Meet the startup putting people back at the heart of energy efficiency in cities
Kapacity.io is a cloud-based AI tool that optimises energy use in buildings to help customers reduce costs and save energy. By adjusting heating and cooling systems’ consumption based on energy prices, weather forecasts and people’s thermal comfort, building owners can save on bills while reducing their CO2 footprint.
Rami El Geneidy co-founded Kapacity.io during his PhD at Loughborough University, and joined Conception X to complement his research background with the skills needed to found and operate a startup.
“Being a long-term programme spanning nine months rather than weeks provided us with an effective platform to develop from scratch and grow into a startup that helps its customers to make buildings more energy efficient and comfortable for people to be in,” El Geneidy says.
There were challenges to starting the programme right before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The lack of physical contact cut down spontaneous interactions with other founders,” El Geneidy says.
At the same time, Conception X’s shift from an in-person to a virtual programme opened up new opportunities.
“For the Kapacity.io team, it was a chance to rethink ways of working, have more time to network with potential customers and absorb everything that Conception X had to offer,” he says.
Now, Kapacity.io aims to disrupt the energy sector by putting people back at the heart of the equation. The team has developed a solution that was designed around people’s comfort and preferences. The focus of their optimisation efforts is the end user rather than the technical system itself, as it has traditionally been the case.
After pitching live at this year’s Conception X’s Demo Day, El Geneidy and his team won the Rocket Award for their venture.
“We were humbled. It was a signal that we need to continue on a trajectory of rapid growth, not for our own sake or the company itself but to help realise the vision we believe in, which is a society that emits less carbon and is more sustainable,” El Geneidy says.
“What I have taken away from Conception X has been to not shy away from challenges and adversities but to face them with an open mind, while also helping others that struggle with those same challenges.”
To find out more about Kapacity.io: https://kapacity.io/ and https://conceptionx.org/cohortthree/
