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Thola Inc. develops an energy intelligence platform designed to automate microgrid energy deployment at scale. Its core offering is a facility management software system that provides finance-grade feasibility analysis, alongside machine and panel monitoring capabilities. This technology helps industrial buildings become smarter, enabling faster energy deployments and enhancing operational performance through a sophisticated approach to energy management.
The company was founded by Nneile Nkholise, who serves as CEO, and is driven by a team of engineers. Their insight stemmed from the critical need to leverage artificial intelligence to help factories and large facilities better coordinate energy use, effectively reducing waste. This foundational vision aimed to optimize energy ecosystems, providing tangible benefits to their clients.
Thola's product serves industrial clients and factories seeking to improve the efficiency and longevity of their energy infrastructure. The company's long-term vision is to foster smarter buildings globally by enabling them to reduce operating expenses and prolong asset life, ultimately contributing to a more stable and efficient energy grid for all.
Thola Inc has raised $120K across 1 funding round.
Thola Inc has raised $120K in total across 1 funding round.
Thola Inc has raised $120K in total across 1 funding round.
Thola Inc's investors include Bread and Butter Ventures, Hustle Fund, SOSV, Turtle Ventures, Wasabi Ventures.
Thola Inc has raised $120K across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $120K Seed in July 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2021 | $120K Seed | — | Bread And Butter Ventures, Hustle Fund, SOSV, Turtle Ventures, Wasabi Ventures | Announced |
Thola Inc is an AI-powered energy intelligence company that builds a platform to help industrial buildings reduce energy waste, forecast demand, and enhance grid resilience.[1] It serves energy-heavy industries like manufacturing and factories, solving problems such as simultaneous peak energy usage that strains grids, raises costs, and causes blackouts by enabling coordinated demand forecasting and peak flattening without costly retrofits.[1] The platform creates digital twins of buildings using computer vision and Building Information Modelling (BIM), integrates third-party sensors and IR cameras for real-time monitoring of energy, water, air quality, and heat, and delivers actionable software insights to improve operational performance, safety, and sustainability.[2] Thola demonstrates growth momentum through recent milestones, including semifinals in the Milken-Motsepe AI in Manufacturing Prize, participation in Greentown Labs' Cleantech Summit (November 2025) and ACCEL Showcase (September 2025), highlighting its traction in climatetech for underrepresented founders.[1]
Thola was founded by a team of engineers with deep experience managing energy in resource-constrained regions worldwide, bringing expertise from industrial operations to address inefficiencies in aging buildings.[1] The idea emerged from recognizing that industrial buildings' synchronized energy peaks—not total demand—create grid stress, blackouts, and high costs, while constant operation leads to fatigue, wear, and hazards like poor air quality and economic losses estimated at trillions globally.[1][2] Early traction includes building a Virtual Energy Service Platform (VESP) that transforms energy-intensive structures into smart, insurable, ESG-aligned assets using existing meters and sensors, with pivotal recognition via Greentown Labs programs and AI awards.[1][3]
Thola rides the climatetech and AI-for-energy trend, targeting grid modernization amid rising industrial electrification and renewable integration, where synchronized peaks from factories exacerbate strain on aging infrastructure.[1] Timing is critical as global manufacturing faces USD 14.6 billion in healthcare costs and 12.5 million deaths yearly from unhealthy buildings, plus trillions in economic losses, aligning with ESG mandates and net-zero goals.[2] Market forces like energy crises, regulatory pushes for resilience, and AI advancements favor Thola's VESP model, which makes buildings insurable and grid allies.[3] It influences the ecosystem by empowering industrial operators in resource-constrained areas, scaling via networks like Greentown Labs to reshape energy-heavy sectors into sustainable contributors.[1]
Thola is poised to expand its platform across global industrial corridors, leveraging AI advancements in edge computing and sensor fusion to automate more building health metrics. Trends like decentralized grids, AI-driven demand response, and stricter ESG reporting will accelerate adoption, potentially positioning Thola as a key player in turning factories into resilience hubs. Its influence may evolve through partnerships with utilities and manufacturers, amplifying impact from waste reduction to widespread grid stability—building on its mission to transform energy stress into efficiency from day one.[1][2]
