Gradyent: ‘As legal counsel, Audrey has truly become an integral part of our organisation’

Gradyent develops software to optimise heating and cooling networks. Starting as an ambitious start-up in 2019, it swiftly expanded into a European player with approximately 140 employees and some of Europe’s largest heating networks as clients. Hervé Huisman, co-founder and CEO: ‘The energy transition is making heating networks increasingly complex. Our software enables users to optimise heating networks in real time, from production and distribution networks right through to end users. It also allows future scenarios to be simulated. This enables users to reduce operational costs, cut carbon emissions, maximise flexibility and make better strategic decisions.’

‘We have been working with Magnus & Weiss since the very beginning. We no longer see Audrey Weismann as an external lawyer, but truly as part of our team. She knows our company, our technology and our challenges inside out. That makes her incredibly valuable.’

From start-up to European player

‘Gradyent was founded in 2019 by our CTO Robert Vrancken and myself. In the beginning, we were mainly focused on the question: is there actually a need for our technology? Then came the growth phase. We are now in a new phase where we have really made a name for ourselves in the market. We have now connected some of the largest district heating networks in Europe.’

‘Over the past seven years, we’ve grown to around 140 employees across Europe. Every stage of that growth brings new challenges. At the start, you’re trying to secure funding and win over your first customers. After that, it’s all about scaling up. And in the meantime, the world around you is constantly changing.’

More complex heating networks

‘In the past, you had one large coal- or gas-fired power station feeding a heating network. That was relatively simple to manage. Nowadays, we actually want to move away from fossil fuels. So suddenly you have all sorts of new heat sources: geothermal energy, residual heat from data centres, large heat pumps, heat buffers. This makes those networks much more complex. It is becoming increasingly difficult for operators to manage this manually. That's what our software is for. We build a digital twin: a digital copy of the entire heating network. In it, we model both the production facilities and the distribution network in detail.’

Operating system

‘With this digital twin, operators can, for example, lower the temperature in the network, as they have a much better understanding of what is happening in all the pipes. But the most important application is the smart control of heat sources.’

‘Nowadays, a network often has five or ten different heat sources, each with its own cost structure. Some run on gas, others on electricity. Electricity prices are volatile. Sometimes there are buffers that you can charge or discharge. All these variables together make it incredibly complex. Our software not only provides advice, but can also actually control setpoints. So it really sends signals to installations: the temperature must go up to ninety degrees, or down. It is, in fact, an operating system for heating networks.’

A difference of millions

‘Without this kind of software, companies often rely on the experience of operators. Their sole priority is to ensure that no one is left in the cold. This automatically leads to building in redundancies and playing it safe. This often means that systems are not running at optimal efficiency. But the financial stakes are getting higher. Especially when you’re managing combined heat and power plants or large heat pumps in combination with fluctuating electricity prices. Then you can win or lose millions in a single weekend depending on the choices you make.’

‘That’s why our software often pays for itself relatively quickly. The more complex the network, the greater the impact you can make.’

Magnus & Weiss

‘Our collaboration with Magnus & Weiss actually began right from the start of Gradyent. Robert already knew Taco Huizinga, and he played a significant role during the start-up phase. After that, Audrey became our regular point of contact. This has developed into a partnership where we really see her as our regular legal counsel. And, to be honest, simply as a colleague.’

‘What I really appreciate is her flexibility. There are periods when we need a lot of legal support and periods when things are quieter. This arrangement is ideal for that. It’s also valuable that Audrey helps us with many matters herself, but brings in other specialists when necessary. Think of employment law, international issues or local expertise in countries such as Germany or Poland. As a result, we essentially always have access to the right expertise, without having to build a full legal department ourselves.’

‘Audrey is always the first point of contact for anything legal. This allows her to maintain an overview of the whole picture. If something becomes too big for one person, she consults with other experts. That works incredibly efficiently.’

‘At the start, I worked very closely with her myself. Now, responsibilities have been divided within the organisation and Audrey works a lot with other colleagues. That’s also part of growth.’

Intellectual property

‘As entrepreneurs, we are sometimes prepared to take risks. Audrey ensures that everything remains legally sound. She is constructively critical and very thorough. As a result, we have established robust contractual frameworks and processes from the outset that have scaled up alongside the business.’

‘Where Audrey really excels is in protecting our intellectual property. With IP, you simply cannot afford to make mistakes. You can never run the risk of accidentally giving away rights. There have been situations where Audrey has really protected our IP by being very sharp on the wording in contracts with clients or partners. That has been incredibly important for our company.’

‘That’s what makes Magnus & Weiss truly high-tech lawyers in my view. They understand how important technology, software and intellectual property are for a company like ours.’

Growing together

‘As a company, we’ve changed completely since we started. That’s why I find it special that our partnership with Audrey has grown alongside us all these years. She’s been through every phase of our company, from a cash-strapped start-up to an international scale-up. That’s what makes our partnership strong. She understands not only the legal context, but also how our company has developed. That’s incredibly valuable.’