Decade Energy secures €22M to develop zero-capex energy infrastructure.

      The funding round consists of €16 million from Eiffel Investment Group aimed at project deployment and €6 million led by SET Ventures focused on product development and market expansion, with participation from existing investors Ananda Impact Ventures and Contrarian Ventures. The company aims to implement over 100MW of battery energy storage system (BESS) projects throughout France, with plans to expand into Germany, the Nordics, and Poland.

      Decade Energy, based in Paris and focused on developing power infrastructure for electric truck fleets at logistics depots, has secured €22 million in funding, led by Eiffel Investment Group and SET Ventures, along with ongoing support from Ananda Impact Ventures and Contrarian Ventures.

      The funding is divided into two parts, with €16 million from Eiffel's managed fund, Eiffel Transition Infrastructure, earmarked for project deployment, particularly for establishing a portfolio of at least 100MW of BESS across France, representing total project CapEx financing of about €50 million.

      The additional €6 million led by SET Ventures is intended to enhance Decade Energy’s energy optimization software, develop new truck charging and solar products, and facilitate entry into new markets.

      Founded in Paris in 2024 by Casper Norden (CEO), Alexandre Cleret (COO), Alejandro Ortega Peniche, and former team members of Volta Trucks and its Truck-as-a-Service division, Decade Energy aims to address infrastructure needs for electric truck fleets.

      Casper Norden previously directed the Truck-as-a-Service operation at Volta Trucks, which aided significant European logistics firms in planning and implementing fleet electrification. When Volta Trucks entered administration in late 2023, the Truck-as-a-Service team transitioned the infrastructure and energy management segment into Decade Energy, raising €3.6 million in seed capital from Ananda Impact Ventures and Contrarian Ventures in June 2024.

      Decade Energy’s innovative business model avoids upfront charges. Under its zero-CapEx strategy, logistics property owners and depot operators are provided with essential grid connections, BESS installations, EV charging infrastructure, solar panels, and energy management software without any capital expenditure.

      Decade Energy handles the development, financing, and operation of the infrastructure, earning returns through a rental income model for property owners and by enabling BESS participation in energy markets, where battery storage systems can modulate electricity flow to stabilize the grid, receiving compensation from grid operators.

      This approach transforms a capital-intensive infrastructure issue into a predictable operating cost and empowers depots to actively engage in electricity markets rather than merely consuming power.

      Decade Energy is tackling a fundamental issue: as electric trucks transition from being a novelty to mainstream, the challenge has shifted from vehicle availability to grid access.

      According to the company's analysis, an average European logistics depot will require ten to twenty times its existing power capacity to operate a fully electrified fleet. Grid connection lead times in Europe often extend for years, rather than months, and the intricate on-site integration of BESS, solar, charging infrastructure, and grid connections is typically outside the expertise of most logistics operators.

      Decade Energy offers to manage this complexity on behalf of its clients.

      Early indicators of the company's success, as shared in the announcement, are impressive: over 1,500 depot electrification feasibility studies conducted across Europe; more than 100 projects in development, totaling over 500MW of capacity; and a pipeline of 50 projects expected to commence construction in 2026.

      A live collaboration with Renault Trucks at its Grand Paris facility in Gennevilliers features a system that combines a new 250 kW grid connection with a 110 kW/220 kWh BESS and up to 360 kW of charging capacity, with AXPO serving as the energy aggregator, showcasing the model at a commercial scale.

      The international expansion financed by this funding round will focus on Germany, the Nordics, Poland, and other European markets. France serves as Decade Energy’s initial testing ground, with the company arguing that the structural problems it addresses—grid constraints, connection delays, and on-site complexity—are not unique to France but represent a broader European issue arising from the rapid adoption of electric trucks without corresponding infrastructure adjustments.