Berlin-based Bees & Bears, a climate-focused FinTech, has raised €5 million in seed funding, led by Extantia Capital and Contrarian Ventures. This follows a €2 million pre-seed round in 2024 and comes shortly after the company secured a €500 million financing framework with a European bank, marking it as the first climate FinTech in Europe to achieve such a facility. The funds will enable the financing of up to 25,000 solar installations, heat pumps, and battery storage systems over the next two years.
Founded in 2023 by Marius Schondelmaier and Jakob von Egidy, Bees & Bears offers embedded finance solutions that empower local installers to provide flexible financing options for climate technologies directly during consultations. Their platform facilitates real-time credit checks, bypassing traditional banks, thereby accelerating deal closures and easing access to renewable energy for households.
The new capital will support the company’s rapid expansion to meet growing demand, with plans to enter commercial and industrial segments and expand into neighboring European markets. Bees & Bears aims to triple its workforce and solidify its status as Europe’s leading embedded-finance platform for climate technologies.
The system streamlines renewable energy adoption by allowing installers to generate quotes, input customer data, and receive instant payment approvals through automated verification. This approach removes the need for large upfront payments or prolonged bank negotiations, benefiting both customers and installers.
Co-CEO Marius Schondelmaier stated, “We are building the financing infrastructure that democratizes access to climate technologies across Europe. Instalment purchases are becoming the new norm for expanding renewable energy access. Our mission is to enable one trillion euros in sustainable financing.”
Yair Reem, partner at Extantia Capital, emphasized the importance of overcoming bureaucratic and financial barriers in the energy transition, highlighting Bees & Bears’ role in providing the necessary infrastructure for households and installers to expedite renewable energy expansion.
