Two RWTH Startups Paving the Way to Renewable Energy

They are young, enthusiastic, and forward-thinking – and they have one goal above all: to contribute to a sustainable environment. A growing number of RWTH alums are putting their ideas and research results from the University into practice. They create startups to drive their innovations and to contribute to society. Two RWTH-spun startups that are actively involved in the transition to renewable energy sources are presented below.

ACCURE Battery Intelligence: Battery Technology for a Sustainable Future

In an ever-evolving world of renewable energy and electromobility, battery performance and longevity are critical. The RWTH spin-off company ACCURE Battery Intelligence has therefore specialized in the analysis of batteries in order to increase their safety, performance, and lifespan.

Accure was founded by Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies, Dr. Georg Angenendt, and Dr. Johannes Palmerist in 2020. The idea for the spin-off came to the three engineers while they were doing their doctoral studies. “That's where we saw battery data not being used at all, while we recognized that this data could provide so much information about battery health,” Angenendt explains. It was this realization that gave rise to the business idea for ACCURE to make use of the untapped potential of battery data for practical applications. The team took advantage of the RWTH Innovation support program to help them create a successful startup. Early on, the three founders took part in the startup training to familiarize themselves with the basics of founding a company, and later the RWTH Incubation Program helped them further develop their idea. Awards like the EXIST-Gründerstipendium, the RWTH Spin-off Award, the AC² Innovation Award, and the Out Of The Box NRW Award, which ACCURE has already won, underline the innovative power of the technology. In September, the team also won the Innovation Award NRW 2023 which comes with prize money of 50,000 euros.

Meanwhile, the analysis software helps original equipment manufacturers, operators, and owners of battery storage systems assess battery risks, ensure safety, and maximize their economic value. Following their successful market launch in the USA, the company now plans to expand into other countries. Angenendt is optimistic about the future: “We want to use cloud computing to improve batteries in order to contribute to a livable future. The next milestones are in expanding our products to the global market.”

Voltfang: A Second Life for Batteries

The three founders of Voltfang also focus on the storage of electricity. Roman Alberti, Afshin Doostdar, and David Oudsandji are giving discarded batteries from electric vehicles a second life and in doing so, they also want to make a decisive contribution to the transition to renewable energy sources. The idea of manufacturing sustainable stationary battery storage systems from old electric vehicle batteries came about at the beginning of their studies. In their third semester, the three engineers bought a motor home so they could convert it into a completely self-sufficient space. For this project, they needed a battery and it was then that they came into contact with 2nd Life battery modules for the first time. They also dealt with them more intensively as part of their studies at PEM (Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components at RWTH). Voltfang also went through various coaching programs at RWTH Innovation and it participated in the Ideation program as well as the Incubation program, among others. In addition to the RWTH Spin-off Award, the team received other awards such as the CSCB Proptech Award.

Voltfang's vision is an ambitious one: the team strives to become Germany's leading battery storage manufacturer.

In the future, the founders want to network all their storage facilities together in a virtual power plant. With such a plant, Voltfang's customers would have the opportunity to interact and exchange electricity with wind power plants and photovoltaic ground-mounted systems. The goal is to provide an independent, continuous supply of sustainable and cost-effective electricity while simultaneously protecting the environment.

– Authors: RWTH Innovation, Communications Management, Kirsa Dannenberg, ACCURE Battery Intelligence GmbH, Voltfang GmbH