By Bl Chennai Bureau

Copyright thehindubusinessline

IIT Madras-incubated deep tech start-up Wankel Energy Systems has raised $ 1 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Shastra VC, with participation from strategic angel investors. This funding will help the start-up, which aims to prevent the loss of potential energy in pressure-reducing valves (PRVs), expand globally.

Wankel Energy Systems makes special ‘Phoenix Expander’ rotary devices that capture the energy otherwise wasted by PRVs and convert it into clean electricity. This innovation is expected to recover lost potential, which amounts to as much as 160 kW of instantaneous power per valve, equivalent to nearly ₹66,000 crore per year, according to the start-up.

Patents and global deployment plans

The company holds three granted US and Indian patents, in addition to over 20 innovations protected as trade secrets. Over the next decade, Wankel Energy aims to deploy more than 1,000 units in both the Indian and global markets.

“Our immediate goal is to deploy over 6 Phoenix Expanders across diverse industrial sectors and evaluate their performance in real-world conditions in the coming months. Since every sector operates uniquely, these deployments will help us generate case studies and customer insights to build confidence for expansion. In the first year, we intend to focus on Tamil Nadu, ensuring close proximity support, before scaling to other regions,” said Balachandran Raju, Co-founder, Wankel Energy Systems

The start-up expects each Phoenix (steam expander) unit to deliver recurring annual savings of up to ₹50 lakh per valve and reduce over 180 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.

Published on September 23, 2025