heatbrAIn

What heatbrAIn does

heatbrAIn GmbH is a Bergisch Gladbach-based software company, founded in February 2024, that provides automated building stock analysis and georeferenced heat demand data for the German heat transition. The platform combines 40+ data sources with thermodynamic simulation models to deliver annual, monthly, and hourly heat demand and heat load for individual buildings, districts, and entire cities — covering more than 50 million simulatable buildings with 100+ properties per building. It serves three primary buyer segments: municipalities (Kommunen) executing mandatory heat planning, utilities (Stadtwerke) planning heat network expansion and transformation, and engineering planning offices (Planungsbüros) running BEW feasibility studies and district transformation projects.

The core product is the heatbrAIn Platform, supported by a Python module library and a web frontend, with data delivered as georeferenced geodata compatible with QGIS, VICUS, GeoPandas, and Excel. The underlying technology stems from doctoral research by co-founders Dr.-Ing. Philip Groesdonk and M.Sc. Luis Blanco at RWTH Aachen University and the DLR Institute for Solar Research. One co-founder leads modeling and simulation; the other leads geodata and AI. The company is developing an expanded software suite under the Grüne Gründungen.NRW program running February 2026 to May 2028.

heatbrAIn operates a direct enterprise sales motion with subscription-based revenue from building data and analysis services, plus the upcoming software suite. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and customer engagement is driven through a Microsoft Outlook-based demo booking system. The company has no institutional venture capital or parent company reported, appears to be founder-owned, and has 5 employees. Geographic focus is the DACH region, with credibility anchored by the 2024 BMWK Gründungspreis and the 2025 NRW Grüne Gründungen recognition.

Name

heatbrAIn

Legal name

heatbrAIn GmbH

Website

https://heatbrain.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

heatbrAIn is a German SaaS platform that delivers georeferenced, AI-assisted building heat demand and load data for municipal heat planning, utilities (Stadtwerke), and engineering planning offices executing Germany's heat transition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Energy Simulation Software

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSAOANAD

Heat Pump & Smart HVAC Controller Integration

Home & Personal Services/Plumbing, Electrical & HVAC Services/Smart Home Electrical & HVAC Integration Services

SECONDARYIMAHAKAF

Heat Pumps (Air/Water/Ground Source)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Refrigeration, HVAC & Thermal Equipment

SECONDARYIMADANAF

Heat Exchangers, Coils & Hydronic HVAC Components

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Building Materials & Products/HVAC Components & Building Ventilation Products

Keywords

• Heat transition planning
• Building energy simulation
• Thermodynamic modeling software
• District heating analytics
• Georeferenced building data

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergisch Gladbach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Building Data & Analysis Services: Supply of individually calculated building information including heat demand (annual, monthly, hourly), heat load, future forecasts, and renovation scenarios delivered as georeferenced geodata. Customers define the area, heatbrAIn handles the rest.
2. Software Solution (Grüne Gründungen.NRW): Innovative software bundling data from various sources, automatically processing relevant parameters and calculating all important metrics for technical heat network planning, economic decisions, and fulfillment of funding requirements. Available as web frontend or integrated via APIs and plugins.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

heatbrAIn provides a B2B software platform that automates building stock analysis and delivers georeferenced building heat-demand (annual, monthly, hourly) and heat-load data for heat transition planning. The platform combines 40+ data sources with proprietary Python modules, scientifically founded thermodynamic models, and AI to produce dynamic load profiles down to building parts, future forecasts, and renovation scenarios. Deliverables are supplied as geodata compatible with common GIS systems or accessed via a web frontend, APIs, and plugins.

Product overview

heatbrAIn is a unified software platform for heat transition planning, consisting of the core heatbrAIn Platform, heatbrAIn-Python-Module for programmatic access and integration, and a Web-Frontend for user-friendly access. The platform delivers georeferenced building data with heat demand calculations and supports integration via APIs and plugins into existing GIS and planning systems. The company emerged from research at RWTH Aachen and DLR, and has been operational as a company since February 2024, having participated in municipal heat planning projects and BEW feasibility studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• heatbrAIn Platform Core B2B software platform delivering georeferenced building data (heat demand on annual, monthly, and hourly basis; heat load; future forecasts; renovation scenarios) with 100+ properties per building, simulatable across 50+ million buildings. Combines 40+ data sources with thermodynamic models and AI, and is targeted at utilities (Stadtwerke), municipalities (Kommunen), and planning offices (Planungsbüros) for heat transition planning, BEW feasibility studies, and district transformation projects.
• heatbrAIn-Python-Module Proprietary Python modules developed by heatbrAIn for programmatic technical planning of renewable heat networks. They bundle data from various sources, automatically process relevant parameters, and calculate key metrics for technical planning, economic decisions, and funding requirement fulfillment; usable via APIs and plugins into existing GIS and planning environments.
• heatbrAIn Web-Frontend Web-based user interface providing access to heatbrAIn building data and analysis capabilities as an alternative to API integration, enabling direct use of platform outputs by municipal, utility, and planning-office users.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ready stock analysis in days instead of weeks
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RWTH Aachen UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Research origin of heatbrAIn technology. The idea and core technology were developed from doctoral research conducted at RWTH Aachen, specifically in the modeling and simulation domain.
• DLR-Institut für Solarforschung (German Aerospace Center)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Core technology originated from the 'Buildings and Districts' group at the DLR Institute for Solar Research. Doctoral research conducted there provided the scientific foundation for heatbrAIn's simulation capabilities.
• ARCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork partner featured on heatbrAIn's website marquee showing collaborative network in the heat transition ecosystem.
• SinnogyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork partner featured on heatbrAIn's website marquee showing collaborative network in the heat transition ecosystem.
• Dornier GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork partner featured on heatbrAIn's website marquee showing collaborative network in the heat transition ecosystem.
• Planungsbüros (Planning Offices)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStrategic co-development partners. heatbrAIn develops software together with planning offices and heat suppliers for flexible application from municipal heat planning to district and transformation projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ramboll: Global engineering consultancy with a major district-heating and energy transition practice across Europe. Competes indirectly as a one-stop alternative to heatbrAIn + planning office combinations for municipal heat network planning.
• IZES gGmbH: SaaS-adjacent: German energy research institute with municipal heat planning, scenario simulation, and KWP consulting offerings. Overlaps in BEW feasibility and heat network transformation analysis.
• AFRY: Nordic engineering firm (formerly Pöyry) with significant district-heating and heat-transition consulting footprint across Europe. Comparable as a broad incumbent in heat network planning and transformation.

Emerging players

• BrainBox AI: AI-driven HVAC and building energy analytics platform focused on operational optimization rather than planning. Adjacent technology stack and shared pain points around data integration with building/HVAC systems.

Direct peers

• DesignBuilder: UK-based building energy modeling SaaS used for HVAC design, thermal simulation, and load profiling on a per-building basis. Overlaps heatbrAIn's hourly thermodynamic simulation and building property analytics with similar engineering user base.
• VICUS Software: German district-heating planning software used by Planungsbüros and Stadtwerke. Listed as an explicit integration partner by heatbrAIn and competes for the same heat-network-planning workflow step.
• Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES): Long-established building performance and HVAC simulation SaaS (VE), competing for engineering consultancies' simulation budget in the same heat-transition and decarbonization planning workflows.
• e7 energy innovation & engineering: Austrian energy planning consultancy active in BEW/KEW feasibility studies and municipal heat planning across the DACH region. Competes for the same KWP and BEW consulting engagements as heatbrAIn's city/government customers.
• EQUA Simulation (IDA ICE): Sweden-based provider of IDA Indoor Climate and Energy (IDA ICE), a building-level dynamic thermal simulation software widely used in European heat planning and HVAC design. Direct overlap with heatbrAIn's hourly thermodynamic modeling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heatbrain

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 heatbrAIn