Volytica on maximizing battery value with advanced diagnostics

Can you share the story behind your company and its core technology?

Claudius Jehle, volytica CEO and founder: Volytica diagnostics is an international provider of data-driven battery analysis and continuous monitoring. Our cloud-based software analyzes operating data – via API [application programming interface monitoring], cloud-to-cloud, or directly from existing platforms – and detects safety-relevant anomalies, assesses aging and condition, and provides precise information on performance, risk, and residual value. Our vision: Every battery should be able to reach its full potential – safely, efficiently, and sustainably throughout its entire lifecycle. At the heart of our solution is “vdx sentry,” the virtually integrated battery expert. It prioritizes events, makes recommendations, and delivers results via dashboards or interfaces directly to the customer system.

Who are your customers?

Our customers are companies that operate, monitor, or market battery systems – particularly in the areas of battery energy storage and electromobility. In the area of ​​stationary storage, these include energy suppliers, operators, project developers, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) companies, and asset managers. They use our software for technical evaluation, warranty monitoring, and optimization during ongoing operations. In the field of e-mobility, we work with public transport companies, fleet operators, workshops, and testing service providers; for example, for e-buses, e-trucks, and e-cars. The focus here is on condition assessment, failure prevention, and residual value analysis; also for second-life applications or resale. Our solution is used in individual vehicles as well as in megawatt-scale storage systems and international fleets. We are also increasingly receiving inquiries from the micromobility sector.

What problem or challenge do your customers have?

Our customers are faced with the challenge of not being able to reliably assess the condition of their battery systems. For stationary storage systems, this particularly affects performance losses, warranty violations, thermal risks, and hidden cell faults. Without reliable diagnostics, operators, EPCs, or insurers cannot prove technical integrity. Furthermore, the basis for trading and electricity market participation is lacking to operate storage systems in a targeted manner – optimized for performance but within manufacturer-specified limits. In the mobility sector; safety, failure prevention, and reliable condition assessments are crucial; for example, for fleets, during resale, or when replacing batteries after the warranty expires.

What solutions are currently available on the market?

The battery management system (BMS) is an essential component for daily operation, providing local and real-time protection against acute malfunctions. However, the hardware is not designed for continuous analysis of long-term degradation, operating behavior, or residual value. The solution: supplementing it with condition monitoring. Manufacturer solutions often offer only limited insight, are system-specific, and rarely integrate with fleet, SCADA, or energy management systems. Those operating different storage systems, or electric vehicles work with multiple dashboards. Other providers cover individual use cases – from laboratory analyses to cloud solutions. These are often difficult to transfer or not scalable. Holistic solutions, even for one-time assessments (e.g., for commissioning, resale), are rare.

What solution do you offer your customers and do you have a unique selling point?

We offer cloud-based software for the continuous or point-in-time evaluation of battery systems. This is manufacturer-independent, sensor-free, and can be performed directly from real operating data via API or cloud-to-cloud. What sets us apart: Our solution goes far beyond mere data display. The virtual battery expert vdx sentry actively supports teams with in-depth analysis, clear prioritization using a traffic light system, and concrete recommendations for action. This allows risks to be minimized, operating costs to be reduced, and residual values ​​to be assessed in depth – even without in-house battery expertise. Particularly unique are the seamless integration into existing platforms (e.g., SCADA, EMS, and fleet portals) and the scalability for large portfolios. As a white-label solution, it also strengthens our partners’ brands and after-sales services.

 What data do you use for analysis and what do you need for analysis?

We analyze sensor data such as voltage, current, temperature, and state of charge – data that is already recorded in almost all battery systems but is usually not systematically evaluated. Our analysis allows us to reliably detect aging, anomalies, and trends.

Can you give a rough example of how to extract user-relevant information from the data?

Our software detects, early on, when the cells in a battery are behaving differently, for example in terms of voltage or temperature. In one case, a rapidly increasing imbalance between individual cells was observed. Our algorithm classified this as a safety risk and issued a clear warning. In addition, detailed symptoms, a technical diagnosis, and concrete recommendations for action were provided, such as checking the cell, adjusting the charging behavior, or considering replacement. We standardize such warnings according to categories such as safety, performance, or value retention. They enable operators to make informed decisions even without in-depth battery expertise. You can compare it to a tire gradually going flat while driving: At first it rolls normally, then becomes unstable and at some point it becomes dangerous. Our software sounds the alarm long before it gets to that point.

In Germany, when it comes to battery diagnostics, Accure and Twaice immediately come to mind. Do you have a similar approach and offer similar services to customers or are there significant differences?

We were all founded around the same time, between 2018 and 2020, and pursue similar goals. We analyze battery data to identify risks and optimize operation and service life. The key difference for us lies in our implementation: With vdx sentry, we provide growing portfolios with a virtual battery expert who provides clear, prioritized recommendations for action. Instead of isolated dashboards, we rely on seamless API integration into existing systems. This way, information doesn’t get lost in the software jungle. Our solution is based on more than 10 years of experience in research and practice and is continuously evolving, for example through collaborations with Enspired in the trading area, or with TÜV in the second-life area.

With Enspired, like you, co-financed by EnBW New Ventures, what does your collaboration entail?

Our software shows the actual load on the battery – including aging, capacity, and warranty limits. This information flows directly into Enspired’s trading strategy as our algorithms are integrated into their software. This allows the storage to be used in a targeted manner to achieve long-term profit rather than rapid wear and tear.

Is there any evidence that the solution works and are there any references? If so, what are the references?

Our software is used worldwide for both continuous and ad hoc assessments. We currently monitor over 3 GWh of storage capacity and more than 100,000 battery modules on several continents. Since 2024, Enel Green Power has been using our predictive analytics solution in several stationary storage facilities. For Enel X, we support Latin America’s largest e-bus fleet with continuous monitoring. When monitoring more than 1,000 buses, relevant battery problems were identified in 7% of cases. In the DACH region, for example, we were able to detect critical cell deviations early on in 18-month-old vehicles. With “E-Health Charge,” we worked with Mahle to develop Europe’s fastest static battery assessment for electric cars – receiving awards at the Automobilwoche congress, among others. We also analyzed the battery health of 259 e-buses with TÜV Nord – one of the largest second-life transactions in Europe. Since July 2025, we have been part of the US funding program “The Clean Fight NY.”

To what extent does this solution advance the energy transition?

Batteries are a central component of the energy transition. They stabilize power grids, enable the integration of renewable energy, and are used in electricity trading, electromobility, and second-life applications. Our vision: “Every battery must be used to its true potential.” Our goal is the safe, sustainable, and efficient use of batteries. We provide the technical foundation for this. Continuous battery monitoring enables users to extend the service life of their batteries, increase operational reliability, and operate them economically and sustainably throughout their entire life cycle. This covers the period from factory acceptance in the country of manufacture through operation to residual value assessment and second- or third-life applications. In this way, we are not only contributing to the energy transition but are also committed to combating the throwaway mentality – for a future that also offers prospects for our children.

How are you financed?

Volytica was founded in 2019 as a spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI, and is backed by several financing rounds with strong partners. In 2024, we closed a round of €5.5 million ($6.4 million), led by Shift Invest and EnBW New Ventures. Previous investors included the Fraunhofer Technology Transfer Fund, Atlantic Labs, InnoEnergy SE, TGFS [Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen], MBG [Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft] Sachsen, and strategic business angels. Our investors contribute not only capital but also valuable industry expertise and market access. The funds will be used to further develop our platform, scale, and expand internationally.

Do you have any questions for pv magazine readers?

• Why has battery analysis not been widely used so far, even though the battery is the most expensive and complex system?
• Is there a lack of awareness of the problem?
• What is currently preventing you from using external diagnostic solutions?
• Is it the cost, the effort, the complexity, the lack of integration or a lack of trust?
• What would be necessary for you to choose continuous battery monitoring?

We look forward to exchanging ideas with everyone responsible for battery systems, whether in operation, project planning, financing, insurance, or marketing.

Please send your questions and comments to Start-up-des-monats@vireo.vc (at pv magazine and Vireo). We will forward them to our contact people.

This article is part of our “Start-up of the Month” series, originally published by pv magazine Germany in collaboration with Vireo Ventures. Each month, we feature an emerging company that is reshaping the solar and storage landscape. This month’s spotlight is Volytica.

From pv magazine Deutschland.