Furo Raises $4 Million After Leaving Silicon Valley for Munich
Munich battery software startup Furo raises $4 million from U.S. investors, lands Deutsche Bahn and says Germany gives energy founders a clear cost edge.
Summary
As of September 10, 2026, Furo’s three 28-year-old founders, Lena Sophia Voß, Leonie Wagner and Simon Wittner, say leaving Silicon Valley for Munich accelerated their business. Founded one year earlier to help industrial companies cut electricity costs through battery storage software, Furo has raised $4 million, mostly from U.S. investors, and secured enterprise customers including Deutsche Bahn. The Delaware C Corp’s round was led by TQ Ventures, with Neo, Sheryl Sandberg’s Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners and Munich’s Center for Digital Technology and Management, known as CDTM, participating.
CDTM, linked to the founders’ alma mater TU Munich, connected them to Stanford and UC Berkeley. Furo briefly operated from the U.S. as Lumera Energy in Neo’s accelerator, but the founders judged Germany’s repeated energy crises, customer proximity and local networks more important. After stints at Apple, Google X and AI startups, all three declined full-time offers despite having visas to stay. Voß says Munich provides customer referrals, operational mentors, technical university recruits, talent comparable with the U.S., lower engineering salaries and less competition from Big Tech, stretching Furo’s funding further. The company retains its Silicon Valley ties, visiting the U.S. three or four times annually for administration, existing investors and potential new backers.
Positives
- $4 million from mostly U.S. backers gives Furo more runway while it operates with Germany’s lower engineering salaries.
- Deutsche Bahn became an enterprise customer within Furo’s first year, validating demand for its industrial battery storage software.
- TQ Ventures, Neo, Sandberg Bernthal Venture Partners and CDTM joined Furo’s funding round.
- Munich networks generated early customer referrals, operational mentorship and access to technical university recruits.
- Lower Big Tech competition makes German engineering talent more accessible while maintaining quality comparable with the U.S.
Risks & concerns
- Germany has moved through repeated energy crises over five years, intensifying the electricity cost problem Furo targets.
- Operating from the U.S. as Lumera Energy made customer proximity and network access in Germany more difficult.
- Furo still relies heavily on U.S. capital despite gaining operational advantages from its Munich base.
- Three or four annual U.S. trips remain necessary for administration and meetings with current or prospective investors.
- Immigration restrictions are affecting technology workers, although Furo’s founders had visas and returned voluntarily.