This startup is working to harness geothermal energy using “portable” units to deliver power, independent of access to the grid and weather conditions.
See our guide to this year’s hottest new businesses and most exceptional founders in the complete 2026 Startups 100 index.
Founders: Helle Ehrenreich, Simon Bakshi, and Neil Wands
Year founded: 2022
Website: microthermalenergy.com
The decarbonisation of energy is one of the issues of our age. This is on top of ageing grids, increased demand, and the need to update infrastructure including car charging options.
The London-based team behind Micro Thermal Energy is setting out to address this by harnessing geothermal heat to generate reliable and renewable energy. This will be achieved with no CO2 emissions and by supplying baseload power to reduce grid reliance and thereby increasing resilience.
The team describes their design as a ‘lightweight’ option. “Ideally, we wanted the equivalent of small, local solar panel installations, just using heat coming from the opposite direction (underground),” they explain.
This design uses Thermawynd® Technology. “By adapting the proven mechanics of a wind turbine for a self-contained underground system, we provide a power source that is reliable and revolutionary,” the team explains. Micro Thermal Energy will tap into the low-to-moderate heat found at shallower depths, rather than “high-temperature volcanic geology”.
This project was inspired by the “range anxiety” many electric vehicle owners complain about. The founders started working on a solution that delivers clean, continuous baseload power, independent of weather and grid availability. The team is collaborating with industry experts at Cranfield University, a leading turbo-machinery institute. They have also received letters of intent from two large estates, which are looking to install pilot systems on their sites to secure clean energy and reach their emission targets.
The target audience is high-intensive businesses, EV/eHGV charging hubs and data centres, as well as remote locations that do not have access to grid infrastructure.
By adapting the proven mechanics of a wind turbine for a self-contained underground system, we provide a power source that is reliable and revolutionary.
Ehrenreich says that she made the decision to work full time on the project with no income, but has been rewarded with an Innovate UK grant for ‘Women in Innovation’.
The next step is to be recognised as a renewable energy company, and to then have the technology commercially proven. And then, by 2030, Micro Thermal Energy will hopefully play a key role in helping the UK in its energy transition and bid to achieve resilience.
View the full Startups 100 Index for 2026
1. Omnea
2. HIVED
3. MAGIC AI
4. OXCCU
5. Lightyear
6. Neuranics
7. Hormona
8. Burbank
9. Better Dairy
10. Lenkie Technologies
11. Userled
12. Hoxton Farms
13. Rensair
14. PulpaTronics
15. TradeKart
16. 32Co
17. Carmoola
18. cheqd
19. Currence
20. Adamo Foods
21. Bold Bean Co
22. Beams Renovation
23. Pan Galactic
24. Capi Money
25. Spotted Zebra
26. ANTHROTEK
27. Unravel
28. Perci Health
29. Untap Health
30. Hair Syrup
31. Connect Earth
32. spacebands
33. Unfabled
34. Lightning Reach
35. STOCKED
36. Embeddable
37. XR Therapeutics
38. Literal Labs
39. Scooch
40. Openr
41. Fibe Limited
42. Inicio AI
43. Peachies
44. Better Nature
45. Ctrl Alt
46. Resting Reef
47. Nila
48. ROXFIT
49. Finmile
50. NavLive
51. Volunteero
52. Inntelo AI
53. Zonova
54. A&B Smart Materials
55. Ethicronics
56. Treeapp
57. kennek
58. Soil Benchmark
59. Vox Aeris
60. Asan Cup
61. Nuuri
62. Mindstone
63. MYNDUP
64. Enbiosis Biotechnology
65. JUX Food
66. Danu Robotics
67. Wylde Market
68. Air Aware Labs
69. Mimicrete Ltd
70. ALYVE
71. Happl
72. Living Things
73. Grub Club Pets
74. Mealia
75. PetProov
76. Lylo Products
77. Chest
78. ZIM Connections
79. Uptime Labs
80. Teal
81. Zero Fintech
82. Micro Thermal Energy
83. Kanjo
84. Merlin Cloud
85. My Skin Feels
86. Eleria
87. Cashblack
88. RevvedUp
89. Cosysense
90. SuperFi
91. Loom
92. Legacy Compass
93. Meshed
94. SWURF
95. Main Squeeze
96. Sampl Technologies
97. Over the Moo
98. Pioneering People
99. Bikebook
100. Recondition
