Insights from the Physical World

Analysis, investment perspectives, and fund news across energy transition and resilient infrastructure systems.

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PT1 Family Day IX

PT1 Family Day IX

For the ninth time, PT1 brought together more than 100 investors, founders and innovation leaders in Berlin for our annual Family Day. It started with the Founders Camp, where our portfolio founders discussed questions that are currently top of mind for entrepreneurs, and ended late into the evening with flying dinner, drinks, and the kind of conversations that only happen when the right people are in the same room.

May 11, 2026
Startup Insider Podcast: Iran crisis, energy prices, venture capital: Where to invest now?

Startup Insider Podcast: Iran crisis, energy prices, venture capital: Where to invest now?

The Strait of Hormuz is closed. Energy prices are spiking. Supply chains are under pressure again. And in the background, a geopolitical order that Europe spent decades taking for granted is quietly being dismantled.

April 3, 2026
Whitepaper: The Race to a $10B Construction Robotics Giant

Whitepaper: The Race to a $10B Construction Robotics Giant

Hot take: the real divide in construction robotics isn’t hardware vs software. It’s who takes responsibility when things go wrong. Early on, construction robotics only works if someone is willing to own the mess.

March 27, 2026
Pathfounders Podcast with Mike Butcher: Will Infrastructure Be the Next Big Tech Category?

Pathfounders Podcast with Mike Butcher: Will Infrastructure Be the Next Big Tech Category?

Europe needs €6 trillion in infrastructure investment this decade. €4 trillion of that has no committed capital yet. That gap isn't a problem waiting to happen. It's a category being born. PT1 Managing Partner Nikolas Samios sat down with tech journalist legend Mike Butcher ✍️ for his new Pathfounders series to dig deeper into this topic.

March 26, 2026
Startup Insider Podcast: The SaaS apocalypse: From system of record to agentic AI

Startup Insider Podcast: The SaaS apocalypse: From system of record to agentic AI

Zero native SaaS investments in 18 months – and Salesforce loses 60% of its market capitalization. Is the SaaS era really over?On this Startup Insider episode with Jan Thomas, VCs Nikolas Samios (PT1) and Fabian Heilemann (AENU) speak frankly.

February 16, 2026
How AI Is Supercharging Productivity in the Built World

How AI Is Supercharging Productivity in the Built World

Artificial intelligence is transforming the built environment at an unprecedented pace. What was once dismissed as hype is now delivering measurable productivity gains across property management, transactions, construction, and asset optimisation. This report examines how AI is reshaping real estate operations, presents a market map of key players, and offers tangible productivity metrics that investors and operators can use to evaluate opportunities.

February 10, 2026
Europe’s InfraTech Moment

Europe’s InfraTech Moment

Europe faces a €6 trillion infrastructure transformation over the next decade—the largest since post-war reconstruction. The convergence of aging infrastructure, €2+ trillion in committed public funding, and mature AI/robotics technology creates an unprecedented opportunity for InfraTech companies to emerge as the next generation of industrial champions. Private capital is already flowing, with companies like Hometree and Terra One proving that venture-backed startups can build and scale essential infrastructure. With its unique LP base of European industrial leaders and deep infrastructure expertise, PT1 is positioned to back the bold founders who will define this new era.

November 24, 2025
Startup Insider Podcast: Voltfang's 250 million deal

Startup Insider Podcast: Voltfang's 250 million deal

Voltfang has achieved what many thought impossible: a quarter of a billion euros in investment commitments from institutional investors for physical battery storage systems made from second-life batteries.

September 24, 2025
Startup Insider Podcast: „One Big Beautiful Bill“, Tibo Energy: Is the energy transition about to collapse?

Startup Insider Podcast: „One Big Beautiful Bill“, Tibo Energy: Is the energy transition about to collapse?

Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" rolls back subsidies for renewable energy and strengthens fossil fuels. What does this mean for Europe and climate technology startups?

July 10, 2025