Gyre Energy raises $1.3M to turn cold storage infrastructure into an active energy management asset

Industrial cooling accounts for one of the largest and least optimised energy loads in the global economy. Rising temperatures and growing electricity demand are putting increasing pressure on cooling infrastructure worldwide. For operators of large cold storage and logistics facilities, energy costs are among the highest, and until recently, active optimisation was not feasible without replacing major infrastructure.

Gyre Energy, an Oxford-based energy technology company founded in 2024 by Dougald Coulson, Michael McKenna, and Tom Gibson, has developed a platform that transforms industrial cooling infrastructure into a dynamic energy management tool. The AI layer creates a model of the thermal dynamics of each site, uses it to predict cooling requirements and moves load activity to periods when electricity is cheaper and has a lower carbon footprint. The thermal energy storage component works like a cold battery, accumulating cooling capacity during cheaper off-peak periods and drawing on it when grid prices rise, reducing the strain on the equipment during the most costly periods. The platform works alongside existing cooling controllers and does not require infrastructure replacement.

Gyre Energy has just secured over $1.3 million in pre-seed investment and grant funding. Speedinvest led the investment round, with Rule 30 and Plug and Play also participating. The capital will support large-scale cold chain deployment and expansion into the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Sources: Gyre Energy | BusinessGreen

Founders: Dougald Coulson, Michael McKenna, Tom Gibson