Enerdrape: The Venture Leader Cleantech accelerating the energy transition in buildings

27.09.2022 09:00, Tracy Woodley

The Swiss National Startup Team welcomes new members: A jury selected 10 startups for the Venture Leaders program dedicated to the cleantech sector. During their roadshow, the Venture Leaders Cleantech will meet international investors and industry leaders and access industry-specific expertise and networks to grow their companies. Allow us to introduce you to each of the Venture Leaders Cleantech 2022 ahead of the October 2022 roadshow in Munich: Meet Margaux Peltier, the CEO of Enerdrape.

Name: Margaux Peltier
Location: Lausanne 
Nationality: French 
Graduated from: EPFL, MSc Civil Engineering in 2018
Job title: CEO 
Number of employees: 4
Money raised: CHF 1 million
First touchpoint with Venturelab: Venture Kick in 2020 

Explain what your startup does and why: Enerdrape optimizes the built environment to accelerate the energy transition of buildings. Enerdrape develops the world-first thermal panel for underground settings, able to turn any kind of underground infrastructures, from garages to tunnels into renewable energy suppliers for the heating and cooling needs of buildings.

How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup?
Enerdrape technology is a tech transfer from the Laboratory of Soil Mechanics from EPFL, after joint research with my two co-founders, Prof. Lyesse Laloui and Ph.D. Alessandro Rotta Loria, we realized an adaptation of the technology we were working on could answer several barriers to the adoption of conventional geothermal and heat pump technologies.

What do you expect from the Venture Leaders roadshow, and how will it help you achieve your vision?
Currently raising funds and preparing our market entry, the Venture Leaders roadshow is a timely opportunity for us to connect with key industry leaders, and customers and develop our partner network. We are also expecting to convert existing leads and benefit from the roadshow traction to present our concept to the European market. 

Who does your product or solution help, and how?
Thanks to our panels, we support building owners and energy contractors with the energy transition of their assets. Our solution supplies renewable heating and cooling to buildings, cutting down reliance on fossil fuels, reducing CO2 emissions, and helping them achieve their ESG goals while saving energy and related costs. 
 
What are you most excited about at work right now?
We are currently in a very exciting phase: logging the first clients, finalizing the industrialization of the product, and hiring new talents to support the growing developments. I am very excited about the following installations and collaborations we just signed and are to be delivered. 

How did you build your team?
Little by little. At first, we had a strong technical core with the three co-founders which helped us to continue the R&D part and product development. We onboarded interns, designers, and engineers to help us on specific missions and product development parts thanks to Accelerators and grants. In parallel, I was developing the business strategy with the help of several programs such as Venture kick. Once the technology was prototyped, validated, and close to industrialization, we started to diversify the team skill sets, especially in marketing and sales. 
 
Which market are you addressing and what is the potential of your startup?
Our startup is providing a new source of renewable energy for heat pump systems, we are active in the real estate and energy sector. By using untapped underground surfaces, from garages to urban tunnels, we are tackling a 100 BCHF potential market. 
As an entry market, we are currently focusing on underground car park application and real estate, which represents a 10 Bn CHF opportunity in Europe based on existing underground parking surfaces available as of today. 

What are your key achievements to date?
This year we have reached CHF 1 million in fundraising from non-dilutive funds for the project. The startup won more than 10 prestigious awards, national and international wise. Successfully operated our first pilot installation thanks to our MVP, achieving TRL-6. First paying customers were logged and the first full-scale installation will soon be delivered.

What is one thing not many people know about you?
I almost didn’t do engineering. I wanted to be an architect, but as I liked sciences and mathematics I was suggested to do engineering... That is why I chose civil engineering at first and finally specialized in building energetics.

What is your favorite podcast and why?
I don't have a particular favorite podcast. I like to listen to series. Recently, I listened to a series from RTS: La chasse aux sorcières. 

What is your favorite book and why?
No favorite book, but I would say Mary Higgins Clark is one of my favorite authors. I like how you enter into action and the story after only a few pages. Once I begin it’s hard to stop me! 

How did you come up with the name of your startup?
Enerdrape is the contraction of "energy drapes," the first name we used to describe the concept of coating or draping surfaces with energy panels. 

What is the most challenging aspect of being a founder?
For me, it's the delegation of tasks. But it’s essential, both personally (because at some point you just can’t do everything) and professionally (because that’s how you build a strong and trustworthy team). But it’s a learning process. 

What is the best advice you have ever received and from whom?
Say no! I am still learning on this one. One of my coaches told me once: "Focus and learn to say no." Indeed, especially at the beginning, many people have another application, market, or use in mind for your product. Of course, you should listen to the market but should also trust yourself and your product and sometimes say no. With limited resources, we can’t do everything, we have to focus.

Venture Leaders Cleantech is organized by Venturelab and supported by Alpian, AMAG, EPF Lausanne, ETH Zurich, EY, Helbling Technik, Romande Energie, Canton Vaud, and VISCHER and Venture Leaders alum Patrick Maillard.