“Clear interplay of technology, market demand, and climate benefits” – Interview with Dr. Ingo Ramesohl, Managing Director of Bosch Ventures 

Rabot Energy develops solutions for dynamic electricity tariffs and intelligent control of flexible consumers. This is an important lever for better aligning demand with the fluctuating supply of renewable energies. 

Bosch Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of our fund investor Bosch, recently acquired a stake in Rabot Energy. This move strengthens a leading industry player’s commitment to a market that ensures grid stability, lower costs for consumers, and real climate benefits. 

On the occasion of the investment, we spoke with Dr. Ingo Ramesohl, Managing Director of Bosch Ventures, about the reasons for the investment, the collaboration with Rabot Energy, and the role of technology and data in the energy transition. 

How did Bosch Ventures become aware of Rabot Energy? 

We became aware of Rabot Energy because their approach is exactly what we are interested in: dynamic electricity tariffs combined with intelligent control of flexible consumers. It’s a strong concept with great potential for the future. Through regular exchanges with HTGF – we represent Bosch on the HTGF Digital Tech Investment Committee, for example – we were in contact with them at a very early stage. 

How did the collaboration with Rabot Energy develop? 

Excellently! From the outset, we were impressed by Rabot’s holistic approach – from price pass-through to control via app. In addition to the financial investment by Bosch Ventures, the collaboration between Bosch and Rabot is already yielding visible results: Bosch’s home appliances division, for example, has released a feature that automatically starts appliances at the most cost-effective time. For our Siemens Home Appliances brand, this was communicated as smartStart at the IFA – including a reference to Rabot Energy. 

What was the deciding factor in the investment decision? 

The decisive factor was the clear interplay of technology, market demand, and climate benefits – and the strong team behind Rabot. 

What potential do flexible electricity tariffs offer for electronics, automotive, and household appliances? 

Studies show that by 2035, around 10% of German electricity consumption could be balanced through flexible control. Flexible tariffs help to better match electricity demand with supply, especially when there is a lot of volatile generation from wind or solar in the grid. This creates stability, savings potential, and lower costs for consumers. In the automotive industry, flexible tariffs make it possible to control the charging times of electric cars so that they draw electricity when it is particularly cheap and climate friendly. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) offers further possibilities here. When it comes to household appliances, users can use their devices intelligently so that they run when electricity prices are low or when there is sufficient renewable electricity available – as Bosch demonstrated at IFA with smartStart. 

How do you see the role of technology and data in the energy market? 

They are a central component of the energy transition – through intelligent control, precise forecasts, and more efficient consumption. 

Thank you very much for your time and your insights!