Cork-based Renewablebot targets Europe with smart energy tech

Extracted directly from Business Post's Making It Work series. 

RenewableBOT, a Cork-based renewable technology business and MIIN Directory Member, aims to expand into the UK and continental Europe over the next year.

Based in Cork city, the firm was founded by Prasad Gade in 2022. It has nine staff and has raised €800,000 in funding.

"We monitor renewable energy sites, such as solar, wind or hydro, precisely to see what energy is being generated and what is being used properly. We can identify the potential for energy being wasted. A day ahead of time, we can plan for what the site can do," Gade told the Business Post.

"It looks at the site every second and makes sure the site is performing well while the energy is used properly. We also make sure the site is healthy so that if anything goes wrong, people are alerted."

Gade's background is in artificial intelligence (AI), and his research in this field led him to create Renewablebot.

"I worked with UCC on a lot of projects on renewable energy. Mixing that with my knowledge of AI, I saw there was a need for optimisation in the industry. I found the gaps that AI could fill. With my market analysis and research, I found there was a need for AI to help companies and countries reach net-zero goals," he said.

"Self-sufficiency has become urgent for every country. With geopolitical instability, rising energy costs and net-zero targets, the need for smarter, more independent energy systems has never been clearer."

Gade's idea targeted a clear need, but given that it was an AI business, he knew there'd be competition. Fortunately, Renewablebot secured the financial support it needed to focus on developing a competitive offering.

"When I started, it was rough as I was trying to enter a market with a lot of big players. That wasn't easy, but I managed to secure pilots and got support from Enterprise Ireland with the pre-seed startup fund. That kept my focus on making the pilots successful," he said.

"Once they proved successful, I started selling to Enterprise Ireland, which provided support again through the High Potential Startup Unit. That mix of hard work and finding the right support has put us in a position to serve a good number of customers."

Gade said the support from Enterprise Ireland extended far beyond financial help, crediting the agency for the breadth of its assistance.

"They are always there. They have market advisers and a pool of connections and knowledge. Without me having to ask them, they'll go ahead and tell me about people who might need my solutions. They built up my network better than I could on my own," he said.

The goal for Renewablebot is expansion, with the UK and continental Europe the big target markets.

"Those are the main targets. For us, there are no boundaries. We can sell our product anywhere. We are already ISO-certified for our software; the EU and the UK are our main targets. While we do this, we plan to get international standards for our hardware in the next 16 to 18 months."