OREANDA-NEWS. GDF SUEZ New Ventures, the €100 million investment fund created in May by GDF SUEZ targeting innovative startups, has completed its first investment. In less than three months since the fund's creation, it acquired a 33% equity stake in Powerdale, a young Belgian company specialized in energy monitoring and electrical mobility, thus confirming the GDF SUEZ commitment to gain new businesses in the energy sector where transformation is in full swing.

Powerdale customers, GDF SUEZ subsidiaries Electrabel and Cofely, are working together with Powerdale on its sub-metering system and have collaborated closely on the company's introduction of CarPlug.

Energy monitoring is a major challenge for the future. Powerdale is therefore developing a professional use sub-metering system, providing full-service from data capture to detailed dashboard consumption reports (natural gas, electricity, water, compressed air, steam and other), including use predictions based on statistical models and alerts in case of unexpected consumption.

CarPlug is a single or dual charging station installed either outside or inside. Unique in the market, CarPlug is a “smart” system, not only supplying electricity to the vehicle but also reporting consumption and with a remote monitoring capability. CarPlug is a universal solution compatible with all types of rechargeable vehicles and the capacity to charge up to 60% faster than the standard vehicle cable.

The combination of the Powerdale smart meter and CarPlug makes it possible to quickly read from smart phone or the Internet a vehicle's electricity consumption and cost. Companies that provide employees an electric vehicle can thereby monitor and pay for the vehicle's recharging, even when it is done at the employee's home.