project, known by the acronym "edge air."

Project Description: The "edge air" project focuses on the development of AI-driven autonomous inspection robots designed to operate at the edge of industrial environments. By leveraging advanced artificial intelligence and robotics, these inspection robots aim to enhance operational efficiency and safety in various sectors, including energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure.

Technology Basics and Background

The technology underpinning the "edge air" project revolves around several key components:

• Artificial Intelligence: The robots utilize sophisticated AI algorithms to analyze data in real time, enabling them to detect anomalies and perform inspections autonomously. This reduces the need for human operators, thereby minimizing risk and enhancing accuracy.
• Robotics: The design of the robots is optimized for navigating complex environments, including confined spaces and hazardous areas. They are equipped with advanced sensors and imaging technologies that allow for comprehensive data collection.
• Data Processing: The "edge" aspect of the project indicates the robots' capability to process data locally, thereby reducing latency and improving response times. This is particularly important in industrial settings where immediate feedback can prevent costly downtimes.
• Integration with Existing Systems: The autonomous robots are designed to seamlessly integrate with existing industrial systems, allowing for easy deployment without extensive modifications to current operations.

The support from the EIC Accelerator, secured through a Step 2 proposal submission on October 5, 2022, and subsequent success in a Step 3 interview, has positioned Energy Robotics GmbH to further develop and commercialize its innovative solutions. The grant funding will be critical in advancing the prototypes and validating the technology in real-world scenarios, while the potential equity investment will provide the necessary resources for scaling operations and market penetration.

In conclusion, the EIC Accelerator program serves as a pivotal force in nurturing innovative companies like Energy Robotics GmbH, ensuring they have the financial support and resources necessary to thrive in the competitive landscape of deep tech.

2 The Funding Rounds

Energy Robotics GmbH, a German startup specializing in software solutions for mobile inspection robots, has secured significant funding through various investment rounds, including the prestigious EIC Accelerator program. The company, founded in 2019 as a spin-off from the Technical University of Darmstadt, has developed the first commercially available software platform that integrates a hardware-independent robot operating system, cloud-based fleet management, and AI-driven data analysis for industrial applications.

EIC Accelerator Funding (October 2022)

Energy Robotics was among the 78 companies selected for funding in the highly competitive October 5, 2022 cut-off of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator program. This particular funding round was notably competitive, with 1,092 applications submitted, of which only 240 reached the interview stage (21.98%), and just 78 companies (7.14%) ultimately received funding.

The October 2022 EIC Accelerator provided up to €470 million in combined funding (grants and investments) to the selected companies. While the exact amount allocated to Energy Robotics is not specified in the search results, the EIC Accelerator typically provides up to €2.5 million in grants and up to €15 million in equity financing to each selected company.

Germany was the most successful country in this funding round, with 17% of the selected companies coming from there, followed by the Netherlands (14%), and France and Spain (12% each).

Previous Funding Round

Prior to the EIC Accelerator funding, Energy Robotics had already secured seed funding:

Seed Funding (January 2021):

• Amount: €2 million (approximately $3 million)
• Lead Investor: Earlybird Venture Capital
• Other Investors: Several prominent angel investors from Germany and Austria including:
• Dr. Paul Achleitner (multi-supervisory board member)
• Dr. Gerhard Roiss (former CEO of Austrian oil company OMV)
• Martin Klässner (e-mobility expert and CEO of has-to-be GmbH)
• Andrej Henkler (business angel and serial entrepreneur known for early investments in companies like Palantir)

The company announced this seed funding on January 12, 2021, stating that the proceeds would be used to further develop their software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution and expand their product portfolio towards a platform economy and robot-as-a-service model.

Company Valuation and Exit Events

The available search results do not provide specific information about Energy Robotics' current valuation or any exit events such as IPOs, buyouts, or acquisitions. As of May 2025, there is no public information indicating that the company has gone public or been acquired by another entity.

Business Growth and Market Position

While not directly related to funding, it's worth noting that Energy Robotics has achieved significant business growth since its founding. As of June 2023, the company had:

• More than 50 robots equipped with its software
• Over 5,000 mission hours logged
• Robots inspecting approximately 40,000 inspection points
• Operations across four continents
• Clients primarily in oil, gas, petrochemical, chemical, and power industries

In 2023, Energy Robotics was honored with the IEEE Robotics and Automation Award for Product Innovation, highlighting the company's technological leadership in the field.

Sources: - European Innovation Council - EIC Accelerator October 2022 Results

• Strata.team - EIC Accelerator winners and statistics October 2022
• Nordic9 - Energy Robotics €2 million investment round
• Energy Robotics - IEEE Award 2023
• Energy Robotics - Seed Funding Announcement

3 The Press Releases

Key Updates Since EIC Funding

• Technology Advancements: The grant supports development of proprietary AI for "Sense & React" capabilities, enabling fully autonomous navigation and anomaly detection in dynamic industrial settings. Their platform integrates semantic 3D environment understanding for robust situational awareness.
• IEEE Recognition: In June 2023, Energy Robotics won the IEEE RAS Award for Product Innovation for its robot/cloud brain architecture, which processes inspection data across oil/gas, chemical, and utilities sectors.
• Global Deployment: Robots using Energy Robotics’ software have completed over 20,000 km of autonomous inspections on five continents as of 2023. Clients include Shell, BASF, Evonik, and Bayernwerk.

Partnerships & Collaborations

• Shell Energy & Chemicals Park Rheinland: Deployed mixed fleets of robots/drones for digitalized inspections.
• Bayernwerk: Automated substation inspections using mobile robots equipped with Energy Robotics’ software.

Sources

• EIC Accelerator Programme: €2.5 Million Grant for Energy Robotics
• IEEE Award 2023: Energy Robotics Honoured
• About Us - Energy Robotics

4 The Technology Advancements

Current Capabilities
Energy Robotics provides a hardware-agnostic software suite enabling autonomous navigation, fleet management, and AI-powered data analysis for heterogeneous robot fleets (ground-based robots and drones). Its platform supports remote inspections in hazardous environments like oil refineries and chemical plants, with over 50 robots deployed across four continents logging 5,000+ mission hours. Key features include semantic 3D environment understanding for navigation anomaly detection and BVLOS-approved drone operations.

Post-EIC Funding Advancements

• AI Expansion: The company developed "Sense & React" capabilities for autonomous anomaly response during inspections, mimicking human-like decision-making.
• Skill Store: A new marketplace allows customers to add AI-driven "skills" (e.g., gauge reading) to existing robots via AWS infrastructure.
• Mixed Fleet Deployments: Energy Robotics demonstrated integrated ground-air systems at Shell’s Rheinland site using drones for roof inspections and Boston Dynamics’ Spot robots for ground-level checks.

Market Demonstrations & Partnerships

• Shell Collaboration: Deployed autonomous drones/robots at Europe’s largest energy-chemical park for automated tank inspections.
• ExRobotics Partnership: Launched the explosion-proof ExR-1 robot for oil/gas facilities.
• AWS Integration: Leveraged AWS cloud infrastructure to reduce latency by 50% while scaling globally, including real-time robot control demonstrations at Amazon re:MARS events.

While no new patents or peer-reviewed studies are explicitly mentioned post-EIC funding, Energy Robotics emphasized proprietary advancements like semantic environment mapping during IEEE Award submissions (2023) and continues refining its Robot Brain OS through simulations on Amazon EC2 instances.

Sources: