AI startup etalytics secures €16 million series A with strategic investment from Microsoft’s M12
The AI startup etalytics, an alumnus of the accelerator program by AI Startup Rising | hessian.AI, has successfully extended its Series A funding to €16 million. The latest €8 million investment was led by M12, Microsoft’s venture fund, with continued support from existing investors Alstin Capital, ebm-papst, and BMH (BMH Beteiligungs-Managementgesellschaft Hessen mbH).
The Darmstadt-based deep tech company specializes in AI-powered energy intelligence solutions. Its flagship platform, etaONE®, uses digital twins and predictive analytics to enable real-time energy optimization for energy-intensive industries such as data centers, automotive manufacturing, and pharmaceutical and chemical production. Customers including Volkswagen, Equinix, NTT, Digital Realty, and Merck have achieved energy savings of up to 50%.
The new funding will support etalytics’ international expansion—launching operations in North America, scaling delivery in Europe and Asia, and growing its team to over 120 employees. The investment from M12 marks a significant milestone in accelerating the company’s mission to drive intelligent and sustainable energy systems globally.
“We’re proud to welcome M12 as a strategic partner,” said Dr. Niklas Panten, CEO and Co-Founder of etalytics.“Their investment marks a major milestone in our mission to make industrial energy systems more intelligent, resilient, and sustainable. With Microsoft’s global reach and technology ecosystem, we’re accelerating the digital transformation of energy-intensive industries worldwide. Together, we aim to redefine how data centers, manufacturing, and process industries manage energy – efficiently, transparently, and resilient with AI operators can trust.”
etalytics emerged as a spin-off from TU Darmstadt and participated in the AI Startup Rising Accelerator program, underscoring hessian.AI’s role in supporting breakthrough innovations in AI and energy technologies.
Read the full press release.
(Cover photo: etalytics founding team / © etalytics)
Energy Robotics: Another Success Story for Darmstadt’s AI Ecosystem
The etalytics funding announcement marks the second major success for a Darmstadt-based AI startup this month. Earlier in October, Energy Robotics—another spin-off from TU Darmstadt—secured $13.5 million in Series A funding, co-led by Blue Bear Capital and Climate Investment, with participation from Futury Capital, Hessen Kapital, Kensho VC, and TADTech.
Energy Robotics has developed a leading AI software platform for autonomous inspection with robots and drones. Its technology is already deployed in critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, oil and gas, chemicals, and utilities—helping customers like Shell, BP, BASF, Merck, and E.ON automate inspections, reduce operational risks, and improve safety. With over one million completed inspections across five continents, the company enables operators to lower costs and minimize hazardous human labor.
These two major funding rounds in October highlight the strong momentum of the hessian.AI ecosystem and the impact of research-driven AI innovation from Darmstadt on global industries.
Strong Representation in the AI Startup Landscape Hesse
Both etalytics and Energy Robotics are featured in the AI Startup Landscape Hesse 2024 and 2025 and were showcased in the article series “Hessen’s KI-Vorreiter” on STATION, which highlights pioneering AI startups from the region:
Their success underscores the strength of the regional AI innovation ecosystem and the importance of initiatives that connect cutting-edge research with global markets.
