Elax Énergie
A Paris climate-tech company fitting a connected thermostat to existing electric water heaters to cut waste and shift demand to the hours most favourable to the grid.
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Podcast Episode
🎙️ Deep Dive
Legora, Pigment, Elax Énergie — $800M for professional AI and €30M for energy flexibility — Daily News October 21, 2026
Listen to the episodeAbout Elax Énergie
Founded in Paris in 2021 by Thomas Tirtiaux (CEO), Samuel Beaussier and Jean-François Eggericx, Elax Énergie fits existing electric water heaters with a connected thermostat, made in Lannion, that communicates over a mobile network without using the home’s Wi-Fi. The device adapts temperature and heating cycles to actual needs and shifts hot-water production to the most favourable hours, so that the flexibility can be sold on electricity markets. The company reports nearly 100,000 homes equipped with more than 100 social-housing landlords and 20–25% savings on water-heater consumption, based on a method developed with Carbone 4. With a €30 million round from Noria and Crédit Mutuel Impact’s Fonds Révolution Environnementale et Solidaire, it aims to electrify collective boiler rooms and open the technology to tradespeople through the Elax Pro network.
The Story
Founded in Paris in 2021 by Thomas Tirtiaux, Samuel Beaussier and Jean-François Eggericx, initially serving social-housing landlords.
How Elax Énergie works
Business Model
B2B installation with social-housing landlords and, through tradespeople, B2B2C sales to apartment buildings and households; revenue from selling flexibility on electricity markets.
Revenue Model
Revenue from flexibility sold on electricity markets, which allowed the company to drop the subscription previously charged to landlords; revenue breakdown undisclosed.
Products & Services
Key Products
- Termostato connesso per scaldacqua
- Elettrificazione delle centrali termiche condominiali
- Elax Pro (rete di installatori)
Core Use Cases
- Water-heater cycle optimisation
- Electricity demand shifting
- Partial electrification of collective boiler rooms
Market & Clients
Key Customers
More than 100 social-housing landlords; expanding to apartment buildings, tradespeople and households.
Geographic Presence
How Elax Énergie competes
Competitive Advantages
- Installation in about 20 minutes on existing water heaters
- Mobile connectivity independent of household Wi-Fi
- Nearly 100,000 homes already equipped
How Elax Énergie grows
Growth Strategy
Expand within social housing, electrify collective boiler rooms, launch Elax Pro and hire 30 people by the end of 2027.
Distribution Model
Direct sales to housing operators and the Elax Pro installer network.
Moat (Defensibility)
Operational data on consumption profiles, a network of housing operators and installers, and installation and remote-management processes.
Regulatory Context
Flexibility and demand-response market rules, electrical-appliance standards and connected-device security.
Key Risks
- Actual savings varying by building and usage habits
- Large-scale installation and support costs
- Dependence on electricity-market rules
- Cybersecurity and data protection
Strategic Insights
- Demand flexibility can become distributed infrastructure without replacing existing appliances.
- Moving from social housing to a tradespeople channel expands the market while increasing distribution and support complexity.
Funding & Investors
Funding Rounds
- 2026 - Funding round (stadio non specificato): €30M
Key Investors
Founding Team
Founders
Key Metrics
Lessons from Elax Énergie
- Climate-tech products scale more easily when they improve the economics of an already installed asset.
- Savings claims should be verified by cohort, building and operating conditions.
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