Setting a new standard in renewable energy for buildings
Since its creation in 2018, WIND my ROOF has embodied renewal in the building sector, promoting a transition to clean, local energy. Thanks to WindBox - a patented combination of rooftop wind turbines and solar panels - the company aims to transform buildings into real players in their energy transition.
On a European scale, buildings account for 40% of total final energy consumption and 25% of CO2 emissions. By targeting this area, WIND my ROOF is tackling two crucial challenges in the sector's transition: increasing buildings' energy autonomy and reducing their carbon footprint.
A new chapter of innovation and European expansion for WIND my ROOF
WIND my ROOF has reached a significant milestone in its development, with a €2 million round of financing from GROUPE IDEC INVEST INNOVATION and business angel Antoine FUENTES, who join the EIT InnoEnergy gas pedal and VINCI Energies in the startup's capital.
The funds will be used to propel the company into a growth phase. The company plans to diversify the applications of its solutions, minimize the environmental impact of the electricity produced, and encourage the harmonious architectural integration of new projects. This financial injection will also act as a catalyst for WIND my ROOF's industrial and commercial expansion, facilitating the recruitment of a 10-strong operational team, ready to turn projects into reality and expand the company's activities across Europe.
At the dawn of a significant development phase, WIND my ROOF plans to complete four further projects by the end of the year. In France, collaborations are underway with a consortium of five logisticians and the municipality of Colombes, testifying to the the versatility and applicability of the WindBox solution.. Beyond France's borders, WIND my ROOF is gaining ground with installations planned in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. In these regions, where the electricity mix is more carbon-intensive and electricity more expensive, WIND my ROOF's rooftop wind turbines offer a viable, environmentally-friendly alternative.
This geographic expansion and sector diversification illustrate WIND my ROOF's determination to establish itself as a key player in the energy transformation of buildings, offering solutions that combine financial savings with environmental responsibility.
Pioneering inauguration in Hauts-de-France: the first step towards a renewable energy future
This fund-raising comes at a strategic time, as WIND my ROOF inaugurates 10 new WindBoxes on the SICAE de la Somme et du Cambraisis building in Hangest-en-Santerre, near Amiens.
Supported by the ERDF and the Hauts-de-France region, this ambitious project aspires to create a building-scale energy microgrid, demonstrating the potential of WindBox technology in promoting local, sustainable renewable energy. The 10 WindBoxes installed on September 25, 2023 are a building block in the overall project, and will power an intelligent storage system, ensuring stable injection, thanks in particular to a seasonal balance between wind and solar energy.
With their sober design and French French production in the Saint-Nazaire basin at SIMRA (SEGULA Technologies), the WindBoxes have a carbon footprint half that of the national mix on average, and will save more than 500 kg eq-CO2 each year at the SICAE site.
This project, which began several years ago, is the first for WIND my ROOF in the Hauts-de-France region. The company intends to use it as a demonstrator of the suitability of its solution for windy regions.
About GROUPE IDEC INVEST INNOVATION
GROUPE IDEC INVEST Innovation is positioned as a gas pedal of innovative solutions for green energy, decarbonization and innovative technologies. With this fund, GROUPE IDEC supports startups in their development through equity investments and technical, commercial and financial support. GROUPE IDEC's synergy enables it to provide real estate expertise to build the startups' future industrial tools.
- 15 equity investments in 15 months
- 45 million euros of investment
For more than two years now, we have been investing to support and develop innovative solutions with our GROUPE IDEC INVEST Innovation fund. With WIND MY ROOF, we see incredible potential for equipping the nearly 700,000 m² built by GROUPE IDEC and its subsidiaries every year in France and abroad with this horizontal wind turbine solution capable of generating green, decarbonized energy that is either consumed by the company itself or fed back into the grid. Joining the pool of more than 25 startups we already support, WIND MY ROOF is part of a dynamic ecosystem dedicated to the energy transition and the decarbonization of our business and that of our customers.
Press contact:
Isabelle Bigot for GROUPE IDEC
Agence Calliopé
Tel. +33(0)6 16 06 91 23
[email protected]
About Antoine Fuentes
Trained as an engineer and organic citrus grower, Antoine Fuentes co-founded one of Europe's leading organic citrus distributors, of which he is now Director for France and Belgium. After more than thirty years' experience in production and mass distribution, Antoine Fuentes turned to the world of startups in 2023, through a business angel activity. With initial investments in the fields of energy, water and organic farming, Antoine Fuentes is committed to the environmental transition, offering strategic and operational support to the startups he accompanies.
About EIT InnoEnergy
EIT InnoEnergy operates at the heart of the energy transition and is the main driver of innovation in sustainable energy, providing the technology and skills needed to accelerate the "green deal" and make progress towards global decarbonization targets and improved energy security and supply.
Ranked Europe's leading impact investor in cleantech in 2022, named one of the top ten active deeptech investors by Sifted in 2023, and recognized worldwide as the most active investor in cleantech, EIT InnoEnergy supports innovations in a wide range of fields. These include energy storage, transport and mobility, renewable energies and sustainable buildings and cities.
EIT InnoEnergy spearheads three strategic European initiatives: the European Battery Alliance (EBA250), the European Green Hydrogen Acceleration Centre (EGHAC) and the European Solar Photovoltaic Alliance (ESIA).
EIT InnoEnergy was created in 2010 and is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology(EIT), an independent European body set up in 2008 to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe. Since its inception, EIT InnoEnergy has reviewed over 7,000 startups, brought over 300 products to market, and overseen the filing of over 370 patents. Today, the EIT InnoEnergy team numbers over 200, with offices in Europe and Boston, USA. www. innoenergy.com
WIND my ROOF is a very promising startup with a role to play in accelerating the energy transition. We're delighted to be supporting them since 2020, and to renew our confidence in this talented team. Having already achieved excellent results, InnoEnergy is here to support them in their international growth. InnoEnergy's tailor-made support will help WIND my ROOF, among other things, to accelerate towards commercial maturity.
Press contact:
Nathalie Riera
[email protected]
About WIND my ROOF
WIND my ROOF brings local, clean energy into buildings, thanks to WindBox rooftop wind turbines coupled with solar panels. Powerful and modular, they increase the energy autonomy of buildings and contribute to the sector's energy transition.
For more information: Press kit
WIND my ROOF has been on the launch pad for 1 year, and projects are beginning to spring up all over France and in neighbouring countries. With the entrepreneurial experience of Antoine Fuentes and the IDEC Group's 360° vision of energy issues in real estate, we will benefit from exceptional strategic support to sustain the growth of our business. This new investment alongside VINCI Energies and EIT InnoEnergy reinforces the objective that has been clear since the company was founded: to offer simple, effective solutions to meet the challenges of energy transition in buildings, with minimal impact.
Press contact:
Juliette Fournand
[email protected]
