Frequenz
Frequenz is a Berlin-based AI platform that orchestrates distributed energy resources (solar, storage, EV chargers) for mid-to-large enterprises, enabling microgrid optimization, battery longevity, and real-time electricity trading via an open-source SDK and cloud APIs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Frequenz does
Frequenz is a Berlin-based energy technology company founded in 2019 that operates an AI-driven orchestration platform for Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). The platform combines edge AI controllers with a cloud API ecosystem to manage, optimize, and trade power from microgrids comprising solar, wind, hydro, battery storage, and EV chargers. Core products include the Frequenz Developer Platform, the open-source Python SDK (frequenz-floss), Advanced Peak Shaving and Solar-Plus-Storage solution modules, the Gridpool multi-microgrid orchestration layer, and APIs for real-time electricity trading across spot and ancillary services markets (FCR, aFRR). Technology is differentiated by proprietary ML forecasting for consumption, production, and prices, on-edge AI training and automated retraining, and an actor-based application framework that supports fully customizable edge apps.
The company's primary customers are mid-to-large enterprises in the German Mittelstand seeking to transition from passive electricity consumers to prosumers by monetizing on-site DERs and reducing grid fees. Its go-to-market is a hybrid of enterprise field sales (with a 'Schedule a demo' CTA and 80% outbound lead mix), API-first developer adoption via the open-source Python SDK, and community-led engagement through GitHub. Revenue is generated through platform/SaaS licensing, commercial API access tiers, Storage-as-a-Service capacity fees, and revenue sharing on electricity trading facilitated through the platform. The company is led by Managing Directors Dr. Lars Kirchhoff and Dr. Thomas Nicolai, and has raised approximately EUR 23M across two rounds, most recently a November 2024 financing led by SET Ventures with new participation from Cape Capital AG and Enkraft.
Frequenz firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Frequenz
- Legal name
- Frequenz Energy-as-a-Service GmbH
- Website
- https://frequenz.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Frequenz is a Berlin-based AI platform that orchestrates distributed energy resources (solar, storage, EV chargers) for mid-to-large enterprises, enabling microgrid optimization, battery longevity, and real-time electricity trading via an open-source SDK and cloud APIs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Frequenz industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Distributed Energy Resource Management Software
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- DER & Microgrid Interconnection / Grid Edge Integration Services (EUAEANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- DERMS Platforms & Utility Integration (ADMS/SCADA Integration, Hosting Capacity) (EUAFAHAF), SCADA/HMI Platforms (IMAGABAB), SCADA, Controls & Communications Integration (RTU, Fiber, Networking) (EUAEADAD)
Keywords
Where Frequenz is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Frequenz business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Energy Management Platform (SaaS): Enterprise customers pay for access to the Frequenz platform to manage, store, and trade power from their microgrids. The platform supports energy optimization, real-time trading, and grid services. Revenue is generated through platform licensing and usage of APIs for dispatching, trading, and monitoring.
- API and Developer Platform Access: Open-source SDK with commercial API access tiers for trading, dispatching, monitoring, and ancillary services markets. Platform offers both free open-source components and commercial cloud API access.
- Storage-as-a-Service: Frequenz offers storage capacity services where companies needing to store surplus energy or tap into stored power can utilize Frequenz's storage solutions, generating revenue through capacity leasing and usage fees.
- Electricity Trading Revenue Share: Facilitates real-time electricity trading on spot markets and ancillary services markets. May take a transaction fee or generate revenue through trading algorithms that optimize buying and selling for customers.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Frequenz product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Frequenz provides an AI/ML-driven developer platform for orchestrating Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) such as solar, wind, hydro, battery storage, and EV chargers in microgrid configurations. The platform combines edge AI controllers with a cloud API ecosystem to enable real-time energy management, AI-forecasted peak shaving, solar-plus-storage optimization, and electricity trading on spot and ancillary services markets (FCR, aFRR). It is sold to enterprise customers via direct field sales and exposed to developers through an open-source Python SDK.
Product overview
Frequenz offers a unified developer platform for managing, storing, and trading power through Decentralized Energy Resources (DERs). The platform architecture consists of the core Frequenz Developer Platform, supplemented by specialized solution modules (Advanced Peak Shaving and Solar-Plus Storage) that leverage the platform's AI capabilities. The platform includes an open-source Python SDK for developers to build custom applications, a Gridpool feature for orchestrating multiple microgrids, and Storage-as-a-Service for energy storage capacity management. All capabilities are powered by real-time AI/ML optimization for energy forecasting, trading, and autonomous operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Frequenz Developer Platform Core AI/ML-powered platform for orchestrating Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) including solar, wind, hydro, battery storage, and EV chargers in microgrid configurations. Provides real-time energy management, trading, and optimization for enterprise developers and energy managers.
- Advanced Peak Shaving AI-powered solution that intelligently manages and reduces power demand peaks using battery storage and adjustable loads. Extends battery life by up to 4-5 times while reducing grid fees through forecasted peak shaving algorithms for enterprise energy users.
- Solar-Plus-Storage Integrated solution combining solar PV systems with battery storage using advanced forecasting algorithms. Maximizes PV self-consumption, extends battery life, and optimizes energy use and savings through intelligent charge/discharge strategies for enterprises with on-site solar.
- Frequenz SDK (Python) Open-source Python SDK providing well-abstracted interfaces to interact with microgrid components including battery systems, photovoltaic systems, EV chargers, gas-power plants, and smart meters. Features an actor-based plug-and-play framework for building custom energy management applications.
- Storage-as-a-Service Service offering for companies needing or offering storage capacity. Enables optimization of energy use and unlocking of new revenue streams through energy storage solutions, with revenue generated through capacity leasing and usage fees.
Quantifiable outcome
- Extends battery life by 4 to 5 times compared to naive peak shaving approaches
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Frequenz
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Frequenz technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability4 records
Feature8 records
Frequenz partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Frequenz competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stem Inc: Stem provides AI-driven energy storage optimization and VPP services for commercial and industrial customers, closely mirroring Frequenz's DER orchestration and trading play. Both target enterprise customers seeking to monetize behind-the-meter assets via AI and market participation.
- Kiwigrid: Kiwigrid is a German IoT energy management platform connecting solar, storage, EV chargers, and heat pumps for utilities and enterprises. It is one of the most direct head-to-head competitors in the German Mittelstand and prosumer DERMS space.
- AutoGrid (Schneider Electric): AutoGrid built an AI-driven DER optimization and VPP platform before being acquired by Schneider Electric. Its flexibility dispatch and forecasting capabilities directly overlap with Frequenz's Gridpool and AI analytics stack.
- GridPoint: GridPoint delivers an enterprise energy management platform with AI-driven optimization of DERs across multi-site commercial portfolios. It is comparable in target customer (multi-site enterprises) and in bundling monitoring, optimization, and asset management.
Regional players
- Lumenaza: Lumenaza is a German SaaS platform for energy data management, virtual power plants, and green electricity products. It overlaps with Frequenz in the German market and in connecting DERs to trading and grid services markets.
Emerging players
- Sunverge (Sunrun): Sunverge provides a DERMS platform for residential and small commercial storage and solar, now part of Sunrun. Its focus on orchestration of distributed storage is conceptually adjacent to Frequenz's Gridpool but skewed toward residential aggregations.
- Fluence Energy: Fluence combines battery storage hardware with its AI-driven Mosaic OS platform for trading and dispatch. While more hardware-tilted than Frequenz, it overlaps in AI-optimized storage dispatch and participation in ancillary services markets.
Broad incumbents
- Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure): Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure platform spans DERMS, building energy management, and grid services across industrial and commercial customers. It is a broad incumbent that bundles DER orchestration as part of a wider portfolio and competes for the same enterprise RFPs.
- Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Siemens offers grid software, microgrid controllers, and DERMS as part of its Smart Infrastructure portfolio. It is a broad incumbent with deep utility relationships and a much larger sales footprint than Frequenz.
- ABB Ability Energy Management: ABB Ability provides energy management and microgrid solutions to industrial and utility customers. As an industrial automation incumbent, it competes for large-scale DER and microgrid orchestration deals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Frequenz social profiles
Digital presenceFrequenz compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Frequenz financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Frequenz leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Frequenz funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequenz 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 Frequenz
What does Frequenz do?
Frequenz provides an AI/ML-driven developer platform for orchestrating Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) such as solar, wind, hydro, battery storage, and EV chargers in microgrid configurations. The platform combines edge AI controllers with a cloud API ecosystem to enable real-time energy management, AI-forecasted peak shaving, solar-plus-storage optimization, and electricity trading on spot and ancillary services markets (FCR, aFRR). It is sold to enterprise customers via direct field sales and exposed to developers through an open-source Python SDK.
Is Frequenz a public or private company?
Frequenz is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Frequenz founded?
Frequenz was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Frequenz based?
Frequenz is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Frequenz make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Energy Management Platform (SaaS) is the primary driver. The others are API and Developer Platform Access, storage-as-a-Service and electricity Trading Revenue Share.
Who are Frequenz's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stem Inc, Kiwigrid, AutoGrid (Schneider Electric) and GridPoint. Lumenaza is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Sunverge (Sunrun) and Fluence Energy. Broad incumbents are Schneider Electric (EcoStruxure), Siemens Smart Infrastructure and ABB Ability Energy Management.
Does Frequenz have an API?
Yes. Frequenz offers a comprehensive API ecosystem with both Cloud and Edge APIs. Cloud APIs include: Ancillary Services Markets API (real-time interaction with FCR and aFRR markets), Dispatch API (automates microgrid component scheduling), Microgrid Sandbox API (comprehensive testing environment for applications), Monitoring API (real-time status updates and alerts), Electricity Trading API (real-time trading in spot markets), Reporting API (real-time metrics for microgrid components), and Weather & Forecast API (real-time and forecasted weather data). Edge APIs include Microgrid EDGE API (real-time monitoring and control of microgrid components). The platform uses gRPC and RESTful API specifications. Documentation is available at https://frequenz-floss.github.io/frequenz-sdk-python/latest. Developer documentation is at frequenz-floss.github.io/frequenz-sdk-python/latest.
What industry is Frequenz in?
Frequenz's product category is Distributed Energy Resource Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAEANAF, DER & Microgrid Interconnection / Grid Edge Integration Services, with a secondary code of EUAFAHAF, DERMS Platforms & Utility Integration (ADMS/SCADA Integration, Hosting Capacity). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7372.