Based in Munich, 4.screen is a driver interaction platform which was co-founded in 2020 by three ex-BMW digital product specialists. 4.screen allows global and local brands to interact with drivers in real time via their car screens, using ground-breaking in-car technology and unique data signals, only accessible through their platform. By leveraging car sensor data, such as location, engine type, car brand and fueling or charging levels, the platform provides drivers with contextual information about nearby businesses, including parking, restaurants or shops – and provides marketers using its platform with targeting precision unmatched by alternative in-car channels.

4.screen therefore enables businesses to target the most relevant audience at any given moment, driving brand awareness and creating a notable pickup in store visits by tapping into the market of on-the-go consumers. The funding will be used to accelerate 4.screen’s global expansion plans and further advance its platform. The co-leads, S4S Ventures and Continental VC, bring strategic benefits in addition to capital – S4S Ventures brings advertising and marketing expertise, and Continental VC provides expertise in automotive technology. 4.screen has also received backing from two German venture capital firms, Summiteer and BayBG, and from business angels from the automotive industry, including Matthias Müller, former CEO of VW, and Bram Schot, former CEO of Audi.

To date, 4.screen has successfully launched with multiple car makers in Europe, including Audi, Skoda and Mercedes-Benz, and is live with several million users actively using the platform today. It counts over 60 global consumer brands as customers, including Shell and McDonald’s, and is now targeting expansion in the EU and North America through the rest of the year. 4.screen enables OEM touch point and use-case agnostic services that are backward integrated into existing car models (going back to 2018), meaning that the platform can be scaled at zero marginal cost and at the click of a button.

Business-to-driver interaction via the car screen is one of the digital advertising industry’s most significant untapped channels. According to a study by Ptolemus Consulting, the number of connected vehicles has reached 260 million and is expected to rise to 600 million by 2030, at which point the overall market value, estimated by McKinsey, will exceed €300 billion.

Fabian Beste, Co-founder and CEO of 4.screen commented “We are delighted to have closed our Series A funding round and to have secured the trust of strong investors. S4S Ventures brings outstanding business expertise in marketing and advertising, while Continental Corporate Venture Capital adds invaluable global mobility experience and knowledge. We are now well positioned to expand our operations beyond Europe and deliver exceptional experiences to drivers and businesses worldwide. We are grateful for the support of our valued investors and excited for the journey ahead.”

Sanja Partalo, Co-founder and Managing Partner at S4S Ventures commented: “4.screen is opening up one of the digital advertising industry’s most significant untapped channels, with remarkable speed and at scale. Their ability to integrate into the OEM’s core systems and utilize the rich data signals has enabled them to build a truly differentiated offering within the digital advertising industry. Their platform will give rise to a new breed of ad formats and marketing experiences, which 4.screen and their automotive partners are uniquely positioned to provide.”

Sir Martin Sorrell, Founder and Chairman at S4Capital, and Co-Founder and Partner at S4S Ventures commented: “As an entirely new and distinct channel, 4.screen is a rare and exciting opportunity. The automotive industry has always recognised the huge importance of advertising, and Fabian and his team are driving the industry’s advance into digital transformation and the immense value it can unlock for the driver, the automotive company, the advertiser and the digital advertising ecosystem as a whole. We are delighted to be investing ahead of the expansion into North America, which brings the potential to reach many multiples of the users 4.screen already has in Europe.”

Jürgen Bilo, Managing Director of Continental’s Corporate Venture Capital Unit commented: “We are pleased to announce that our Corporate Venture Capital Unit invested into 4.screen, a cutting-edge technology company that is revolutionizing the way we consume and interact with digital content in the car. Their innovative solution combined with an excellent team, make them a standout player in the industry. We are confident that our involvement will not only drive the growth of 4.screen, but also pave the way for a new era of e-commerce in mobility.”

Matthias Müller, investor and former CEO VW commented: “As an investor in 4.screen, I am delighted to have witnessed the company’s exceptional progress and accomplishment in securing its series A funding round. 4.screen’s technology has the potential to transform the in-car experience, creating massive opportunities for car brands to connect drivers with their surroundings. The digitalization of vehicles is set to revolutionize both the automotive industry and the digital advertising industry, and 4.screen is at the forefront of this change.”

Bram Schot, investor, Board Member Shell and Senior Advisor Carlyle Group, former Chairman and CEO Audi AG commented: “Having witnessed the impressive progress of 4.screen, I am excited about the opportunity it presents for car brands and businesses. By enabling real-time interaction with drivers, 4.screen’s technology creates an entirely new marketing channel. I see the potential for companies like Shell to leverage this channel and reach millions of drivers in a personalized way.”

Sources: 4.screen

This southern German equipment supplier, founded in 2006, is one of the leading German companies in the field of the construction and design of assembly systems. For more than four years, h-kon has specialised in areas such as end-of-line test technology for battery modules and lithium-ion battery packs. In line with the continuous improvement in modern battery modules and systems, the related testing technologies and documentation requirements are likewise ever more demanding. 

Wide-ranging expertise and a spirit of innovation 

For Roland Arnold, CEO and joint partner in h-kon, the firm’s cooperation with this US automotive supplier represents much more than just a single order – together, the two companies intend to make an active contribution to sustainable mobility around the globe: “As important system suppliers of concrete, practical solutions, medium-sized companies like us have a key role to play in the mobility transformation. As a driver of innovation, we are making a decisive contribution to the energy transition. That is our mission at h-kon. And it is precisely in that spirit that we will fulfil this new order.” 

This order placed by the US supplier is the second-largest in h-kon’s history. The final test technology is to be delivered to South Carolina in just nine months. “Many of our design engineers have over 15 years of professional experience. This expertise – together with our spirit of innovation – enables us to realise even highly challenging solutions for our customers in a short period of time,” says Roland Arnold. He adds: “We intend to continue to focus on the industries of the future and will concentrate on end-of-line test systems.” 

Since 2020, h-kon has been majority-owned by the Schulz Group, a corporate group active in the technology sector, providing h-kon with access to its wide-ranging expertise in the fields of robotics and digital factory planning. In 2022, h-kon already won a record order with a volume of EUR 7.5 million. h-kon’s success story is now set to continue in 2023.  

Zeppelin University's Investor Summit will bring together up to five selected startups with investors from the Lake Constance region on April 17, 2023. The event will focus on the pitches of the selected startups seeking capital and raising investments by innovative founding teams. Scalable and innovative startups can apply to pitch until March 15, 2023. 

Sven Schulz is one of the key players who make the Investor Summit Bodensee possible for us. Sven Schulz answers the exciting question of "why" as follows:

"With our venture capital company Summiteer GmbH, we have made it our goal to invest in young ambitious companies with a sustainable business model as well as strong growth prospects with outstanding visions.
We would like to pass on my entrepreneurial experience in building up our group of companies as well as AKASOL AG from the foundation to the IPO to the takeover by a globally leading automotive supplier as well as the comprehensive expertise of our second managing director Dominik Bär in all financial, M&A and capital market relevant topics to ambitious entrepreneurs in order to support them not only with capital but also with know-how, as well as the access to our extensive network in a sustainable scaling up to a possible exit."

Our special interest is of course also the answer to the question "What do you expect from the Investor Summit Bodensee?".

Sven Schulz: "The Investor Summit is intended to provide a format and matchmaking platform that encourages regional founders and entrepreneurs to become actively involved. This represents a first and important step towards establishing our Lake Constance region as a start-up center, on the one hand to be able to exploit the existing potential of young founders and business ideas, and on the other hand to invest the entrepreneurial know-how and capital of investors from the region in the further development of start-ups from the region."

neoom’s capital base will be also strengthened by:

• Juergen Hoeller, co-founder and inventor of spring.io, the leading Java frameworks sold by VMware;
• Alexander Kirchgasser, co-founder and Ex-COO of has.to.be, European´s leading charge point operating software platform which was acquired by Chargepoint in 2021; Founder of neoom Walter Kreisel himself and the neoom Management as well other existing investors
• and a credit line from neoom’s principal bank Sparkasse

Both Summiteer and ING bring considerable value-add to neoom through their in-depth industry and financing expertise. Sven Schulz, founder of Summiteer commented: “A substantial growth acceleration in solar power capacity over the next decades is an essential pillar towards a pathway to net zero by mid-century. With our investment in neoom, we partner up with a team of leading climate and deep tech experts, a truly software centric organisation and a company with the potential to become a leader in democratizing the energy market. neoom’s AI based and hardware independent IoE – Internet of Energy management platform, with an API and mobile first approach, offers digital services and many valuable features for customers. Among others the ability for solar plant owners to trade renewable energy directly within local energy communities inside their APP, a neoom own developed skill called „KLUUB“, which is already up and running in Austria.

The diverse background of investors with the bundled expertise around energy, batteries, software, AI and the design of the electricity market demonstrates the potential of the company and shows the readiness of the neoom team to disrupt the energy market.

Since its foundation in 2018 and the first product sale in March 2019, the company provides holistic decentralized energy solutions comprising solar with battery storage, EV charging systems, combined with a proprietary, self-developed and open IoE – Internet of Energy management platform for both residential customers and SMEs across the DACH region. Since its inception, neoom has successfully developed a hardware framework, alongside a full suite of digital services that has driven material growth in the business from c. EUR 15m of revenues in 2021 to > EUR 50m in 2022. neoom’s reputable Enterprise clients include IKEA, Post AG, Zinkpower and ASFINAG. Today neoom is proud of a talented, trained and specialized network of 300+ installation partners in the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and manages 25,000+ IoE connected devices on their software platform with over 200 employees.

neoom has been advised by PJT Partners as its financial adviser as well as Freshfields and Waitz as legal adviser on this transaction.

About Summiteer

Summiteer is an investment company founded by serial entrepreneur and former Akasol CEO Sven Schulz, which invests in start-ups and growth companies with scalable, sustainable and innovative business models. Summiteer sets its sights on creating sustainable value with the companies in their portfolio, thereby supporting the prosperity of our company while also playing an active role in creating an environmentally friendly future.

About ING Sustainable Investments

ING Sustainable Investments, part of ING Wholesale Banking, offers a wide range of tailor-made financial solutions, including equity investments and subordinated debt instruments, to support companies in achieving their sustainable ambitions.

Source: neoom

The seed round is lead by Summiteer. The investment company was founded by serial entrepreneur and former AKASOL CEO, Sven Schulz, and has already invested in numerous companies with sustainable and innovative business models. These include the organic food company followfood, the greentech unicorn Enpal and the market leader for reusable alternatives in Germany, reCup.

Well-known names such as Paul Schwarzenholz (Zenloop), Tobias Mehrer (Ranger), Georg Bader (Vitafy), Benedikt Klarmann (Junglück) as well as existing investors Anne and Stefan Lemcke (Ankerkraut) and Christoph Behn (Kartenmacherei) have invested through the Angel Club better ventures.

World’s first energy-saving alternative to conventional kettles

The kettle is considered a household staple in most kitchens throughout Europe. However, these appliances are amongst the biggest energy wasters within households. Studies by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy in Great Britain have established what most of us knew from personal experience: On average, tea drinkers use kettles to heat more than twice as much water, than is actually needed. As a result, in England alone, more than 70 million litres of water are boiled unnecessarily – every day. This corresponds to an energy waste of over 3.2 TWh per year or the annual energy consumption of 1.2 million households – and that’s just from the use of kettles in one country.

This issue drove the ambitious team of developers at Heatle. After years of research, the two founders Wachtang Budagaschwili and David Riding succeeded in developing the world’s first energy-saving induction immersion heater – a monumental task that many other companies, including global corporations, have failed at. The immersion heater, with its design and technology, is now market ready and CE certified. Commercial success was quick to follow: in the first weekend of pre-sales in 2021 alone, over 5,500 units were sold across Europe, including Iceland, Gibraltar and the Canary Islands.

Wachtang Budagaschwili is pleased to announce that, with the help of the financing round, the company will now be able to set up and expand series production of the immersion boiling device; „It took a lot of time and effort to get our innovative technology ready for the market. We are more devoted than ever to being able to scale up production and bringing enjoyment to consumers across Europe,“ says the 37-year-old. „We are exceedingly happy and grateful for the patience and loyalty of our clientele, accompanying us on our important and exciting mission. We have a tremendously engaged and passionate audience – lots of new ideas. Insightful feedback reaches us every day, which constantly improves the product and the ecosystem around it,“ adds David Riding.

Summiteer CEO Dominik Bär is confident in the potential of the Berlin-based start-up: „We are looking forward to supporting this determined team on their mission in the long term and helping to further scale the business model- with the help of our entrepreneurial expertise in the industrial, technological and financial environment.“

Scaling, internationalization and B2B expansion

Through this capital, Heatle plans to further develop its state-of-the-art production site in Berlin. For context: the first immersion heaters have been in use by end customers since the end of last year. As of 2022, Heatle has been delivering throughout Germany as well as other regions of Europe. In the fall of this year, production has now been accelerated at a new, modern location in Berlin. In addition, the start-up plans to scale manufacturing and further drive internationalization. Furthermore, the greentech start-up would like to establish itself as a brand in the B2B sector, in order to facilitate the innovative Heatle technology being integrated into countertops and third-party appliances.

In the long term, Heatle aims to become the new standard in homes, offices, vacation homes and camping. Laterally Heatle also aims to work with renowned kitchen retailers and manufacturers, to establish its sustainable technology in the B2B segment. „Fundamentally, when customers want to buy a smart kitchen appliance, whether for tea or baby food, they will think of Heatle. We are developing Heatle as a sustainable companion for home, work, and on the go,“ says Wachtang Budagashvili.

Note: Interested customers have the opportunity to secure their Heatle in a limited pre-sale during Black Weekend, November 25-28, 2022: Heatle Shop

www.heatle.de

About Heatle: After years of research and development, Heatle was founded in 2020. Based in Berlin, the startup currently employs ten team members plus a dozen freelancers. Heatle won all three main prizes at the prestigious Berlin-Brandenburg 2020 Business Plan Competition, including the special prize for sustainability and the EMC Award from Siemens and InnoEnergy. Heatle was also a finalist for the Berlin-Brandenburg 2020 Innovation Award.