autarc

autarc develops a software platform (described by the company as an operating system, and on its Y Combinator page as an "agentic OS") for energy installers — HVAC/SHK and electrical trade businesses that design and install heat pumps, photovoltaic systems, storage and wallboxes. The product spans the full customer process in one system: office functions (customer management, quotes, invoices, customer portal, an AI voice/phone agent that takes inquiries around the clock and assigns them to projects), heating system design (LiDAR-based building capture, heat load calculation, hydraulic balancing, heat pump sizing), PV design (digital roof survey, module layout, shading analysis, yield simulation), and field work via a Field App with offline capability for documenting construction progress and producing acceptance protocols.

Additional service modules cover applications for public subsidies, energy performance certificates, grid registration and oil tank disposal. AI features include an assistant called Scotty (available in-app and via WhatsApp) for project questions and document analysis, workflow automation for recurring tasks, AI validation of heating and PV designs, and sales support such as analysis of competitor quotes and automated lead qualification. A cooling load calculator for air conditioning systems is marketed as a recent addition. The company states its software reduces heat pump planning and installation time by up to 12 hours per project (Y Combinator materials cite 50% project time reduction and 24+ hours saved per home energy project), based on capturing up to 800+ data points per property.

Founding story

autarc was founded in Berlin in January 2023 by Etienne-Noel Krause (CEO) and Thies Hansen (COO), joined by Marius Seufzer as CTO. Krause worked nearly four years in the HVAC industry and studied heating engineering part-time; Hansen brings operations, finance and tech experience from Trade Republic, Partech and Hamburg Süd, and Seufzer was previously lead iOS engineer at Sameday Health and worked on Passkeys at Apple. The founders spoke with roughly 80 installation firms to understand why installers, despite strong demand, lacked the tools and skills to shift to heat pumps.

Business model

Software-as-a-Service sold to installation companies; the December 2023 funding announcement states the business model is based on a SaaS subscription for installers. Adjacent services (subsidy applications, energy certificates, grid registration, oil tank disposal) are offered from within the software.

Subscription revenue from trade businesses using the platform; the company reported a 7-digit ARR with 380 customers at the time of its Y Combinator launch post.

Traction

380 customers and a 7-digit ARR at the time of the Y Combinator launch post; more than 2,000 businesses in Europe using the software per the company website. Customers report planning time savings of 10–12 hours per project, with Daume GmbH citing up to 10 hours saved per renovation; the company cites up to 20 hours saved per installation and a 50% reduction in overall project time. Trustpilot rating of 4.7/5.

Latest developments

Product expansion beyond heat pump planning into PV design, office/CRM and field operations, plus AI capabilities: the Scotty AI assistant in-app and via WhatsApp, an AI phone/voice agent for round-the-clock inquiry handling, workflow automation, AI validation of heating and PV designs, and AI sales tools. A cooling load calculator for air conditioning systems is highlighted as new. A February 2025 report describes a raise of $8.95 million to expand the platform, market reach and R&D.