Nanolope develops plant-based panels using PCMs/phase change materials (we’ll explain what this complex term means in a moment), which can be installed on ceilings, walls, or floors. The material absorbs heat when the room temperature rises, stores it during the phase change, and releases it as temperatures drop. This allows interior spaces to be thermally stabilized and reduces heating and cooling loads. The effect of buildings storing and releasing heat and cold is nothing new—the Fraunhofer Institute, for example, has been researching PCMs for thermal energy storage in buildings for years (link from Fraunhofer in the comments).

Nanolope’s key approach therefore lies not in inventing the PCM principle itself, but in providing an easily retrofittable and scalable product solution for existing real estate. According to the company, the system can sometimes be installed in under 24 hours and could reduce energy costs by up to 50 percent. Those are certainly impressive claims, but we’ll stay tuned as initial projects might confirm them.

Nanolope was founded in 2025 by Dr. Felix Marske, Eric Matthes, and Dominik L. Schreiber. However, its technological development goes back further: the team was supported via the EXIST research transfer grant at TU Berlin from 2023 to 2025. In July 2026, Nanolope also won the Energy Startup Cup 2026. A great example of a university spin-off!

We wish them every success!