Bees & Bears receives 5 million euros in growth capital

Berlin-based climate FinTech Bees & Bears has now received €5 million in fresh capital from venture capitalists Extantia Capital and Contrarian Ventures after securing a €500 million financing framework in the spring. The company intends to use this to further expand its platform for financing climate technologies, grow its team and expand into new European markets.

Financing as a bottleneck in the energy transition

Despite high demand for solar systems, heat pumps and battery storage systems, the energy transition often comes to a standstill at one point: financing. According to a KfW study from 2024, 40% of German households cannot afford climate technologies without paying in installments. While large online platforms have long since integrated digital financing solutions, there is a lack of comparable options in large parts of the trade. Ultimately, local installers have a decisive role to play in implementing the energy transition.

This is where Bees & Bears comes in. The start-up is developing a digital embedded finance platform that enables trade businesses to offer their customers flexible installment payments directly during the consultation, without a bank appointment, without paperwork and with an immediate credit check.

Venture capital for growth follows 500 million euros in financing

At the beginning of 2025, Bees & Bears was the first climate FinTech in Europe to conclude a 500 million euro financing framework for end customer projects. The funds come from a listed European bank and enable the financing of around 25,000 energy projects via the platform.

We are building the financing infrastructure that democratizes access to climate technologies within Europe. Our goal is to enable a volume of one trillion euros in sustainable financing.

Marius Schondelmaier, Co-CEO and co-founder of Bees & Bears

With the current financing round of 5 million euros, the start-up now wants to scale its operating business, triple its team and expand into new market segments such as commercial and industrial customers (C&I) and neighboring European markets.

The operating principle is simple: the trade business creates a quote, enters the customer data digitally and an automated real-time check is carried out within seconds. If the assessment is positive, the installment payment is approved immediately. The process significantly reduces administrative work, speeds up purchasing decisions and ensures planning security for customers and businesses.

Investors see key role in the green transformation

The new investors see Bees & Bears as a key player in the success of the European energy transition.

The energy transition must not fail due to bureaucracy and financing obstacles.

Yair Reem, Partner at Extantia Capital.

Tomas Kemtys, Partner at Contrarian Ventures, also emphasizes the systemic relevance of new financial infrastructures: "Achieving climate neutrality by 2050 means closing an annual investment gap of 2.5 trillion US dollars in climate technologies. Bees & Bears is reshaping how capital flows into energy projects from the ground up."

Bees & Bears: FinTech meets climate impact

Bees & Bears was founded in 2023 by Jakob von Egidy and Marius Schondelmaier in Berlin. The start-up specializes in digital financial solutions for climate technologies. Installers, energy suppliers and service providers can use the platform to offer their customers installment purchase options, from PV systems to heat pumps and battery storage systems.

With the secured financing volume of 500 million euros and the new growth round, the company aims to become the leading embedded finance platform for climate technologies in Europe.

Financial technology as a driver of the energy transition

With its solution, Bees & Bears is addressing a key structural bottleneck: access to capital for private energy transition projects. While many political programs rely on subsidies and bureaucracy, the Berlin-based startup is creating a market-based, scalable approach that strengthens craft businesses and gives citizens direct access to climate protection investments, making Bees & Bears exemplary for a new generation of climate FinTechs that combine technological innovation with real economic impact and want to free the energy transition from the financing problem.