German-Based Qurie Raises €2.2M Funding For Compressor-Free, Refrigerant-Free Cooling Technology

Founded in 2026 as a spin-off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM, Qurie is developing next-generation electrocaloric cooling systems that operate without compressors, refrigerants, or pressure build-up, offering a quieter, more efficient, and more sustainable alternative to conventional refrigeration.

The company uses electrocaloric materials that change temperature when an electric field is applied or removed. These materials are arranged in advanced layered structures to create solid-state cooling systems powered by its patented active electrocaloric heat pipe (AEH), developed over more than a decade of research.

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Qurie believes this approach can deliver higher efficiency than traditional compressor-based systems with potential energy savings of up to 40%. Its compact, modular design enables applications ranging from electronics cooling and medical devices to automotive and building technologies.

With more than ten experts based in Freiburg, the startup is initially targeting industrial enclosure cooling before expanding into commercial refrigeration, medtech, electronics and automotive markets, supported by German federal research funding through 2026.

“The HVAC industry is facing a fundamental transformation – regulatory, technological and economic. We have reached a point where we can demonstrate that our technology not only works, but also makes economic sense. This is the moment we have been working towards,” said Dr Christian Vogel, CEO and co-founder, Qurie.

“With our heat pipe approach, we transfer heat within the system very efficiently and can achieve significantly higher pumping frequencies than previously possible with liquid-based heat transport. This is what makes our technology genuinely competitive for the first time,” Dr Bartholomé, CTO and co-founder, Qurie.