Release date: 21 December 2021
Promoter – Financial Intermediary
METRON SASLocation
Description
Financing the growth and scale-up of an innovative company developing energy management systems software with artificial intelligence and machine learning for the industrial and commercial buildings market.
Additionality and Impact
This venture debt project finances an innovative energy management software startup in one of the Strategic Energy Technology fields. The financing fills an existing gap in risk capital markets for this type of endeavours which is not directly related to renewable energy generation, the mainstream investment area.
Investments financed, are expected to take place in France, Germany, Poland, Belgium and Italy.
The platform manages energy efficiency improvements in industrial and commercial settings (one of the Strategic Energy Technologies), thus reducing energy consumption and saving CO2 emissions. EIB financing acts as a signalling effect to crowd-in and complement private financial players providing pure equity capital.
EIB financing supports the growth of the company to provide more innovative services/products, penetrate new markets and contribute to climate action goals by reducing and managing energy consumption in industrial energy and commercial settings.
The financing of this project supports RDI activities, which generate significant positive knowledge, technology and environmental externalities, through the creation of innovative processes, products or services and through skills development and upgrading.
EIB's financing is adjusted to the needs of the company by providing longer tenors and availability periods compared to market conditions. The financing is adapted to the company's expected cash flow generation. EIB's involvement is complementary to the funds raised by the borrower and has a positive signalling effect for the capital market.
Objectives
The company is developing and deploying an innovative energy management software as a platform to manage energy efficiency improvements in industrial and commercial settings -one of the Strategic Energy Technology fields -, thus reducing energy consumption and saving CO2 emissions.
Comments
Metron is a French company which provides an operational energy management system platform, enabling industrial groups to optimise their sustainability, energy efficiency and productivity. Metron's solution is based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), and combines a unique expertise in coupling AI with ontologies (proprietary coded libraries of industrial processes), bringing concrete results such as controlled energy consumption, reduction of carbon footprint, energy efficiency and optimisation.
Sector(s)
- Energy - Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
Proposed EIB finance (Approximate amount)
EUR 15 million
Total cost (Approximate amount)
EUR 32 million
Environmental aspects
The project concerns software development and deployment in industrial and commercial settings, and as such these activities do not fall either under Annex I or II as per Directive 2014/52/EU amending the EIA Directive 2011/92/EU. Therefore neither an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be needed for the Research and Development and Innovation (RDI) stage nor a screening as per Directive 2014/52/EU amending the EIA Directive 2011/92/EU.
Procurement
The Promoter has been assessed by the EIB as being private company not being subject to EU rules on public procurement or concessions.
Status
Signed - 28/02/2022
Disclaimer
Before financing approval by the Board of Directors, and before loan signature, projects are under appraisal and negotiation. The information and data provided on this page are therefore indicative.
They are provided for transparency purposes only and cannot be considered to represent official EIB policy (see also the Explanatory notes).