Micro Thermal Energy Raises €1.35M Pre-Seed to Bring 24/7 Zero-Carbon Power to Sites the Grid Can't Reach

Micro Thermal Energy (MTE), the London-based deep-tech company developing modular geothermal power units for industrial and off-grid sites, has secured €1.35M (£1.2M) in total funding to bring its Thermawynd® technology to a physical proof-of-concept of its heat exchanger. The package combines a €900k (£780k) pre-seed round by SFC Capital, Impact Shakers Ventures, Carbonfix and Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) with a €450k (£394k) Innovate UK grant, taking the company through its first physical test at NZTC’s site in Aberdeen later this year.

Founded by Helle Ehrenreich, Simon Bakshi and Neil Wands, MTE has an ambition to unlock geothermal power almost anywhere. Its flagship product, Thermawynd®, is a plug-and-play 200kW system that fits in a shipping container and delivers clean, round-the-clock electricity from the ground beneath our feet, without the need for deep drilling, which traditional geothermal depends on. The result is a geothermal power solution that is more applicable across various sites than conventional systems, turning a niche technology into a practical option for the businesses that need reliable power most: energy-intensive businesses, EV charging operators facing year-long waits for a grid connection, and oil and gas companies looking to give depleted wells a second, zero-carbon life.

The timing could not be better. As electrification accelerates across transport and industry, demand for power is outpacing what ageing grids can deliver, and intermittent renewables alone can't guarantee the steady supply many operations depend on. Thermawynd® fills that gap with always-on, zero-carbon baseload that can be deployed close to where energy is actually used, cutting reliance on the grid while helping customers hit their decarbonisation targets. Because each unit is modular and containerised, it can be installed quickly and scaled up as needs grow, giving customers a flexible path to energy independence rather than a single, high-stakes infrastructure bet.

"The energy transition has a reliability problem, and everyone relying on industrial power is facing it," said Helle Ehrenreich, CEO and founder of MTE. "Conventional renewable energy will struggle to provide an uninterrupted continuous power source, and grid queues have turned new industrial connections into a 10-to-15-year conversation. We designed Thermawynd® so the sites that the grid can't reach, and the ones that can't afford to wait, finally have a continuous zero-carbon option that fits in a shipping container. This round takes us from modelled performance to a prototype of our patent-pending heat exchanger, which is where this story really begins."

"Micro Thermal Energy is tackling one of the biggest gaps in the energy transition: clean power that never switches off," said Yonca Braeckman, Founder and CEO of Impact Shakers. "Solar and batteries alone can't provide 24/7 baseload, and that's exactly the kind of problem we want founders to solve. Helle brings a rare mix of engineering, legal and commercial expertise, and she's building a team that truly knows this sector."

“CarbonFix funds radical ventures who are working on new pathways. MTE stood out to us. From our lens, their innovation is so much more than just green energy: it’s also hyperlocal and tackles grid dependency,” says Arnoud Haverlag, executive director at CarbonFix. “That’s why it’s so great to be doing this together with a consortium who are also supporting this endeavor.” 

The pre-seed capital, together with the confirmed grant funding, will take MTE through its proof-of-concept project in Aberdeen, starting this autumn, to support the development of a field-ready prototype, followed by a first field trial in an operational environment in 2027.