Berlin—Spark e-Fuels is taking a major step toward cost-effective sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production with its €2.3 million pre-seed funding round, led by Nucleus Capital. The financing will support Spark’s first e-fuel pilot plant and further develop its patented demand-responsive technology, which eliminates the biggest cost barriers in e-fuel production by efficiently integrating intermittent renewable energy sources.
Renewable energy has long been seen as a key pathway for SAF production, yet the challenge of intermittency in wind and solar power has hindered large-scale adoption. Traditional e-fuel processes depend on a steady supply of electricity and hydrogen, requiring expensive storage solutions and grid infrastructure. Spark’s innovation decouples key production steps, allowing for variable energy inputs without compromising efficiency. This approach significantly reduces production costs, making e-fuels a more viable alternative to fossil kerosene.
“For sustainable aviation fuel to become the industry standard, production must be both scalable and cost-competitive,” said Mathias Bösl, CEO and Co-Founder of Spark e-Fuels. “Our technology unlocks this potential by integrating renewable energy in a demand-responsive way.”
Beyond aviation, Spark’s demand-responsive technology has major implications for the chemical industry, the second-largest industrial greenhouse gas emitter after steel. As the sector moves toward electrification, managing variable energy supply will be critical to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
“For sustainable aviation fuel to become the industry standard, production must be both scalable and cost-competitive.”
The funding round attracted a diverse group of climate-tech investors, including Zero Carbon Capital, IBB Ventures, Chemovator, Voyagers.io, and 1.5° Ventures, as well as business angels from leading energy and aviation firms like Shell, Lufthansa, BP, Siemens Energy, and McKinsey.
“We were drawn to Spark’s ability to integrate renewable energy into chemical production in a demand-responsive way,” said Isabella Fandrych, General Partner at Nucleus Capital. “This approach is not only essential for SAF but has wider applications across the chemical industry, which must decarbonize rapidly.”
In addition to venture funding, Spark e-Fuels has received €300,000 in grants and won the 2024 UpLink Sustainable Aviation Challenge, a World Economic Forum initiative recognizing innovations in aviation decarbonization.
With a growing $50 billion investment pipeline into SAF, Spark’s scalable, cost-effective solution positions it as a key player in sustainable fuel production.
Berlin—Spark e-Fuels is taking a major step toward cost-effective sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production with its €2.3 million pre-seed funding round, led by Nucleus Capital. The financing will support Spark’s first e-fuel pilot plant and further develop its patented demand-responsive technology, which eliminates the biggest cost barriers in e-fuel production by efficiently integrating intermittent renewable energy sources.
Renewable energy has long been seen as a key pathway for SAF production, yet the challenge of intermittency in wind and solar power has hindered large-scale adoption. Traditional e-fuel processes depend on a steady supply of electricity and hydrogen, requiring expensive storage solutions and grid infrastructure. Spark’s innovation decouples key production steps, allowing for variable energy inputs without compromising efficiency. This approach significantly reduces production costs, making e-fuels a more viable alternative to fossil kerosene.
“For sustainable aviation fuel to become the industry standard, production must be both scalable and cost-competitive,” said Mathias Bösl, CEO and Co-Founder of Spark e-Fuels. “Our technology unlocks this potential by integrating renewable energy in a demand-responsive way.”
Beyond aviation, Spark’s demand-responsive technology has major implications for the chemical industry, the second-largest industrial greenhouse gas emitter after steel. As the sector moves toward electrification, managing variable energy supply will be critical to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
The funding round attracted a diverse group of climate-tech investors, including Zero Carbon Capital, IBB Ventures, Chemovator, Voyagers.io, and 1.5° Ventures, as well as business angels from leading energy and aviation firms like Shell, Lufthansa, BP, Siemens Energy, and McKinsey.
“We were drawn to Spark’s ability to integrate renewable energy into chemical production in a demand-responsive way,” said Isabella Fandrych, General Partner at Nucleus Capital. “This approach is not only essential for SAF but has wider applications across the chemical industry, which must decarbonize rapidly.”
In addition to venture funding, Spark e-Fuels has received €300,000 in grants and won the 2024 UpLink Sustainable Aviation Challenge, a World Economic Forum initiative recognizing innovations in aviation decarbonization.
With a growing $50 billion investment pipeline into SAF, Spark’s scalable, cost-effective solution positions it as a key player in sustainable fuel production.
