autarc

What do they actually do

autarc sells a cloud software suite that replaces the paper, spreadsheets and separate apps that European heating and solar installers use to run projects. It combines a customer-facing heat pump check and portal with office and field tools for site data capture (including LiDAR scans), engineering calculations (heat-loss, heating-surface design, hydraulic balancing), quoting, subsidy paperwork, financing options, and installation documentation. Features like LiDAR-based radiator detection, subsidy support and manufacturer integrations are already live, with frequent updates visible in their public changelog (products, changelog).

The software is used by heat‑pump/HVAC installers, solar installers, energy consultants and municipal utilities across Europe. The company publishes case studies and says 800+ trade businesses use the product today (example: Daume) (customers/downloads). Pricing is public with tiered plans (e.g., Premium at €199/month on annual billing), indicating a straightforward SaaS model (pricing).

Who are their target customer(s)

• Small local heat‑pump/HVAC installers: They lose time qualifying leads, taking manual measurements, and filling out subsidy paperwork by hand. autarc streamlines this with an online heat pump check, LiDAR/photo capture, and automated subsidy/finance documents (customer portal, downloads).
• Medium-sized one‑stop installers (heat pumps + plumbing/electrical): Coordinating quotes, parts, and documentation across teams causes rework and compliance risk. autarc centralizes planning, quoting and field documentation so teams don’t duplicate work or lose traceability (product, changelog).
• Solar/PV installers expanding into heat pumps and storage: They lack a single tool that handles both PV layout/simulation and heat‑pump engineering, making cross‑sell cumbersome. autarc is adding PV planning and storage modules to keep design and financing in one workflow (features/downloads).
• Independent energy consultants and auditors: Producing standardized heat‑loss calculations, feasibility reports, and consistent offers is slow. autarc links engineering steps with report generation and a branded customer portal to speed up assessments (product pages, customer portal).
• Municipal utilities, housing associations, and large installer groups: They need integrations, APIs and enterprise controls to enforce standards and connect to manufacturers/financing. autarc is building API/webhook and manufacturer integrations for these scale requirements (changelog, interfaces).

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Run 3‑month pilots with local German installers, doing on‑site setup, LiDAR training and hands‑on onboarding to show immediate time savings; convert pilots into public case studies and use the heat pump check as a lead funnel (customer portal, customers).
• First 50: Co‑sell with manufacturers and financing partners via regional workshops/demos focused on automated subsidy paperwork and financing flows; offer a discounted first‑year subscription based on public list pricing to speed decisions (financing, pricing, integrations).
• First 100: Scale through distributor and installer‑network deals across nearby countries, localize the portal and self‑serve onboarding, and drive inbound via SEO around the heat pump check, targeted ads, and webinars; leverage APIs/integrations to win larger one‑stop installers and municipal tenders (downloads/multi‑country, interfaces, YC listing).

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

Europe has hundreds of thousands of plumbing/heating/AC installer enterprises (e.g., major markets alone sum to ~375k–420k firms), and millions of heat pumps are sold and installed annually—sustaining high project volume (Eurostat/Statista, European Commission). The broader services market is very large (~€273.6B), indicating ample budgetary space for software penetration (IBISWorld).

Bottom-up calculation:

Using autarc’s published Premium price (€199/month = €2,388/year), 80k installers (20% of ~400k) implies ~€191M ARR; full coverage of ~400k installers implies ~€955M ARR from subscriptions alone (pricing, Eurostat/Statista).

Assumptions:

• Targetable installer base ≈ 400k across Europe (derived from Eurostat/Statista country sums).
• Penetration scenarios: 20% (early realistic) to 100% (upper bound) of the installer base.
• Average revenue per account equals the public Premium plan (€2,388/year), excluding add‑ons and project fees.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• Sollit: End‑to‑end platform for solar/HVAC installers covering lead capture, design/quoting, installation, and aftercare—direct overlap with autarc’s sales‑to‑service workflow and multi‑product installs (product, market profile).
• Hysopt: Engineering and simulation software for hydronic HVAC/heat‑pump systems; overlaps on technical sizing and dynamic simulation, especially for complex projects or BIM workflows (features).
• Fieldcode: Field service and dispatch platform strong in automated scheduling, technician dispatch, and service history—competes with autarc’s installation/service workflows rather than in‑app design or subsidies (features).
• Instalsoft (InstalSystem): MEP/HVAC CAE/CAD/BIM suite for detailed 2D/3D design and technical calculations; overlaps with autarc’s engineering functions but serves more technical design teams (product).
• RetroKit: Retrofit planning and stock analysis platform for housing associations and authorities; competes on municipal/portfolio use cases with scenario modelling and funding/reporting needs (overview).