Qurie banked €2.2 million in Seed funding to scale its solid-state refrigeration technology. The investment was led by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), with participation from Technology Transfer Fund TT49 and Aepikur GmbH. The round follows a decade of research at the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM.
Based in Freiburg, Qurie develops electrocaloric cooling systems that eliminate the need for compressors and chemical refrigerants. The technology uses specific ceramics and polymers that change temperature when an electric field is applied. By utilising a patented active electrocaloric heat pipe (AEH), the company claims its systems can achieve theoretical efficiencies of over 80%, significantly higher than the 50% average seen in traditional compression-based units.
The company is initially targeting industrial enclosure cooling, a sector requiring high precision and reliability. Its miniaturisable architecture also allows for applications in chip cooling, medical devices, and automotive thermal management. The transition to this solid-state method is partially driven by regulatory pressure, specifically the EU F-Gas Regulation, which aims to phase out traditional fluorinated greenhouse gases used in heating and cooling.
The startup will continue to be supported by a research programme from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy until the end of 2026. This raise highlights a growing European focus on deep-tech hardware solutions capable of decarbonising the fundamental infrastructure of the HVAC industry.
Originally reported by EU-Startups Daily.