Piclo
Piclo operates an independent cloud-based marketplace platform enabling electricity grid operators (DSOs and TSOs) to procure flexibility services from distributed energy resource owners across six markets (UK, US, Australia, Italy, Portugal, Belgium), managing 22+ GW of flexible capacity through recurring platform contracts and transaction fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Piclo does
Piclo (legally Open Utility Ltd) is a London-headquartered cleantech company that operates an independent marketplace platform enabling the trading of electricity flexibility between grid operators and distributed energy resource owners. The company serves two primary customer segments: grid operators (DSOs and TSOs) who use the platform to procure flexibility services as an alternative to costly network reinforcements, and flexibility service providers (including battery storage operators, EV charging networks, and demand-response aggregators) who monetize flexible capacity. Piclo's core technology is a cloud-based marketplace featuring automated asset validation, API-based integration, smart meter data ingestion, and portfolio bidding functionality that allows smaller asset holders to aggregate and compete for grid contracts.
The product suite comprises Piclo Flex (the primary marketplace platform deployed across six regional markets), Piclo Max (a seller-facing global platform launched in 2025), Piclo Exchange (capacity trading venue), and a public Data Hub providing transparency into competition boundaries and bid data. Piclo monetizes through platform licensing and subscription contracts with grid operators, supplemented by transaction-based fees on flexibility trades executed through the marketplace. The platform manages over 22 GW of flexible capacity and has facilitated approximately £57 million in energy capacity transfers.
Piclo has secured contracts with virtually every major UK distribution network operator, major utilities in Italy (E-Distribuzione), Portugal (E-Redes), Australia (CitiPower/Powercor), Belgium (ORES), and is expanding into the US through partnerships with National Grid (New York and Massachusetts) and California Community Choice Aggregators. The company has raised funding from Clean Growth Fund, EDP Ventures, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions, Future Energy Ventures, and Mott MacDonald Ventures, with the 2024 EDP Ventures round specifically earmarked for US and Australia expansion. The company has earned third-party recognition including the 2024 Global Cleantech 100 and 2025 Norrsken Impact/100, and holds ISO 27001 certification.
Piclo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Piclo
- Legal name
- Open Utility Ltd
- Website
- https://piclo.energy
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Piclo operates an independent cloud-based marketplace platform enabling electricity grid operators (DSOs and TSOs) to procure flexibility services from distributed energy resource owners across six markets (UK, US, Australia, Italy, Portugal, Belgium), managing 22+ GW of flexible capacity through recurring platform contracts and transaction fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Piclo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Energy Flexibility Marketplace Software
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ancillary Services Aggregation & Bidding Optimization (DER/VPP participation) (EUAFALAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- V2G Aggregators & Flexibility Service Providers (Market Participation) (EUAFAMAG), Customer Grid-Edge Enablement Services (HEMS/DR Device Integration, VPP Enablement) (EUAEANAL), Demand Response, Load Flexibility & Smart Thermostat Aggregation (EUADAPAM)
Keywords
Where Piclo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Piclo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Platform Licensing/Subscription: Piclo charges grid operators (DSOs/TSOs) for access to its flexibility marketplace platform. Utilities pay for the right to procure flexibility services through the platform, typically through multi-year contracts. The platform enables energy market decarbonization by connecting flexibility buyers with distributed energy resource providers.
- Transaction/Marketplace Fees: Facilitates trading of energy capacity on its marketplace platform. The company earns revenue from the volume of flexibility trades executed through its platform, serving both buyers (grid operators) and sellers (flexibility service providers).
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Piclo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Piclo operates an independent marketplace platform for electricity flexibility that connects grid operators (DSOs and TSOs) with flexibility service providers owning distributed energy resources such as batteries, EV chargers, solar-plus-storage systems, and demand-response assets. The platform enables grid operators to procure flexibility services through competitive tenders as an alternative to costly network infrastructure upgrades, while allowing flexibility providers to access multiple buyer markets through a single interface. The platform manages over 22 GW of flexible capacity across six markets (UK, US, Australia, Italy, Portugal, Belgium) and has facilitated transfers of 1.1 GW of energy capacity.
Product overview
Piclo operates as a multi-product energy flexibility marketplace platform. The core offering is Piclo Flex, a marketplace that enables trading of electricity capacity between flexibility buyers (Distribution System Operators, grid operators, and utilities) and sellers (owners of distributed energy resources such as solar, battery storage, EV chargers, and smart meters). Piclo Max serves as the seller-facing platform providing advanced market access. The ecosystem also includes Piclo Exchange for electricity capacity trading and a Data Hub providing publicly available market datasets. The platform manages over 22 GW of flexible capacity across six markets (UK, US, Australia, Italy, Portugal, Belgium) and has facilitated energy capacity transfers worth approximately £57-70 million. Regional variants of Piclo Flex serve different geographic markets through localized URLs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Piclo Flex: Flexibility marketplace platform for energy trading
- Piclo Max
- Piclo Exchange
Products and services
- Piclo Flex The primary marketplace platform for energy flexibility services, enabling trading of electricity capacity between flexibility buyers (DSOs, TSOs, utilities) and sellers (distributed energy resource owners). The platform operates across six markets (UK, US, Australia, Italy, Portugal, Belgium), facilitating competitive tendering and auction-based procurement of flexibility services and managing over 22 GW of flexible capacity.
- Piclo Max Seller-facing flexibility platform that provides advanced access to global electricity markets. Serves as the dedicated seller interface within the Piclo ecosystem, enabling flexibility service providers to register assets, manage bids, and participate in flexibility opportunities.
- Piclo Data Hub Publicly available data platform providing flexibility energy markets datasets including confirmed bids, competition boundaries, exchange listings, and competition reports. The Data Hub offers downloadable datasets in XLSX, CSV, and GeoJSON formats for market transparency and analysis.
- Piclo Exchange The exchange platform for trading electricity capacity, facilitating the transfer of energy capacity between market participants. Piclo Exchange has facilitated transfers of 1.1 gigawatts of energy capacity worth approximately £57 million in the UK and Europe.
Quantifiable outcome
- 22+ GW of flexible capacity managed on the platform
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Piclo
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Piclo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Piclo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, minor and major.
- NIE NetworkscoreNIE Networks selected Piclo's flexibility marketplace platform to manage and deliver flexibility procurement and operations across Northern Ireland. Supports NIE's transition to Distribution System Operator model.
- National GridflagshipPiclo partnered with National Grid to launch an independent marketplace for distributed energy resources in New York State. The partnership leverages Piclo's European market experience combined with National Grid's US utility expertise. Piclo deepened this relationship in 2025 to manage Dynamic Load Management Programmes.
- NESO (National Energy System Operator)corePiclo and NESO extended the Local Constraint Market to January 2027, managing grid constraints through Piclo's platform. NESO is the GB system operator responsible for balancing the electricity grid.
- National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED)flagshipStrategic partnership to enhance local flexibility markets using Piclo's marketplace platform. NGED operates electricity distribution networks across the UK. The partnership enables flexibility procurement across NGED's network areas.
- SP Energy NetworkscoreSP Energy Networks works with Piclo to improve end-to-end flexibility services and unlock decarbonization across their network. SPEN operates electricity distribution networks in Scotland, England, and Wales.
- CitiPower and PowercorcorePartnership to launch grid flexibility solution in Australia. CitiPower and Powercor are major Australian electricity distribution businesses serving Victoria and regional areas.
- E-DistribuzionecorePiclo partnered with E-Distribuzione to deliver Italy's first local flexibility market. E-Distribuzione is the largest electricity distribution operator in Italy, owned by Enel Group.
- E-RedescoreExpanded partnership with E-Redes to boost Portugal's green energy transition. E-Redes is the distribution system operator for the Portuguese electricity network.
- EdominorEdo collaborated with Piclo to bring commercial buildings into Connecticut's flexibility marketplace, enabling building energy management systems to participate in grid flexibility.
- SunrunmajorSunrun became the first partner on Piclo's California marketplace, listing over 30 MW of flexible energy storage capacity. Sunrun is the largest US residential solar and battery company.
- SSEN DistributioncoreSSEN Distribution's open-source data enables Piclo to improve visibility of UK flexibility markets. SSEN operates electricity networks in Scotland and southern England.
- Northern PowergridcoreGrid operator partner on Piclo's UK flexibility marketplace. Northern Powergrid operates electricity distribution networks in Northeast England and Yorkshire.
- UK Power NetworkscoreGrid operator partner on Piclo's UK flexibility marketplace. UK Power Networks operates electricity distribution networks in London, South East England, and East Anglia.
- Electricity North WestcoreGrid operator partner on Piclo's UK flexibility marketplace. Electricity North West operates the electricity distribution network in North West England.
- OREScoreFlexibility buyer partner operating on Piclo's platform. ORES is a Belgian electricity and gas distribution grid operator.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Piclo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Flexitricity: UK-based flexibility aggregator and trading platform (part of Alpiq), connecting industrial/commercial demand-side assets with grid operator markets. Direct competitor to Piclo in UK flexibility services with overlapping buyer base (National Grid ESO, DNOs).
- GridBeyond: Ireland/UK-based AI-driven flexibility platform operating in UK, Ireland, US, and other markets. Directly competes with Piclo in enabling industrial and commercial flexibility trading, with similar business model of connecting DERs to grid operator markets.
- Voltus: US-based demand response and flexibility aggregator connecting commercial/industrial customers to grid operator programs. Directly competes with Piclo in US flexibility marketplace with similar DER aggregation model and utility buyer base.
- EnergyHub: US DERMS platform enabling utilities to manage distributed energy resources including flexibility markets. Directly competes with Piclo in Massachusetts and New York utility programs, providing DER aggregation and orchestration capabilities.
- Limejump: UK flexibility aggregator and virtual power plant operator (acquired by Shell Energy). Directly competes with Piclo in UK balancing mechanism and capacity market participation for aggregated DERs.
- Smarter Grid Solutions: UK/US DERMS provider with Strata Grid product for distribution flexibility management. Directly competes with Piclo and is also an integration partner; serves similar utility customers in UK and US.
- Reactive Technologies: UK-based flexibility platform providing grid measurement, demand response, and flexibility services to TSOs/DSOs. Directly competes with Piclo in UK flexibility markets with similar enterprise utility buyer base.
Broad incumbents
- AutoGrid (Schneider Electric): Acquired by Schneider Electric, AutoGrid provides DERMS and flexibility aggregation at scale as part of Schneider's broader utility software portfolio. Competes with Piclo across multiple markets with deeper utility relationships and broader product suite.
- Enel X (now Enel X Way/Global Energy): Large utility-affiliated demand response and flexibility aggregator owned by Enel. Operates flexibility markets globally and directly competes with Piclo; E-Distribuzione (Enel subsidiary) is a Piclo customer, illustrating both competitive and partner dynamics.
Emerging players
- ev.energy: EV smart charging platform enabling managed charging and V2G flexibility from residential EV fleets. Overlaps with Piclo in EV flexibility segment; Piclo integrates EV chargers as flexibility assets, creating both complementary and competitive dynamics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Piclo social profiles
Digital presencePiclo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Piclo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Piclo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Piclo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds13 records
Investors14 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Piclo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Piclo
What does Piclo do?
Piclo operates an independent marketplace platform for electricity flexibility that connects grid operators (DSOs and TSOs) with flexibility service providers owning distributed energy resources such as batteries, EV chargers, solar-plus-storage systems, and demand-response assets. The platform enables grid operators to procure flexibility services through competitive tenders as an alternative to costly network infrastructure upgrades, while allowing flexibility providers to access multiple buyer markets through a single interface. The platform manages over 22 GW of flexible capacity across six markets (UK, US, Australia, Italy, Portugal, Belgium) and has facilitated transfers of 1.1 GW of energy capacity.
Is Piclo a public or private company?
Piclo is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Piclo founded?
Piclo was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Piclo based?
Piclo is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Piclo make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Platform Licensing/Subscription is the primary driver. The others are transaction/Marketplace Fees.
Who are Piclo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Flexitricity, GridBeyond, Voltus, EnergyHub, Limejump, Smarter Grid Solutions and Reactive Technologies. Broad incumbents are AutoGrid (Schneider Electric) and Enel X (now Enel X Way/Global Energy). ev.energy is listed as an emerging player.
Does Piclo have an API?
Yes. Piclo provides API documentation for developers to integrate with its flexibility marketplace platform. The API enables service providers to register assets, bid on flexibility opportunities, and participate in tenders programmatically. API documentation is available at docs.picloflex.com with guides for integrating with the platform. Developer documentation is at docs.picloflex.com.
What industry is Piclo in?
Piclo's product category is Energy Flexibility Marketplace Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAFALAJ, Ancillary Services Aggregation & Bidding Optimization (DER/VPP participation), with a secondary code of EUAFAMAG, V2G Aggregators & Flexibility Service Providers (Market Participation). Its NAICS code is 518 and its SIC code is 7370.