Press Release 21-11-2024

Delft, Netherlands – GEHECO is pleased to announce the successful closure of its first funding round, marking a significant milestone for the innovative startup. Over the past several months, GEHECO has secured agreements with several prominent investors, strengthening its position in the clean energy sector. The company rounds out the funding with new contributions from Graduate Entrepreneur, Rockstart, and Rabobank, via the Rabobank Innovatie Lening (RIL). GEHECO recently already announced investments from the Shell Impact Fund and Innovation Quarter’s UNIIQ Fund.

GEHECO, a Yes!Delft startup and recognized as Deep Tech Pioneer by Hello Tomorrow, has developed a groundbreaking, patent-pending method for installing wells for water-water heat pumps, (aka ground-source heat pumps). This innovative approach offers a more compact, cost-effective, and versatile solution compared to traditional drilling methods. It is approximately three times more affordable, can be deployed in narrow urban areas, and is especially well-suited for retrofitting existing houses.

Arjen van der Horst, GEHECO’s Founder and Technical Lead, explains, “The funding from this round will enable us to further develop our prototype, conduct initial technical demonstrations at The Green Village in Delft, and, in the near future, carry out client demos in partnership with Itho Daalderop.” Onno Bierhoff, Founder and Business Lead, adds, “We are thrilled to have such a strong group of investors on board. Their trust in GEHECO goes beyond financial backing—they bring invaluable expertise and a vast network that will support our growth.”

The investment will help GEHECO advance its mission to decarbonize residential heating by making the technical superior water-water heat pump accessible to as many homeowners as possible. “We tell a positive story, as we strongly believe that great technical ideas can help our planet become more sustainable, while at the same time the comfortlevel of the end-users increases.” says Onno.

With this funding, GEHECO is well-positioned to further develop its goal of creating a more sustainable future by revolutionizing the way we heat our homes.

Rockstart

An early stage investor that empowers purpose-driven founders across three domains: Energy, AgriFood and Emerging Technologies. Rockstart invests in early-stage startups and provides access to capital, market, and expertise by connecting founders with co-investors, mentors, partners, corporates and the wider Rockstart network. Rockstart has invested in more than 350 startups and its alumni value to date is more than $1.7bn. See www.rockstart.com

Graduate Entrepreneur Fund

A €58 million early-stage fund, financed by experienced entrepreneurs from the Delft/Rotterdam ecosystem. It provides early-stage startups with capital and support through an extensive network of over 175 successful entrepreneurs. The team of experienced investment professionals adopts a tech-agnostic focus and helps startups scale effectively. Recently, Graduate achieved its 50th investment in just 3 years. For more information, visit www.graduate.nl.