Investment: “Boldr raises $5M”
UK energy management startup Boldr has raised $5 million in a pre-Series A round to scale its platform that connects residential equipment and turns home energy systems into flexible capacity for the power grid. The round was led by Unconventional Ventures.
The raise included participation from Ada Ventures, Tetrad Ventures, Davidovs Venture Collective, Roxbury Asset Management, Inclimo Climate Tech Fund, Prosegur, Techstars, S20 Fund and strategic investors from the North American HVAC industry.
Boldr, founded in the UK, is led by CEO and co-founder Madi Ablyazov. The company is developing an energy management platform that connects equipment inside homes — starting with heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems — to enable devices such as heating and cooling systems, batteries, EV chargers and solar installations to collectively provide flexible capacity by adjusting demand when required by the grid.
Rather than targeting homeowners directly, Boldr works through HVAC contractors that install, maintain and replace equipment, positioning them as the deployment and service network for its technology. Its smart thermostats and connected controls are designed to work across a range of heating and cooling systems, while its software gives contractors visibility into installed equipment to identify issues, manage servicing and maintain customer relationships. The company has secured nationwide distribution partnerships with HVAC brands and supply houses, including Bosch-owned Source 1 and Daikin. The funding follows an oversubscribed $3.2 million seed round raised last year.
The funding will be used to expand Boldr’s technology beyond ductless HVAC controls into residential and light commercial central HVAC systems, accelerate product development, and grow its contractor partnerships and distribution network across North America. Over time the company plans to extend its platform to other residential energy assets, including batteries, EV chargers and solar systems, to enable homes to participate in distributed energy networks and provide flexible capacity to grid operators.
“The next power plant won’t be one building. It will be millions of homes working together. But you don’t get there through a consumer app alone. You get there through the contractors who already install, service and replace the equipment that controls energy inside the home. Our job is to give them the technology to make that future possible,” said Madi Ablyazov, CEO and co-founder of Boldr.
