Photoncycle

I sidste uge skrev jeg et debatindlæg i Dagbladet Information omkring decentralisering af elnettet. I denne uge har jeg været til flere energi-fokuserede arrangementer - både Danish Industrys Årsdag for Energi og Dansk Erhvervs Elektrificeringskonference med fokus på datacentre. Elnettet får meget opmærksomhed for tiden, og med rette. Der er gang i elektrificeringen, og det kræver naturligvis en udbygning af elnettet. En kæmpe opgave, i øvrigt - for det kræver råmaterialer, kvalificeret arbejdskraft, detaljeret planlægning, borgerinddragelse og tusind andre ting. Samtidig handler meget af debatten i øjeblikket om resiliens og uafhængighed i både Danmark og Europa. Og selvom bagtæppet er lidt dystert, så må jeg indrømme, at jeg synes det er fedt, når løsninger på andre store samfundsmæssige udfordringer falder sammen med løsningerne på klimakrisen! I denne uge har jeg set en spirende opmærksomhed omkring decentralisering af elnettet - men jeg synes stadig, at debatten peger for entydigt på, at vi bare har travlt med at udbygge. Det, vi taler for lidt om, er hvad der sker, når vi begynder at placere produktion, lagring og forbrug tættere på hinanden. Når energi ikke skal transporteres langt, før den bruges, og når bygninger, virksomheder og husholdninger ikke bare er slutpunkter i systemet, men aktive dele af det. Det aflaster nettet og øger robustheden. Og det gør energisystemet mindre sårbart over for de kapacitetsproblemer, vi allerede ser i dag. Vi har brug for begge dele - men jeg synes stadig, at decentraliseringens potentiale undervurderes. (titlen er i øvrigt blevet en smule ændret og er nu lidt mere kritisk end i mit oprindelige oplæg 😅 ) Find indlægget i kommentarfeltet 👇

Vild timing altså 😅 Jeg er lige trådt ind i arbejdet med at gøre energisystemet mere decentralt. I dag melder DR så ud om en ny beretning fra Rigsrevisionen, der kritiserer styringen af elnettet. Det viser tydeligt et strukturelt problem: Vi elektrificerer samfundet hurtigere, end vi tilpasser systemet omkring det. Svaret er selvfølgelig også mere net, hurtigere udbygning og bedre planlægning. Men det er ikke hele svaret. Vi skal tænke langt mere i, hvordan boliger og bygninger kan blive en aktiv del af energisystemet i stedet for kun at være slutpunkter i det. Når energi kan produceres, lagres og bruges tættere på forbruget, aflaster det nettet, giver mere fleksibilitet og øger robustheden. Og det gør energisystemet mindre sårbart over for både flaskehalse, spidsbelastning og prisudsving. Vi skal altså både have mere infrastruktur, men også decentrale løsninger 🙌 Men lige nu undervurderer vi, hvor stor forskel decentralisering faktisk kan gøre. Behovet i energisystemet bliver tydeligere og tydeligere, og det er også derfor, det arbejde jeg lige er begyndt med i Photoncycle føles mere aktuelt for hver dag der går. Decentralisering har et kæmpe potentiale!

We’re excited to welcome Anne Clara Laugesen as General Manager for Photoncycle Denmark 🇩🇰 Anne Clara joins us at a pivotal moment — not just for Photoncycle, but as the energy system is being reshaped across Europe. She brings strong experience from scaling businesses across the energy transition, most recently as CMO at Viggo and CCO at Stella Energy. Her mission is clear: Leverage technology to solve the climate crisis 🌎 Denmark is our first commercial market and after a year in market, the traction is clear with strong pre-order interest, broad media coverage, and high engagement from homeowners and stakeholders. The fundamentals make it a perfect fit: ☀️ High solar adoption and increasing electrification ⚡️A highly energy-aware population and high energy prices 🔋 And a growing need for resilience and independence But there’s still a fundamental problem to solve: 👉 Too much energy in summer, too little in winter. This is exactly where seasonal energy storage comes in. Over the next 18 months, the focus is simple and ambitious: Engage customers. Run pilots. Prove value in real homes. Then scale. As Anne Clara puts it: “The energy transition happens where systemic change meets everyday life.” That’s where Photoncycle operates. Welcome to the team, Anne Clara — let’s build 🇩🇰⚡ Read the full story on Shifter.no - link in comments 👇🏼

Thank you to everyone who joined THE NEXT EUROPEAN ENERGY FRONTIER event at Mesh Oslo, organised in collaboration with NordicNinja VC and Startuplab. Great to see founders, investors, and policymakers in one room discussing a shared challenge: How can Europe scale energy innovation from a technological breakthrough to a system-level impact? Key themes from the keynotes and panel: 🛠️ The conversation has shifted from climate hype to scale execution. ⚡️ Energy security, sovereignty, affordability, and decarbonisation now have to be solved together. 🔋 Grid readiness is becoming a core bottleneck as electrification and AI-driven demand increase. 💰 Europe needs stronger growth-stage capital pathways to turn technical success into industrial scale. 🇳🇴 Norway has major potential, but scaling outcomes will depend on policy, talent, and long-term risk capital working together. Big thanks to everyone who contributed on stage and in discussion, and special thanks to speakers and panelists Taiga Ueta, Bjorn Brandtzaeg, Inka Mero (Voima Ventures), Tomosaku Sohara, Even A. Røed, Marie Mostad, and Claes Mikko Nilsen. What should Norway learn from other European startup ecosystems to enable the next generation of energy unicorns?

It’s been an exciting few weeks at Photoncycle. Following our recent investment announcement, the momentum around long-duration energy storage — and the broader Norwegian energy innovation ecosystem — has been stronger than ever. The conversations we’ve been having with founders, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders all point to the same question: How can Norway better support the development and flourishing of the next generation of energy startups? At Photoncycle, we believe Norway has a unique opportunity. With deep energy expertise, world-class engineering talent, and a strong industrial base, the country is well positioned to build globally relevant climate and energy technology companies. But realizing that opportunity requires continued collaboration across startups, investors, industry, and government. That’s exactly why we’re hosting this upcoming event in Oslo on March 17. The evening will continue the discussion about the future of Norwegian tech and energy startup solutions — and how we can build an ecosystem where ambitious founders can start, scale, and succeed. We’ll bring together founders, investors, and ecosystem builders to exchange perspectives, challenge assumptions, and explore how Norway can play a leading role in the global energy transition. If you’re building, investing, or simply passionate about the future of energy and climate technology, I hope you’ll join us. 📅 March 17 📍 Oslo Register here: https://luma.com/m5028dw8

Photoncycle has raised a €15M Series A, led by NordicNinja VC and Voima Ventures, with participation from Lifeline Ventures, Eviny Ventures, Luminar Ventures and Momentum 🔋⚡️ We are now moving from full-scale pilot to commercial rollout in Denmark, where we are already seeing strong pre-order demand from households seeking lower and more predictable energy costs. As part of this round, we are launching the first phase of our industrial scale-up. Our planned manufacturing platform targets 1.4 TWh of annual storage capacity at full scale — equivalent to seasonal storage for approximately 140,000 homes. The first phase is planned to go live in 2027. Seasonal storage enables households to store summer solar energy for winter use — increasing energy independence, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and strengthening Europe’s long-term energy resilience. As our founder and CEO Bjorn Brandtzaeg says: “Europe is beginning to solve short-duration storage. The remaining gap is seasonal. If households can store cheap solar powered summer energy for winter use, they reduce exposure to imported fuel and price volatility as well as to increasing grid costs for consumers.” Thank you to our investors, partners and growing community of customers for the trust. Read more about our funding and open positions in the comments 👇🏼 #Photoncycle #EnergyStorage #EnergyTransition #EnergyResilience #ClimateTech #DeepTech

🚀 We’re hiring! Join Photoncycle and help build the future of residential energy autonomy. At Photoncycle, we’re on a mission to make homes energy-autonomous year-round while supporting a balanced, resilient energy system. That means using our breakthrough solid-state hydrogen technology to solve one of the biggest challenges in renewables: storing surplus energy from summer and using it through winter. We’re expanding our team in Oslo. If you’re driven by impact, real-world climate solutions, and ownership at a fast-moving startup, we want to talk with you. Open positions (find the link to roles & application in comments): • DevOps Engineer & Platform Builder (.NET/C#) • Technology Developer (Control Systems) • Technology Developer (Data Analytics & Optimization) • Sourcing Manager • Senior Mechanical Engineer Why Photoncycle? ✔️ Work on cutting-edge, climate tech to power a clean energy transition ✔️ Agile, collaborative team with strong Nordic investor backing ✔️ Located in Oslo Science Park with flexible work culture Know someone perfect for one of these roles? Share this post — let’s build the future of energy together! 🚀 Koray Abatay Erick F. Alves 🛠 Markus Krallinger Elina Koivisto Bjorn Brandtzaeg Max Spencer

Solar energy is abundant in summer, but demand peaks in winter ⚡️ That mismatch is what our Chief Science Officer, Sebastian Gutterød, has spent the last years solving. From a PhD in hydrogen chemistry to building Photoncycle’s lab from scratch, he’s now leading the development of a residential system designed to store energy across seasons. We’ve published an interview with Sebastian about the engineering behind seasonal storage, and why integration is harder than invention. Find the link to the article in comments 👇🏼 #EnergyTransition #Hydrogen #Engineering #RenewableEnergy