Lerta

Lerta S.A. operates as an energy technology firm, providing solutions for entities involved in the production, distribution, and trading of electricity and gas. Founded in 2015 by Borys Tomala and Krzysztof Drożyński, the company is headquartered in Poznań, Poland. Lerta has developed a comprehensive platform that utilizes proprietary hardware and software to facilitate the digital transformation of utility companies. This enables clients to manage dispersed power units, automate decision-making processes, and enhance operational efficiency.

The company's business model encompasses several areas within the energy sector. As a licensed trading company, Lerta offers electricity to business clients, with pricing based on hourly wholesale market rates, and provides options for energy sourced from 100% renewable origins, certified by guarantees of origin. A core component of its offering is a sophisticated Virtual Power Plant (VPP) platform. This technology aggregates and controls distributed energy resources, allowing Lerta to participate in Demand Side Response (DSR) programs. By 2023, the company had secured a significant position in the Polish DSR market with a capacity of 150 MW. The platform's capabilities in metering and analyzing electricity consumption and generation are central to its service, catering to both household and business customers.

Lerta's journey has been marked by steady growth and strategic partnerships. Early recognition included being named one of the top 30 global energy tech companies by Silicon Valley experts in 2016 and completing the MIT Enterprise Forum Poland acceleration program in 2017. The company initially secured PLN 2.5 million in a 2018 seed round from investors like PGE Ventures and ValueTech Seed. Over three funding rounds, Lerta raised a total of $3.26 million. Its trajectory shifted significantly following investments from Photon Energy Group, which first invested in December 2020. By November 2022, Photon Energy had acquired a majority stake and completed a full takeover by the end of December 2022, integrating Lerta into its organization. As part of this acquisition, the founders, Borys Tomala and Krzysztof Drożyński, transitioned their Lerta shares into an equity stake in Photon Energy N.V. Borys Tomala was subsequently appointed to lead Photon Energy's New Energy Division, which combines Lerta's operations with Photon's on-site energy generation business.

Keywords: Lerta, energy technology, Virtual Power Plant, VPP, Demand Side Response, DSR, energy trading, electricity supply, smart metering, energy management, grid optimization, distributed energy resources, renewable energy, utility software, Borys Tomala, Krzysztof Drożyński, Photon Energy Group, Poland, energy analytics, grid services