Austrian clean-tech firm ecop Technologies has secured €10.5 million ($12 million) to expand production of its high-temperature industrial heat pump and finalize its newly redesigned rotor for series manufacturing.
“This financing round provides the opportunity for rapid scaling in order to support industry with decarbonization as soon as possible,” the company said.
The round was led by KSB, a global pump and valve manufacturer, with co-investment from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, alongside InnoEnergy, New Energy Technologies, Finadvice and several of ecop’s existing investors.
“With this financing round, we are sending a strong signal for the heat transition in industry and the district heating sector,” said Fabian Sacharowitz, CEO of ecop. “The support from KSB, the EIC Fund and our other partners will enable us to transfer our Rotation Heat Pump to series production, expand our technology worldwide and also make it a leader in the higher performance ranges of large heat pumps.”
“This financing round provides the opportunity for rapid scaling in order to support industry with decarbonization as soon as possible.”
ecop Technologies
Innovative technology
Unlike conventional heat pumps, ecop uses a rotating system that compresses a noble gas mixture via centrifugal force, eliminating the need for phase changes. As the gas moves outward, it compresses and warms up, transferring heat through an exchanger. As it returns inward, it cools and absorbs heat to create a continuous and efficient cycle.
Designed specifically for industrial applications, ecop’s heat pump can deliver up to 10MW (2,843TR) of thermal energy and reach output temperatures of up to 200°C (392°F). It is particularly effective for district heating, steam production and applications requiring high temperature lifts without the need for cascaded systems, Sacharowitz told NaturalRefrigerants.com.
A key advantage is its ability to deliver simultaneous heating and cooling, making it valuable for multi-temperature processes in the food and beverage industry, for example.
Ecop’s technology uses ambient air or industrial waste heat as an energy source and achieves a COP between 4 and 7. By contrast, most conventional heat pumps top out at a COP of 5 and are typically limited to output temperatures of 80°C (176°F), according to ecop.
“About two-thirds of industrial energy demand is for heat, so there is enormous decarbonization potential here,” noted Stephan Timmermann, a spokesperson for KSB management.
Future plans
To date, ecop has produced four of its Rotation Heat Pumps; one of which is currently operating at a biomass utility while another is being tested at the company’s own facility. These initial units were built with ecop’s original rotor design, which Sacharowitz said was limited in both rotation speed and temperature lift.
To address these constraints, ecop has redesigned its rotor to enable temperature lifts of up to 100°C (180°F) and achieve maximum output temperatures of 200°C. The upgraded design also simplifies the manufacturing process, laying the foundation for more efficient, large-scale production, he added.
The first unit featuring the new rotor will be delivered later this year. Series production is scheduled to begin in 2026 followed by full-scale manufacturing in 2027 at ecop’s new production facility in Wiener Neudorf, Austria.
In the near term, ecop’s commercial focus will remain firmly on the European market where industrial heat decarbonization efforts are accelerating. From 2029, the company plans to expand its operations outside of Europe, although no plans have yet been made.
“Due to our [globally] active investor KSB, we are able to deliver outside Europe before 2029 in case of interesting business opportunities,” Sacharowitz explained. “The intention is to make the Rotation Heat Pump a globally relevant technology solution to drive the [industrial] heat transition, free of f-gases and PFAS [per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances].”
“The intention is to make the Rotation Heat Pump a globally relevant technology solution to drive the [industrial] heat transition, free of f-gases and PFAS.”
Fabian Sacharowitz, CEO of ecop
Strategic support
Beyond the financial investment, Ecop has said it is also leveraging the technical and strategic expertise of its partners.
“We are also gaining strong innovation partners with in-depth expertise who will provide us with targeted support in the further development of our technology,” said Bernhard Adler, CTO and Founder of ecop. “This partnership paves the way for establishing our technology as the leading solution for industrial heat pumps.”
The EIC Fund has expressed strong confidence in ecop’s potential.
“This solution provides a scalable means to modernize industrial heating processes that contribute significantly to global energy demand,” said Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board.
In 2024, the EIC Accelerator awarded ecop €2.5 million ($2.85 million) in grant funding and €6 million ($6.85 million) in equity. The funding was to support the final development of ecop’s next-generation rotor design and to establish the foundations for scaled production.
