EQUIUM

What EQUIUM does

EQUIUM is a French deeptech company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Saint-Herblain (Nantes metropolitan area), developing the world's first commercialised acoustic Stirling heat pump for the HVACR market under the product platform EQORE. The technology generates acoustic waves at resonance frequency inside a sealed helium-pressurised vessel, using 2 industrial acoustic drivers and 2 thermocores (heat exchangers plus regenerator) to pump heat without phase change, eliminating the need for refrigerants, compressors, oil, or mechanical wear parts. EQUIUM has brought the technology to TRL 7 with over 10,000 cumulative test hours and holds 13 in-house patents. Three product lines are built on the same core: EQORE BOOST (10 kW domestic hot water production from 40°C sources up to 90°C, COP up to 5), EQORE ULT (industrial cold down to -110°C for food & beverage, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals), and EQORE HT (industrial process heat up to 130°C for industrial decarbonisation).

The company operates a B2B enterprise field sales motion targeting industrial operators, collective residential building managers, and HVAC prescribers, with pilot deployments executed alongside strategic partners including Dalkia (district heating), Bouygues Immobilier (real estate), Axima Concept/Equans (HVAC engineering), and Ingerop (engineering consultancy). The flagship reference site is a social housing building operated by Nantes Métropole Habitat, inaugurated as the world's first thermoacoustic heat pump demonstrator in a residential setting. Revenue is generated from EQORE hardware sales and engineering/pilot integration services; pricing is not publicly disclosed. EQUIUM has raised approximately €16.5M cumulatively, including a €3M seed round in 2021 and subsequent grants/equity from ADEME, Bpifrance, France 2030, and Région Pays de la Loire, and is supported by an advisory board including Martin Fornage (Enphase Energy co-founder).

Name

EQUIUM

Legal name

EQUIUM GROUPE

Website

https://equium.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EQUIUM is a French deeptech company developing EQORE, the world's first commercialised acoustic Stirling heat pump using helium as working fluid, serving industrial operators, collective residential buildings, and HVAC prescribers with refrigerant-free heating and cooling across a -110°C to +130°C range.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Heat Pumps

NAICS

Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (33341), Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Heating Equipment, Except Electric & Warm Air Furnaces (3433)

akta.pro primary industry

Heat Exchangers & Thermal Transfer Equipment (IMAHAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Heat Exchangers, Coils & Hydronic HVAC Components (IMADANAF), High-Temperature Process Heat Electrification (E-Boilers, E-Furnaces, Induction, Plasma) (EUABAJAA)

Keywords

• Acoustic heat pumps
• Thermoacoustic HVAC systems
• Industrial heating solutions
• Decarbonisation technology
• High temperature heat pumps

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. EQORE heat pump hardware sales: EQUIUM sells its EQORE acoustic Stirling heat pump systems (hardware) to industrial, commercial, and residential building operators. The EQORE product line includes BOOST (DHW/heat recovery), ULT (industrial cold), and HT (industrial heat) models. This is the primary revenue stream, with unit-based sales.
2. Professional services and system integration: As a pre-industrialisation deeptech, EQUIUM generates revenue from engineering services, pilot project delivery, and integration support for early adopters, including partnerships with Dalkia, Axima Concept Equans, and engineering firms such as Ingerop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EQUIUM develops and manufactures EQORE, the world's first commercial acoustic Stirling heat pump for HVACR applications. Using helium as the working fluid and acoustic waves at resonance frequency, the system delivers heating up to 130°C and cooling down to -110°C without mechanical wear parts, refrigerant, or phase change. The company sells EQORE modules (BOOST, ULT, and HT) directly to industrial operators, commercial building managers, and district energy players, supplemented by pilot engineering and integration services.

Product overview

EQUIUM offers a unified thermoacoustic Stirling technology platform called EQORE, with three specialized product lines built on the same core technology and helium working fluid: EQORE BOOST for hot water production (40°C to 90°C), EQORE ULT for industrial cold (down to -110°C), and EQORE HT for industrial heat (up to 130°C). The technology operates across a -110°C to +130°C range using acoustic waves at resonance frequency to generate compression and expansion cycles without mechanical wear parts. All products share the same fundamental architecture: 2 industrial speakers in phase opposition, 2 thermocores with heat exchangers and regenerators, contained in a helium-pressurized enclosure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EQORE: World's first acoustic Stirling heat pump dedicated to HVACR, using helium as working gas without phase change. Operating range from -110°C to +130°C.
• EQORE BOOST
• EQORE ULT
• EQORE HT

Products and services

• EQORE BOOST Domestic and industrial hot water production unit that recovers heat from 40°C sources to produce water up to 90°C with COP up to 5. Targets multi-family residential buildings, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities; delivers 10 kW thermal power in a 100 × 35 cm module that is stackable and 100% modulating from 10% to 100%.
• EQORE ULT Industrial cold production system capable of delivering temperatures from -110°C to -50°C at 6 to 15 kW capacity using the acoustic Stirling helium cycle. Targets food & beverage, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical industries, offering 1.5 to 2 times superior efficiency compared with current refrigeration technologies, with no flammable refrigerants and no ATEX zone required.
• EQORE HT Industrial heat production system for decentralized production of hot water and low-pressure steam up to 130°C. Designed for industrial decarbonisation, including process water, washing applications, and 20–60 kW low-pressure steam as a direct alternative to gas-fired boilers.
• EQORE Core Platform The foundational thermoacoustic Stirling technology platform that generates heating and cooling through acoustic waves at resonance frequency using helium as the working fluid. Underlies the BOOST, ULT, and HT product lines, protected by 13 in-house patents and validated by Pôle Cristal laboratory across an operating range from -110°C to +130°C.

Quantifiable outcome

• COP up to 5 for DHW production (EQORE BOOST) where conventional heat pumps fail
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DalkiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Dalkia, a major French energy services company, partnered with EQUIUM for the world's first thermoacoustic heat pump demonstrator in a collective residential building at a Nantes Métropole Habitat site. The project targets domestic hot water production in synergy with a district heating network. Supported by ADEME, France 2030, Bpifrance, and the Region Pays de la Loire. Dalkia provides the district heating network integration and operational expertise.
• Axima Concept (Equans)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAxima Concept, part of the Equans group (ENGIE), is a specialist in refrigeration and HVAC engineering. Listed as a pioneer partner on EQUIUM's website, providing engineering and integration capabilities for deploying the EQORE technology in industrial and commercial refrigeration applications.
• IngeropcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIngerop is a French engineering consultancy specialising in infrastructure and energy. Listed as a pioneer partner providing engineering and integration expertise for EQUIUM's heat pump solutions in building and industrial decarbonation projects.
• Nantes Métropole Habitat (NMH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNantes Métropole Habitat is a social housing operator (OPH) in the Nantes metropolitan area. Partnered with EQUIUM and Dalkia to host the world's first thermoacoustic heat pump demonstrator in a collective residential building. Provides the field deployment site for validating the EQORE system in a real-world residential setting.
• Bouygues ImmobiliercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBouygues Immobilier is a major French real estate developer. EQUIUM and Bouygues Immobilier have an active collaboration focused on decarbonising buildings, awarded the 'Best Startup Collaboration 2023' at VivaTech. The collaboration targets integration of EQUIUM's acoustic heat pump in new and existing building projects.
• HEAT INVEST (European project, I3 Instrument)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEAT INVEST is a European strategic initiative (I3 Instrument) designed to accelerate heat pump adoption, particularly in emerging regions. EQUIUM is a partner contributing across three pillars: Investment (strengthening regional business planning for breakthrough technologies), Policy (improving regional frameworks for innovative energy investments), and Synergies (scaling research-to-business links). The partnership directly supports industrialisation of the EQORE thermoacoustic core.
• CES Mines ParisTechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Centre for Energy Science (CES) of Mines Paris PSL University is a scientific partner providing research support in heat transfer and thermoacoustics. The academic partnership underpins the scientific rigour of the EQORE technology development.
• LIED (Paris Cité University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LIED (Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Énergies de Demain) at Université Paris Cité is a university research partner in heat transfer and thermoacoustics, supporting the scientific foundations of the EQORE technology alongside CES Mines ParisTech.
• CSTB (Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCSTB LAB, led by CSTB and Impulse Partner, is a one-year acceleration programme for 13 startups focused on technical and regulatory topics to accelerate market entry in the building sector. EQUIUM joined CSTB LAB for regulatory guidance and market introduction support for building decarbonation solutions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Daikin Industries: Global market leader in HVAC and heat pumps, with deep R&D and the broadest product range spanning residential, commercial, and industrial applications. Directly comparable to EQUIUM because both target the same end markets (DHW, space heating, refrigeration) with heat-pump solutions, and Daikin's push into natural refrigerants and high-temperature outputs mirrors EQUIUM's strategic focus.
• Mitsubishi Electric: Major Japanese manufacturer of air-conditioning, heating, and refrigeration systems for residential and industrial markets. Comparable to EQUIUM across DHW, industrial cold (chillers/refrigeration), and process heat applications, and a benchmark for what scale-up of an OEM heat pump business looks like.
• Bosch Thermotechnology: European heating and hot-water OEM with strong residential and commercial heat-pump offerings, including high-temperature ranges. Operates in the same French/European customer base as EQUIUM (and shares talent lineage—EQUIUM's COO spent 25 years at Bosch), making it a direct technology and go-to-market peer.
• NIBE: Swedish heat-pump specialist with strong European residential and commercial presence and a focused decarbonization narrative. Comparable to EQUIUM in product focus (heat pumps for buildings and decarbonization), market geography (Northern/Western Europe), and positioning as a pure-play pure heat-pump challenger against diversified HVAC majors.
• Vaillant Group: German heating technology leader (Vaillant, Saunier Duval, Protherm brands) with major heat-pump ambitions in Europe. Highly comparable to EQUIUM in addressing residential and small-commercial DHW/heating needs with regulatory-driven product roadmaps (natural refrigerants, high temperatures), and operates in the same European regulatory environment.
• Stiebel Eltron: German heat-pump and DHW specialist with strong European footprint in residential and commercial markets. Directly comparable to EQUIUM's BOOST product line—heat pumps and hot-water production—particularly in addressing the high-temperature DHW and regulatory-compliance value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Carrier Global: US-based global HVAC and refrigeration giant with broad residential, commercial, and industrial portfolios. Comparable to EQUIUM as a broad incumbent whose industrial refrigeration and process cooling businesses overlap with EQORE ULT and HT targets, and whose scale and service network represent both competition and a potential exit/partner opportunity.
• Trane Technologies: Global commercial and industrial HVAC leader with strong positions in chillers, heat pumps, and decarbonization solutions. Comparable to EQUIUM across industrial cold and industrial process heat segments, with overlapping customers in pharma, food, and commercial real estate and a similar regulatory-driven decarbonization narrative.

Emerging players

• Heaten: Dutch industrial heat-pump startup focused on high-temperature industrial process heat decarbonization. The closest emerging peer to EQUIUM's HT line—comparable technology category, similar target customers and use cases, similar funding stage and Europe-deeptech profile—making it the most relevant like-for-like emerging competitor.

Regional players

• Groupe Atlantic: Major French thermal comfort and HVAC manufacturer (including heat pumps and DHW), headquartered in France. Comparable to EQUIUM in its home French market across residential and commercial heating, and a regional benchmark for what an indigenous French HVAC incumbent looks like as EQUIUM seeks to scale locally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/equiumacousticheating
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EQUIUM