SolidWatts raises CHF 1.8M to switch industrial heating from gas to clean electricity

Swiss startup SolidWatts has secured CHF 1.8 million in Seed funding to advance the development and commercialisation of its industrial process heating technology. The company is preparing for market entry as it scales its platform and initiates pilot projects with industrial partners.

SolidWatts develops a solid-state Radio Frequency (RF) platform designed to replace fossil fuel-based heating systems in industrial applications. The technology enables high-power dielectric heating, offering an alternative to conventional boilers, ovens, and furnaces.

The system operates by generating electromagnetic waves that heat materials internally, similar to the principle used in microwave ovens. This approach enables more direct energy transfer, with over 80% of electrical input converted into usable heating power. As a result, energy losses to surrounding infrastructure are reduced, and overall process efficiency improves. The solid-state architecture also limits maintenance requirements and supports high system uptime.

The platform targets energy-intensive industries, including chemical and pharmaceutical production, food processing, carbon capture, and advanced recycling. By electrifying heating processes, SolidWatts, a Venture Kick alumnus, a Venture Leaders Cleantech participant, and ranked among the Top100 Swiss Startups, aims to reduce both energy consumption and CO2 emissions across these sectors.

According to the company, electrifying even a small share of industrial heating processes could have a measurable environmental impact. Replacing just 1% of these processes with its technology could reduce global CO2 emissions by an estimated 36 million tonnes annually, equivalent to removing millions of cars from circulation.

SolidWatts was founded in November 2022. The concept originated from high-power RF applications used in scientific research. Drawing on experience at CERN, where such systems are deployed in large-scale experiments, the founding team identified an opportunity to adapt the technology for industrial energy use.

The recently secured CHF 1.8 million seed funding will help scale the platform to higher power levels and launch pilot projects with industrial partners looking to reduce energy costs and emissions.