Helsinki-based deeptech startup Granarium Technologies has raised over €1 million in a pre-seed round led by BSV Ventures, with participation from Beamline as well as angel investors from FiBAN, EstBAN, and LatBAN. Originating as a technology transfer from VTT, the company is commercialising a nanocellulose-based, fully renewable supercapacitor platform designed for fast-response energy storage in grid stability and industrial power quality applications. Granarium will use the funding to industrialise its patented biocarbon-based energy storage technology, scale pilot production, and deploy initial systems with early industrial customers within the next six months, ahead of small-scale manufacturing of up to 50 units per year. Positioned at the intersection of grid modernisation and sustainable materials innovation, the startup aims to offer a low-cost, locally producible alternative to conventional storage solutions, addressing rising demand for grid balancing and electrification-driven power volatility across Europe.
Grid volatility is increasing across Europe, while EU requirements, including grid codes and resilience frameworks, are tightening. The transition to renewable energy and electrification is creating structural demand for fast-response power storage, with UBS forecasting global energy storage demand to grow by approximately 40% year over year in 2026. Granarium’s renewable energy storage technology is built on a nanocellulose-based material platform that binds biocarbon structures for power storage, enabling up to 80% lower production capital expenditure in safe, scalable, and locally producible systems.
“A key structural shift is that storage is no longer just ‘backup power’ – it is becoming core grid infrastructure. Granarium is the perfect addition to our portfolio because the company is solving a massive global challenge in a safe and scalable way. We were also impressed with the company’s technology and experience, as well as the capacity to use local raw materials to make the production process sustainable and inexpensive,” says Jana Budkovskaja, Partner at BSV Ventures.
The company has secured pilot customers and key value chain partners and is preparing to launch its first pilots within six months of funding, focusing on process industries and continuously running production operations. Initial commercial production will begin at a small industrial scale, with capacity to deliver up to 50 units per year, forming the basis for rapid scale-up through industrial partnerships and international market expansion.
“Our approach supports Europe’s strategic goals of reducing dependency on critical raw materials and building local, resilient energy infrastructure. The new technology offers an easily scalable, self-sufficient solution that removes complex logistics chains and enables simple production using locally sourced materials. Deployment is as simple as installing a battery,” says Granarium CEO Paula Viinamäki.
Granarium’s first-of-its-kind technology can upcycle waste materials to create 100% renewable supercapacitors that store electricity. The system acts as a fast-response layer within energy systems, complementing batteries and addressing short-duration power needs such as grid balancing, frequency response, and industrial power quality. The devices help manage peak loads, improve power quality, and manage distributed power generation.
“Granarium demonstrates how successful technology transfer can turn advanced bio-based materials into real industrial solutions for secure and resilient energy storage,” says Atte Virtanen, Vice President, Advanced bio-based materials at VTT.
Granarium originated from VTT with strong, granted patents and validated technology (TRL5). The team combines expertise in materials science, energy systems, industrial scale-up, and commercialisation. In the future, the innovation will enable new concepts, including the use of the device’s design freedom to replace the passive elements of EVs to increase battery life.
“We are not just improving existing solutions but redefining how power storage can be built and utilized. Compared to lithium-based energy storage devices that utilise finite resources, our devices are far more environmentally sustainable as they derive from local and self-sufficient renewable carbon sources, and lower in cost to produce compared to battery gigafactory investments,” says Otto-Ville Kaukoniemi, CTO at Granarium.
Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/granarium-technologies-raises-over-e1m-pre-seed/
