Ionech secures €2.3 million funding to launch air-to-electricity technology pilot with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

Ionech Receives €2.3 Million Seed Investment to Advance Clean Energy Technology

Ionech, a clean-energy tech company based in Oxfordshire, has recently secured a €2.3 million (£2 million) Seed investment from ClimateTech investor Elbow Beach. This funding, combined with a €807k (£700k) grant from Innovate UK, will propel Ionech’s development of a process to harness thermal energy from ambient air to generate electricity.

The investment will enable Ionech to progress its Air Voltaic Cell technology from lab-scale development to real-world pilots over the next 24 months. Additionally, the company plans to establish joint development agreements with early-adopting partners.

Co-founder of Ionech, Thomas Kirk, expressed his excitement about the partnership with Elbow Beach, emphasizing the potential of their energy hardware technology to enhance grid resilience, reduce transmission costs, and deliver cost savings for end-users.

In the broader European clean-energy and ClimateTech landscape, Ionech’s Seed round aligns with a trend of increased capital flow into technologies focused on electrification, energy efficiency, and grid resilience.

Other notable investments in the clean-energy sector include Aira in Sweden, Spark Cleantech in France, Clevergy in Spain, Zympler in the Netherlands, and Renewcast in Italy. Specialist funds like Future Energy Ventures are also actively supporting energy-tech startups across Europe.

Jonathan Pollock, CEO of Elbow Beach, commended Ionech for its innovative approach to clean energy technology, highlighting the potential of their Air Voltaic Cell technology to reduce energy consumption and benefit the real economy.

Founded in 2016 and located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Ionech specializes in converting ambient air’s latent energy into electricity through its Air Voltaic Cell technology. The company aims to offer sustainable power solutions that lower energy costs and carbon emissions.

Nathan Owen, co-founder and Managing Director of Ionech, emphasized the importance of Elbow Beach’s investment in advancing their technology to market, particularly in high-energy demand applications like HVAC and data centers.

Looking ahead, Ionech plans to integrate its technology into commercial refrigeration, air conditioning, and ventilation units, with the ultimate goal of reducing global energy consumption and emissions.

Partnerships with companies like Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) present opportunities for Ionech to demonstrate the effectiveness of its technology in reducing carbon footprints and achieving sustainability goals.

Joe Franses, VP Sustainability at CCEP, expressed enthusiasm for Ionech’s potential impact on sustainability efforts, highlighting the progress made through the recent investment.