What is viboo?
viboo is shaking up the way existing commercial buildings manage energy. At its core, it’s a cloud-based building management system that’s super easy to retrofit. Instead of demanding costly overhauls, viboo connects wirelessly with common IoT devices—think smart thermostats—and uses AI to understand and proactively control heating behavior. The best part? It does all this without sacrificing comfort, keeps investment costs low, and delivers a quick return on investment. Currently, viboo’s solution is already running in over 100 buildings, proving its worth with an average energy saving of 27%. It’s a smart, scalable approach that’s changing the game for building energy efficiency.
Main Benefits of viboo’s Solution
Here’s a quick snapshot of what viboo brings to the table:
- €3.3 million raised in its second financing round, led by Realyze Ventures and Zürcher Kantonalbank
- Buildings account for over 40% of global CO2 emissions—viboo targets this huge challenge
- By 2030, 5.38 million commercial buildings in the EU must reach at least energy class E or risk losing value
- Buildings with poor energy efficiency lose about 4% of their value every year
- viboo’s AI-driven system achieves an average energy saving of 27% in existing buildings
- Customer contract volumes have jumped eightfold from Winter 2023/24 to Winter 2024/25
- Rapid scalability thanks to reliance on existing hardware and open software interfaces
How viboo Fits Into the Market
The timing couldn’t be better for viboo. With the EU’s net-zero mandate for existing buildings by 2050 and the Building Energy Act (GEG) in Germany, there’s a growing demand for solutions that can deliver quick, measurable results. viboo’s approach is not about reinventing the wheel with proprietary hardware. Instead, it leverages products from leading building technology manufacturers and open software interfaces, making it easy for installers to implement using viboo’s own installation app. This plug-and-play style is a breath of fresh air in a market often bogged down by complexity.
Backing and Recognition
viboo’s roots run deep in top-tier research institutions like Empa, ETH Zurich, RWTH Aachen, and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. This strong foundation has helped the company and its founders rack up an impressive list of awards, including the BRIDGE scholarship, all Venture Kick stages, the Innobooster from the Gebert Rüf Foundation, the Swiss GreenTech Startup Battle, the Empa Innovation Award, and an ETH medal. These accolades highlight viboo’s innovative edge and commitment to excellence in building automation and energy efficiency.
Plans for Expansion and Development
With fresh funding secured, viboo is gearing up to enter the German market, where demand is high thanks to regulatory pressure and energy prices. But that’s just the start. The platform is evolving from a pure energy management tool into a comprehensive building management system. This means adding market-relevant features like individual heating cost billing, making it even more valuable for real estate companies and public authorities. Partnerships with installation and facility management service providers will also play a key role in scaling the business further.
Project Impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – by improving energy efficiency in buildings
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – through innovative AI-driven building management
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – by reducing emissions in urban buildings
- SDG 13: Climate Action – supporting decarbonization efforts in the building sector
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – promoting efficient energy use
Voices from Investors and Founders
Felix Bünning, viboo’s co-founder, shared his excitement about the recent financing round: “We’ve laid a solid foundation in Switzerland with over 40 happy customers and significant energy savings. The solution works because it’s easy to implement, delivers quick results, and saves money right away. Now, we’re ready to take the next big leap into our first EU market, where energy prices and regulations create strong demand.”
Marnix Roes from Realyze Ventures added, “Investing in viboo means backing an innovative software solution that tackles the massive market of existing buildings and their decarbonization. The simple implementation and fast ROI make customers and users really happy.”
Nicola Leuenberger of Zürcher Kantonalbank commented, “viboo shows how economic and ecological goals can go hand in hand. With a plug-and-play solution delivering 20-40% annual energy savings, viboo should definitely be on every real estate asset manager’s radar. We’re excited to support their scaling journey.”
