Metris Energy, an innovative AI platform focusing on solar energy generation, has successfully secured £2m in a pre-seed funding round. This financial boost, primarily led by Octopus Ventures and Aenu VC, is set to propel Metris' mission to revolutionize solar energy usage in UK commercial properties.
At the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence into solar energy solutions, the company aims to tap into the lucrative £22bn potential revenue from solar energy generation within the commercial property sector. Metris Energy, co-founded by Natasha Jones, a former investor at Octopus, and William Whatley, a seasoned software engineer and climate start-up expert, offers a unique AI-driven approach to solar energy. Their platform guides property owners from initial solar assessments to installation and efficient energy management.
This platform stands out for its ability to produce detailed evaluations, quantify the economic advantages of adopting solar energy, and streamline selling it to tenants. It achieves this by digitizing and automating contracts, thus reducing administrative complexities.
With the new funding, Metris is poised to launch its comprehensive commercial platform across the UK starting this month. This rollout includes introducing an AI-powered assessment tool tailored for commercial real estate owners and a novel billing and payment system.
Natasha Jones, co-founder of Metris, emphasized the platform's capacity to marry financial incentives with environmental benefits. She believes that Metris is the catalyst needed for the widespread adoption of solar technologies in the commercial property market, marking a significant step towards sustainable energy solutions.
"With Metris' AI-powered platform, commercial property owners can easily leverage unused roof space to generate extra revenue and play a crucial part in securing a greener, more prosperous future for the planet," she said.
"We're at the forefront of the decentralized energy revolution, driving the adoption of solar within commercial real estate, and we're excited to be joined by expert investors to supercharge our mission to turn every building into a power plant."
Octopus Ventures' Hope Johnson added that the platform is helping commercial property owners cut carbon, improve their properties' energy efficiency, and accelerate UK efforts to meet the country's net zero goals.
"We are excited to back Metris' vision to finally align incentives and enable every commercial property owner to generate its renewable energy and sell this more sustainable, cheaper energy to tenants," she said.
Fabian Heilemann, founder and CEO of Aenu, said Metris was uniquely positioned to provide end-to-end solar operations for commercial buildings by offering everything from property selection and installation to tenant onboarding, billing, and payments.
"This innovation offers property owners a compelling commercial opportunity whilst also advancing the green energy revolution," he said.