Reactive Technologies secures multi-million-pound investment from Equinor

Reactive Technologies has secured an multi-million-pound investment from Equinor.

The smart energy startup provides measurement and analytics tools for grid operators as well as optimisation services for renewable generators.

Working with National Grid, the company has developed a way of accurately gauging system inertia in real time by altering the load on the electricity network and then monitoring the effect on frequency.

The technology emerged from attempts to send communications through the power grid.

Reactive Technologies has previously received funding from Octopus Investments, RES and most recently Ingenious Infrastructure in October last year. The company says the last two investments, including the one from Equinor, are worth an eight-figure sum.

Its co-founder and chief executive, Marc Borrett, said: “We are delighted that Equinor has joined us as a strategic investor. Their investment demonstrates a further validation of our business model and growth potential.

“The additional funds enable us to expand our team of energy and communications engineering experts and to significantly scale up our power purchase optimisation and grid measurement and analytics services to reach renewable generators and system operators globally.”

Gareth Burns, vice president at Equinor and managing director of Equinor Energy Ventures, said: “Reactive has developed a unique technology to monitor the power grid using real time analytics which combined with the power trading team creates the potential to accelerate the energy transition.

“This additional funding will allow Reactive Technologies to speed up international growth and to continue to develop and deploy its growing range of highly innovative services.”

Equinor was formerly known as Statoil.