Fortum Optimizer: Helping businesses reduce electricity costs and earn revenue from the grid

The problem

For businesses with high electricity consumption, price volatility makes it difficult to predict and control costs. Investing in batteries and other energy assets can provide greater flexibility, but managing this equipment effectively requires specialist expertise.

Fortum recognized a need to help its customers navigate the complexity.

How we got involved

Fortum Innovation & Venturing (I&V) began by talking directly to businesses about their energy challenges. The team then drew on expertise from across Fortum to develop a business concept that was subsequently taken forward as an internal venture.

Rather than building the technology from scratch, Fortum I&V looked for a partner that could help to bring the service to market. Swedish company Fifty Energy stood out with its AI software platform for managing distributed energy assets.

What we did together

Fortum Optimizer combines Fifty Energy’s software platform with Fortum’s energy market expertise and established B2B customer relationships.

Gateways installed at Fortum customer sites connect their energy assets to the platform, which uses real-time data to optimize electricity consumption, storage and production. This helps the businesses to reduce costs by shifting their consumption to periods of lower prices. Businesses can also generate additional revenue by trading available capacity on energy flexibility markets.

The companies began working together on a pilot project in early 2025. Later that year, Fortum I&V made a EUR 1.4 million strategic investment in Fifty Energy, strengthening the partnership and supporting further development of the service.