Every innovation starts with an idea – and a team that believes in it. Since our founding, we have been pioneering, overcoming challenges and advancing our technology for sustainable e-Fuels and e-Chemicals. Get to know our most important achievements and milestones.
Milestones
ERA ONE - the pioneer plant is starts production
ERA ONE, Europe's largest Power-to-Liquid plant for the production of e-Fuels and e-Chemicals, starts producing. With the grand opening, INERATEC is taking an important step toward the commercial availability of synthetic fuels.
Funding for the pioneering plant
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Breakthrough Energy Catalyst have provided a €70 million financing package for INERATEC as part of the EU Catalyst partnership. This financing will support the development and operation of the world's largest e-Fuel production plant.
Global Clean Tech 100 List
INERATEC is named one of the Global Clean Tech 100 in January, putting it among the most promising technology companies for a sustainable future. As part of the UpLink Challenge, the World Economic Forum's innovation platform, INERATEC is recognized as a top innovator in the field of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) and will attend the Annual Meeting in Davos.
Series B Financing
The year begins with a Series B financing round: the venture capital financing is led by U.S.-based investor Piva Capital, with additional international participation from HG Ventures, TDK Ventures, Copec WIND Ventures, RockCreek, Emerald and Samsung Ventures, as well as increased support from existing investors, including major corporations such as ENGIE New Ventures, Safran Corporate Ventures and Honda Motors LtD.
First production units delivered to Frankfurt
In October, the first module of the pioneer plant will be delivered to the Frankfurt site and installed.
Ground-breaking ceremony for the pioneer plant
Fueling Future Mobility – April 2023 will see the groundbreaking of the world's first commercial power-to-liquid plant in the Frankfurt Höchst industrial park. At the same time, the manufacturing of the first production modules will begin in Karlsruhe: Zukunftsweisender Spatenstich für Ineratec's E-Fuel Produktionsanlage in Frankfurt - YouTube
Next Economy Award
This year, INERATEC is being recognized for its pioneering work in the field of e-Fuels and e-Chemicals with the Next Economy Award 2022 in the Startup category: INERATEC wins the Next Economy Award 2022 | INERATEC
Series A Financing
In January 2022, INERATEC closed a Series A financing round and welcomed Engie New Ventures, Safran Corporate Ventures and MPC as strategic partners from industry, complementing the existing investor portfolio: INERATEC closes $ 20 M+ Series A financing round to scale up sustainable e-fuel production | INERATEC
A year of growth
Not only are the plants getting bigger, the company is also growing impressively. During the course of the year, INERATEC not only doubles the team, but also the production and office space in Karlsruhe and prepares to manufacture plants on a commercial scale. In addition, INERATEC wins the impact investors Planet A, Extantia and FO Holding as investors from July.
Second pilot plant in Germany
The second industrial pilot plant is being manufactured and delivered to Hamburg. INERATEC will install the second plant in an industrial environment, here for the first time with a focus on the production of sustainable waxes for the chemical industry.
Startup Energy Transition Award
This year, INERATEC's pioneering spirit and the tireless commitment of the team are once again being recognized: with the Startup Energy Transition Award 2020, which highlights the contribution of Power-to-X technology to the energy transition.
First pilot plant in Germany
A special milestone is reached when INERATEC delivers its first industrial-scale plant: the first pilot plant will be installed in Werlte, northern Germany, to produce 350 tons of e-Fuels per year from biogenic CO2 and renewable hydrogen.
The world's first integrated Power-to-X plant
Another technological highlight is the operation of the world's first integrated plant for the production of e-Fuels from CO2 and hydrogen. The special feature of this plant: as part of the Kopernikus project P2X, together with Climeworks and Sunfire, CO2 filtered directly from the ambient air is used for the first time to produce synthetic fuels.
INERATEC subsidiary in Swtzerland
INERATEC founds its first subsidiary in 2019. INERATEC Schweiz AG is headed by co-founder Philipp Engelkamp and Christian Bersier, the delegate of the board of directors.
German Start-Up Award
The biggest highlight this year is being recognized with the German Entrepreneurship Award in the Startup category. This not only honors the achievement of the INERATEC team, but also reflects the hope placed in INERATEC's technology and its e-Fuels.
Seed financing HTGF
In September 2018, INERATEC received seed funding from High-Tech Gründerfonds with the special support of KIT as an additional investor.
Second customer plant: Spain
The second customer plant will be completed in February 2018: the power-to-gas plant will be delivered to Sabadell, Spain. There it will produce synthetic natural gas from sewage sludge and is a further proof of the functionality of INERATEC plants.
INERATEC moves into Karlspark
At the beginning of the following year, it is clear that not only the technology is being scaled up, but that the company is also growing and needs space. In order to accommodate plant production and the steadily growing team, INERATEC moves to its current headquarters in Karlspark (Karlsruhe) in April. There is room to develop and expand production and even to build a test plant.
Technology development
In 2017, the focus is entirely on technology development: the successful demonstration in Finland has impressively presented the potential. In the following year, the INERATEC team will work on optimizing the technology and making it scalable. In particular, the modularity of the plants is the focus here, because larger plants must also fit with the availability of renewable electricity and CO2. At the same time, the urgent challenges of climate change are increasing awareness of what INERATEC can achieve: replacing fossil fuels with synthetic ones.
First customer from Finland
The founding of the company is also directly linked to the first customer order: the first power-to-liquid plant on a demonstration scale has been sold. It isdelivered to Finland in September, where it produces sustainable e-Fuels from solar energy and CO2 for the first time.
Founding
The year INERATEC was founded: In 2016, Dr.-Ing. Paolo Piermartini, Dr.-Ing. Tim Böltken, Philipp Engelkamp and Prof. Dr. Peter Pfeifer founded the spin-off from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). After years of research at KIT and intensive discussions about market potential (at that time still concentrated on microstructure technology), the founding team of KIT graduates and professors decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship.
Together, they pursue a grand goal: to industrialize the technology so that synthetic fuels can replace all fossil crude oil in the long term. They secure the patents for the microstructured reactor design and turn their vision into reality. On May 20, 2016, INERATEC GmbH is founded.
2025
ERA ONE - the pioneer plant is starts production
ERA ONE, Europe's largest Power-to-Liquid plant for the production of e-Fuels and e-Chemicals, starts producing. With the grand opening, INERATEC is taking an important step toward the commercial availability of synthetic fuels.
2025
Funding for the pioneering plant
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Breakthrough Energy Catalyst have provided a €70 million financing package for INERATEC as part of the EU Catalyst partnership. This financing will support the development and operation of the world's largest e-Fuel production plant.
2024
Global Clean Tech 100 List
INERATEC is named one of the Global Clean Tech 100 in January, putting it among the most promising technology companies for a sustainable future. As part of the UpLink Challenge, the World Economic Forum's innovation platform, INERATEC is recognized as a top innovator in the field of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) and will attend the Annual Meeting in Davos.
2024
Series B Financing
The year begins with a Series B financing round: the venture capital financing is led by U.S.-based investor Piva Capital, with additional international participation from HG Ventures, TDK Ventures, Copec WIND Ventures, RockCreek, Emerald and Samsung Ventures, as well as increased support from existing investors, including major corporations such as ENGIE New Ventures, Safran Corporate Ventures and Honda Motors LtD.
2023
First production units delivered to Frankfurt
In October, the first module of the pioneer plant will be delivered to the Frankfurt site and installed.
2023
Ground-breaking ceremony for the pioneer plant
Fueling Future Mobility – April 2023 will see the groundbreaking of the world's first commercial power-to-liquid plant in the Frankfurt Höchst industrial park. At the same time, the manufacturing of the first production modules will begin in Karlsruhe: Zukunftsweisender Spatenstich für Ineratec's E-Fuel Produktionsanlage in Frankfurt - YouTube
2022
Next Economy Award
This year, INERATEC is being recognized for its pioneering work in the field of e-Fuels and e-Chemicals with the Next Economy Award 2022 in the Startup category: INERATEC wins the Next Economy Award 2022 | INERATEC
2022
Series A Financing
In January 2022, INERATEC closed a Series A financing round and welcomed Engie New Ventures, Safran Corporate Ventures and MPC as strategic partners from industry, complementing the existing investor portfolio: INERATEC closes $ 20 M+ Series A financing round to scale up sustainable e-fuel production | INERATEC
2021
A year of growth
Not only are the plants getting bigger, the company is also growing impressively. During the course of the year, INERATEC not only doubles the team, but also the production and office space in Karlsruhe and prepares to manufacture plants on a commercial scale. In addition, INERATEC wins the impact investors Planet A, Extantia and FO Holding as investors from July.
2021
Second pilot plant in Germany
The second industrial pilot plant is being manufactured and delivered to Hamburg. INERATEC will install the second plant in an industrial environment, here for the first time with a focus on the production of sustainable waxes for the chemical industry.
2020
Startup Energy Transition Award
This year, INERATEC's pioneering spirit and the tireless commitment of the team are once again being recognized: with the Startup Energy Transition Award 2020, which highlights the contribution of Power-to-X technology to the energy transition.
2020
First pilot plant in Germany
A special milestone is reached when INERATEC delivers its first industrial-scale plant: the first pilot plant will be installed in Werlte, northern Germany, to produce 350 tons of e-Fuels per year from biogenic CO2 and renewable hydrogen.
2019
The world's first integrated Power-to-X plant
Another technological highlight is the operation of the world's first integrated plant for the production of e-Fuels from CO2 and hydrogen. The special feature of this plant: as part of the Kopernikus project P2X, together with Climeworks and Sunfire, CO2 filtered directly from the ambient air is used for the first time to produce synthetic fuels.
2019
INERATEC subsidiary in Swtzerland
INERATEC founds its first subsidiary in 2019. INERATEC Schweiz AG is headed by co-founder Philipp Engelkamp and Christian Bersier, the delegate of the board of directors.
2018
German Start-Up Award
The biggest highlight this year is being recognized with the German Entrepreneurship Award in the Startup category. This not only honors the achievement of the INERATEC team, but also reflects the hope placed in INERATEC's technology and its e-Fuels.
2018
Seed financing HTGF
In September 2018, INERATEC received seed funding from High-Tech Gründerfonds with the special support of KIT as an additional investor.
2018
Second customer plant: Spain
The second customer plant will be completed in February 2018: the power-to-gas plant will be delivered to Sabadell, Spain. There it will produce synthetic natural gas from sewage sludge and is a further proof of the functionality of INERATEC plants.
2018
INERATEC moves into Karlspark
At the beginning of the following year, it is clear that not only the technology is being scaled up, but that the company is also growing and needs space. In order to accommodate plant production and the steadily growing team, INERATEC moves to its current headquarters in Karlspark (Karlsruhe) in April. There is room to develop and expand production and even to build a test plant.
2017
Technology development
In 2017, the focus is entirely on technology development: the successful demonstration in Finland has impressively presented the potential. In the following year, the INERATEC team will work on optimizing the technology and making it scalable. In particular, the modularity of the plants is the focus here, because larger plants must also fit with the availability of renewable electricity and CO2. At the same time, the urgent challenges of climate change are increasing awareness of what INERATEC can achieve: replacing fossil fuels with synthetic ones.
2016
First customer from Finland
The founding of the company is also directly linked to the first customer order: the first power-to-liquid plant on a demonstration scale has been sold. It isdelivered to Finland in September, where it produces sustainable e-Fuels from solar energy and CO2 for the first time.
2016
Founding
The year INERATEC was founded: In 2016, Dr.-Ing. Paolo Piermartini, Dr.-Ing. Tim Böltken, Philipp Engelkamp and Prof. Dr. Peter Pfeifer founded the spin-off from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). After years of research at KIT and intensive discussions about market potential (at that time still concentrated on microstructure technology), the founding team of KIT graduates and professors decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship.
Together, they pursue a grand goal: to industrialize the technology so that synthetic fuels can replace all fossil crude oil in the long term. They secure the patents for the microstructured reactor design and turn their vision into reality. On May 20, 2016, INERATEC GmbH is founded.