IM Efficiency raises large Seed Round from BOM, Rockstart, and private investors to accelerate the use of solar energy in road freight transportation

  • •IM Efficiency successfully secures Seed funding.
  • •The investment round was led by Brabant Development Agency(BOM), Rockstart and private investors.
  • •The funding will be utilized for further execution of SolarOnTop's technology roadmap, as well as for further scaling up IM Efficiency’s commercial success with a focus on national and international markets.
IM Efficiency raises large Seed Round from BOM, Rockstart, and private investors to accelerate the use of solar energy in road freight transportation

As the transportation industry increasingly prioritizes sustainability, solar-powered mobility is making its way into truck fleets across Europe. IM Efficiency, an innovative technology company, recently completed a successful funding round, raising a total oversubscribed Seed Round from BOM, Rockstart, and other investors. This significant investment will be used to accelerate the growth of SolarOnTop, its innovative onboard solar technology designed specifically for trucks and trailers to reduce fuel consumption and their carbon footprint. With over 50 SolarOnTop installations already on the road, this investment will help to scale up the production of the SolarOnTop and meet the growing market demand. Additionally, the funds will be used to complete the development of new onboard solar products for various applications, furthering IM Efficiency's commitment to promoting solar mobility and reducing emissions in the transportation sector while maximizing fuel savings.

As sustainability becomes a growing priority in the transportation industry, the demand for onboard solar technology solutions is rapidly increasing. With 150,000 semi-trailers in the Netherlands alone and an estimated several million within the European Union, the truck and trailer market presents significant growth opportunities.

As heavy-duty trucks require expensive and Polluting methods of generating electricity, IM Efficiency tackled this issue with SolarOnTop, an onboard solar technology that generates electricity from solar panels. The SolarOnTop already reduces 1.000-3.000+ liters of diesel fuel annually per truck since its market introduction in 2022. When the truck is parked, the technology powers the cabin's electronics, eliminating the need for idling and reducing fuel consumption. It also powers electrical appliances and reduces load on the alternator while the truck is in motion. In several use cases, SolarOnTop supplies the semi-trailer with the electric power it requires, making the trailer reliable in logistics operations and independent from the tractor unit. With the intelligent energy management system, energy is delivered efficiently, resulting in significant fuel savings and a reduction in CO₂ emissions. The innovative scale-up is extending these features to electric trucks, extending the drivable electric range due to the power of the sun. IM Efficiency's solution benefits the environment and offers financial benefits to fleets and the transportation industry.

IM Efficiency raises large Seed Round from BOM, Rockstart, and private investors to accelerate the use of solar energy in road freight transportation

“IM Efficiency makes truck logistics more sustainable by providing easy-to-integrate PV solar systems mounted on trailer roofs. Their solution significantly reduces fuel costs on auxiliary uses such as pneumatic systems, while increasing the reliability of trailer operations as onboard batteries are constantly being charged. It also enables transport companies to comply with ever-stringent EU regulations on CO₂ emissions for the transport sector. Rockstart is excited to participate in this funding round enabling IM Efficiency to further scale their business and extend their technological leadership”

- Max ter Horst, Managing Partner Energy, Rockstart

“IM Efficiency accelerates the energy transition with its innovative ‘SolarOnTop‘ technology through which energy savings and carbon emissions reduction are achieved. Their solution is a real game changer with a lot of potential. It fits very well in our aim to make Brabant energy neutral. We see that IM Efficiency makes a positive contribution to the already strong mobility ecosystem in Brabant centered, around Automotive Campus, through their technology and cooperation with local companies. Recently IM Efficiency joined forces with Dutch solar companies to bring back photovoltaic manufacturing to the Netherlands through the SolarNL project and ASOM, alongside other BOM portfolio companies (like Taylor and Lightyear layer).”

- Ingrid Nieweg, Investment Manager BOM

“The IM Efficiency team has worked hard at proving the benefit of onboard solar energy within the logistics industry, while eagerly learning about the use cases and applications from our passionate customers. With a market and society that is increasingly focusing on transitioning to sustainable transportation technologies, completing this Seed funding round has enabled IM Efficiency to take the next step and turn hundreds of trucks into mobile solar parks within a short time span. We strongly believe that the trailer is key to low-carbon transportation and with knowledgeable investors onboard we are now in the position to bring our next-gen technologies to the market and reduce CO₂ emissions even further. Stay tuned for exciting features IM Efficiency will be rolling out! ”

- Martijn Ildiz, Founder & CEO, IM Efficiency

IM Efficiency is a leading player in the European market for solar-powered trucks and trailers, having already established a strong presence in markets such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, with over 25 satisfied customers. IM Efficiency is also one of the founders of Alliance for Solar on Mobility ASOM, an organization that aims to promote the use of solar energy on all types of vehicles. With the new funding, IM Efficiency plans to further expand its sales and distribution channels and develop new innovative solar technologies. This will enable the company to drive sustainable road freight transportation, reduce the environmental impact of fleets across Europe, and reduce fuel consumption.

BOM Brabant

Entrepreneurship is the driver of innovation. From sustainable food sources to a healthy future, climate-neutral energy, and developing promising key technologies. The Brabant Development Agency (BOM) ensures that startups playing a role in these fields receive the right support and funding to get off to a flying start and grow into scaleups, and that companies that aspire to go global can actually do so. Every year, BOM works with dozens of companies to create this impact. BOM is an executive body of the Province of Brabant and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.

Rockstart

Rockstart is an early stage investor that empowers purpose-driven founders across three domains: Energy, AgriFood and Emerging Technologies. Rockstart invests in early-stage startups and provides access to capital, market, and expertise by connecting founders with co-investors, mentors, partners, corporates and the wider Rockstart network.

Rockstart has invested in more than 300 startups and its alumni value to date is more than $1bn. Rockstart is an international team of 45+ professionals dedicated to empowering purpose-driven founders to become scalable and drive positive change on a global scale. Rockstart has notable exits such as Wercker, Bouw7, iClinic, 3D Hubs Brincr and Dan.com. The company has offices in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Copenhagen, Denmark and Bogota, Colombia.