About us
Nikolai Dobrott, Managing partner, apricum
What Apricum can do for your cleantech business
Connecting the cleantech companies with the right investors.
Established in 2008, we’re a globally active transaction advisory and strategy consulting firm dedicated to the cleantech industry. Our growth-oriented services connect investors and companies both public and private, including mergers and acquisition, fundraising, project finance, strategy development, business model design and technology roadmaps.
Guiding you to the best decisions
and opportunities.
We’re headquartered in Berlin with offices in London, Paris, and Dubai and representatives in key renewable energy markets around the world. Our team of experts offers decades of combined technical experience coupled with top management, consulting and finance expertise. We move a broad variety of companies forward – from high-tech startups to financial investors and multi-billion US dollar conglomerates.
A global network of experts
11
local
representatives
400+
projects
completed
>€3.3 bn
transaction volume
involvement
30+
countries where
our clients
reside
The cleantech industries that our clients are pioneering
Apricum is focused exclusively on renewables and cleantech. Our knowledge spans the entire value chains in these industries. We command a comprehensive overview of the market dynamics, drivers and economics, as well as a deep, engineering-level technical understanding.
Solar
We are active across the full range of solar technologies including photovoltaics (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP) and solar hot water (SHW). We span the entire solar value chain from component manufacturing, module manufacturing (e.g., crystalline silicon, thin-film, CPV concentrators), system integration and project development to power generation. Read more.
Contact Apricum Managing Partner Nikolai Dobrott for further information.
Solar materials
Our activities span the complete spectrum of solar materials required in the production of PV modules, ranging from active cells (cell materials, coatings, connectivity) via cell packaging (encapsulant, backsheet, glass) to value-added coatings (light-shifting, anti-reflective, anti-soiling) up to frames and mounting systems for the finished modules. Read more.
Contact Apricum Partner Florian Haacke for further information.
Wind
Our wind practice is focused on the utility-scale segment in both onshore and offshore wind. We engage along the entire wind value chain from upstream materials, component manufacturing and integration to downstream project development, EPC, O&M services and power generation. Read more.
Contact Apricum Managing Partner Nikolai Dobrott for further information.
Energy storage
Energy storage is a key element of the new energy system, be it mechanical, (electro)-chemical or thermal based. On the one hand, energy storage provides flexibility by mitigating or managing the impact of a growing share of variable renewables and bi-directional energy flows. On the other hand, storage is increasingly chosen as the preferred infrastructure option to defer investments in grid or generation or to increase system resiliency in the face of extreme weather events. Apricum offers support to participate in this growing business opportunity through our extensive knowledge of use cases, markets, economics, technologies – and how they all fit together. Read more.
Contact Apricum Partner Florian Mayr for further information.
Battery materials
We are engaged across all materials and components used in batteries and capacitors for EV and stationary storage. Ranging from batteries active cell chemistry (cathode and anode), via electrolytes and binders to polymer films/non-wovens as separator membranes. Both liquid and solid state. Special attention in our work is paid to innovative chemistry, novel additives, value-added coatings – all targeting improvements of long-term storage performance. Read more.
Contact Apricum Partner Florian Haacke for further information.
(Green) hydrogen
Hydrogen, particularly when renewable energy is used for its production (“green” hydrogen), will play a key role in the global clean energy transition, helping to decarbonize industrial processes such as the production of chemicals or steel as well as in oil and gas refineries and mobility applications. The green hydrogen economy is set to grow rapidly, driven by falling costs, growing demand and favorable regulatory and market frameworks. Apricum offers a wide range of strategy and transaction advisory services for clients along the entire green hydrogen value chain, including materials and components enabling high performance-cost ratios. Read more.
Contact Apricum Partner Florian Mayr for further information.
Green mobility
Along with the ongoing electrification of the transport segment, we offer strategy consulting and financial advisory services for green mobility. We have a deep understanding of the applicable business models, from manufacturing of vehicle components and charging/fueling infrastructure, to charge point operation (CPO) and e-mobility software and services. As green mobility is closely interrelated with our activities in energy storage (e.g., vehicle-to-grid, second-life batteries) and digital energy (e.g., EV load aggregation, roaming), we can bring in expertise across practices to best serve our clients. Read more.
Digital energy
Digital infrastructure such as sensors, software platforms and communication networks are increasingly applied across the energy sector to realize cost savings for example, by optimizing asset utilization, streamlining O&M and facilitating transactions. Furthermore, digital energy is applied to unlock new revenue streams by aggregating distributed energy resources to access attractive market schemes, among others. Leveraging Apricum’s vast experience in applicable industries such as solar & wind, energy storage and green mobility, we provide strong guidance to understand and seize the benefits from the growing digitalization of the energy world. Read more.
Contact Apricum Managing Partner Nikolai Dobrott for further information.
Heat pumps
Our heating practice is focused on heat pumps (HP) and covers all different HP technologies and market segments. Heat pumps are an essential element of the new energy system and play a key role in the heating decarbonization of residential buildings as well as in the commercial and industrial sectors. Apricum offers a wide range of strategy, project, and transaction advisory services for clients who wish to enter the heat pump business or expand their existing activities in this sector. Read more.
Contact Apricum Managing Partner Nikolai Dobrott for further information.
Waste-to-energy
An integral part of the waste hierarchy is the generation of energy, primarily in the forms of electricity and heat, from waste. Following waste reduction, waste reuse and waste recycling, the transformation of residuals into energy and valuable materials, for example, as refuse-derived fuels and solid-recovered fuels, creates an equally important and rare possibility of clean electricity baseload generation. Simultaneously, inevitable landfilling is reduced significantly while waste-to-energy fulfils its unique task to defang a vast number of hazardous substances. Apricum offers advisory and support in the waste industry with particular focus on waste-to-energy, wastewater treatment and municipal solid waste management. Building on our vast industry network and transaction advisory experience, we provide our clients with comprehensive M&A support, strategy advisory and project finance expertise.
Contact Apricum Managing Partner Nikolai Dobrott for further information.
Water
Water
Global water supply and sanitation are facing increasing pressure. Our advisory activities in the water sector help address these issues and focus on project (finance) advice for reverse osmosis desalination plants, wastewater treatment, and sewage treatment plants.
Hydroelectric energy
Hydropower plants have always been an integral and vital element of the power mix. In addition to being a sustainable energy source, they provide energy storage and backup power potential. Apricum advises on the structuring and financing of run-of-the-river, pumped storage and other hydropower plants.
Contact Apricum Vice President Corentin de Ricaud for further information.
Bioenergy
Biomethane is amongst the most versatile renewable sources of energy. Its applications, among others, include electricity generation, heating, fuel for cars, trucks, ships or locomotives, the production of green hydrogen or as a base material for plastics and other industrial products. Apricum offers a wide range of strategy and transaction advisory services for clients along the bioenergy value chain, including markets, economics and technologies to achieve the efficient use of bioenergy as part of the renewable energy mix.
Contact Apricum Managing Partner Florian Haacke for further information.
The Apricum Team
Expertise, experience and passion characterize and unite our talented and diverse team members. The nature, variety and complexity of our clients’ projects attract the high-caliber management consultants, investment bankers, engineers, entrepreneurs and thought leaders that make up our team. With backgrounds in engineering, economics, physics and business administration and residing currently in 12 countries, we’re well-educated, multilingual and deeply connected to local renewable energy markets around the world.
Our leadership
Nikolai Dobrott
Founder & Managing Partner
Nikolai Dobrott has profound technology and market knowledge in the solar, wind, water and integrated renewable energy industries, combined with deep functional expertise in strategy development, strategic business plan execution and corporate finance. He speaks at major cleantech and renewable energy conferences worldwide every year.
Florian Haacke
Partner
Florian Haacke advises clients and investors on the full upstream value chain of solar, batteries, green hydrogen, CCS, CCUS, biofuels and other renewable technologies. With more than 15 years of experience in this field, he combines deep market and technical knowledge with strategic and transactional expertise.
Florian Mayr
Partner
Florian Mayr brings a wealth of management consultant experience to Apricum, combining an enviable knowledge of both the conventional energy and renewable energy sectors. Prior to Apricum, he spent eight years in senior positions at McKinsey & Company and RWE.
Bastian Arend
Senior Advisor
Former founder and CEO, klarsolar GmbH; founder and CEO, clear sky energietechnik GmbH; founder and CEO, Pfalzwasser Getränke (now WINU)
Paul Arwas
Senior Advisor
Former director and VP of energy and chemicals, Arthur D. Little; founder, Arwas & Associates
Karim Asali
Senior Advisor
Former director BD origination, technical director, First Solar; director project enabling, Desertec Industrial Initiative
Jesse Atkinson
Senior Advisor and Country Representative USA
Former president Cratus Energy, board member, Alion Energy
Kyle Barth
Consultant
MBA from IESA Business School, Barcelona; former Senior Consultant at Roland Berger.
Frank Beckers
Senior Advisor
Former head of project finance and advisory at First Abu Dhabi Bank; former senior advisor to McKinsey & Company; held several senior positions in project and asset finance at Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt and Dubai.
Henri Bittel
Project Manager
Former Senior Consultant at E.ON Inhouse Consulting; former consultant at Hinicio.
Dr. Raed Bkayrat
Senior Advisor
Former VP business development, First Solar; head of technology commercialization and industry collaboration, KAUST; director of system engineering and power electronics, DDS
Matt Black
Senior Advisor
Chairman, Solar Energy UK; COO, Solivus; MD, Innovo Group; former investment director, Armstrong Capital Management Limited; senior investment director, Foresight Group
Dietmar Blank
Senior Advisor
Former commercial and contracts engineer / IWPP senior engineer, EWEC, ADWEC, ADWEA
Philipp Braukmann
Senior Consultant
Master's in international trade, finance and development; former intern, KfW DEG
Chris Bryan
Director
Former vice president, business development – renewable energy, ORIX; investment banking associate, Evercore; senior associate, valuations advisory, PwC
Corentin de Ricaud
Director
Master's in finance and strategy; former investment officer, European Investment Bank; financial advisor, ENGIE; analyst, BNP Paribas
Daniel Domingues
Senior Advisor
Founder & CEO, Planno; former head of regional growth renewables, Dutco Group; founder & former executive director, Sirius Energy; former director of business development, Enviromena
Martin Duerr
Senior Advisor
Director Key Accounts, Duracell Power Center; Director Business Development, Eguana Technologies; Master’s in economics, Wayne State University Detroit
Ben Fulton
Senior Consultant
Former senior associate at Boston Consulting Group, Master’s in business administration from INSEAD and a Bachelor’s in Engineering with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland
Dr. Horst Dietz
Senior Advisor
Member of the supervisory board, ABB AG, Solon SE, Bilfinger Berger; former CEO, ABB AG
Dr. Garry Felgate
Senior Advisor
Former partner, Orion Innovations; chief executive and executive board member, Energy Retail Association; managing director, AEA Technology Group; director, The Carbon Trust; director, KPMG
Heinrich Grabowski
Senior Advisor
Former member of EMEA senior leadership team, Novell; CIO, Rütgers/ Evonik; management consultant, Arthur D. Little
Philip Grabowski
Consultant
Master's in management; former strategic management assistant, CNH Industrial; intern, Grant Thornton AG
Frank Haugwitz
Senior Advisor
Former director, Asia Europe Clean Energy (Solar) Advisory Co; former EU renewable energy manager, EU-China energy & environment programme; technical director, GTZ, China
Jan Hoffmann-Keining
Senior Advisor
Former Partner for Strategy and Innovation, Retail Capital Partners
Dr. Detlev Hoge
Senior Advisor
PhD in physical chemistry. Former manager P&L, R&D, IT at Volkswagen, manager VARTA Batterie AG
Cate Holtz
Talent Acquisition and Development Manager
Former marketing and communications manager, Apricum; communications strategist, Ikon Communications, strategic planner, MEC
Julie Horn
Senior Advisor
Master’s in business engineering; Master's in international management; former head of segment strategy, Solar Edge
Patrick Kallab
Senior Consultant
Master's in business administration; Bachelor's in engineering; former senior consultant, Booz Allen Hamilton
Ritika Kapoor
Consultant
Master’s in sustainability and social innovation; former corporate analyst, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co
Robert Kellner
Senior Advisor
Master's in Business Administration; founder and managing partner of VUCANION; former consultant, Accenture
Dr. Hendrik Kienert
Principal
PhD in climate physics; former senior consultant, Bain & Company
Solbin Kim
Associate and Country Representative South Korea
Master's in renewable energy engineering and management; former consultant, innogy Consulting
Horst Kruse
Senior Advisor
Former Director Sales Asia, Photovoltaics, Schott Solar; Director Marketing & Sales South East Asia, Angewandte Solar Energie (ASE) GmbH
Saravana Kumar
Consultant
Master’s in management and mechanical engineering; former simulation engineer, QuEST Global
James Kurz
Senior Advisor
Founder and director, SolarNowa; former investment manager and business development manager, Saxovent
Daria Kuzmina
Project Manager
Master's in Economics; Former Consulting Principle at BCG. Specializes in Integrated Energy Companies and Industrial Goods
Dr. Oliver Langefeld
Senior Advisor
PhD in mining engineering; professor for underground mining methods and machinery at Clausthal University of Technology
Cécile Mayorga Poati
Executive Assistant
Bachelor's in history and French; former risk and compliance associate, intelligence and cyber security consultancy S-RM
Dr. Richard Mazuski
Senior Consultant
PhD in physical chemistry; former associate, McKinsey & Co.
Alex Metz
Director
Master's in sustainable energy futures, Imperial College London; former associate director, Guidehouse
Dr. Beatrice Moeller
Senior Advisor
Senior legal counsel specialized in corporate, banking and energy law; former M&A lawyer, Linklaters; banking lawyer, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; legal advisor; MVV Energie
Stefan Mueckstein
Director
Executive MBA from WHU/Kellogg, former freelance consultant, Total Energies, Kearney & FTI Consulting; former chief operating officer, Enerwhere; former senior manager, Accenture Strategy
Christian Mueller-Elschner
Senior Advisor
Founding partner, Deutsche Ventures; former COO, Younicos; senior vice president, T-Systems; partner, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
Dr. Gabija Navickaite
Consultant
PhD in Inorganic Chemistry; former consultant at EY and R&D technician at Solvay
Gretta Marija Nikkare
Consultant
Master’s in business administration, Master’s in energy systems; former investment analyst, Exor N.V.
Dr. Elena Nikonova
Senior Advisor
PhD in applied mathematics, former chief strategy officer, Eleport; former director of global partnerships, ENGIE; former director of global partnerships, Shell Recharge
Thomas Obermeier
Senior Advisor
Owner and CEO, TOMM+C; head of business development, EEW Energy from Waste GmbH; former CEO, Schwarze Pumpe GmbH
Per Hornung Pedersen
Senior Advisor
Member of management board, Suzlon Energy; former CFO, NEG Micon/Vestas; CEO, Suzlon Energy; CEO, Repower; CEO, Pelamis Wave Power
Matteo Pellandino
Consultant
Master's in finance; former intern Banca Sella CIB; former intern, Apricum
Parrvathee Rejitha
Team Assistant
Master's in English and American studies; former online trainer, Berlitz; lecturer All Saint's College, Kerala
Sean Riddick
Senior Advisor
Founder, managing partner, Vector Energy Advisers; former senior analyst, Saudi Aramco; business strategist, Sapient Corp; management consultant, Charles River Associates
Joachim Rupp
Senior Advisor
CEO, Detra Solar; former managing director, Viessmann PV + E-Systems; senior manager, Samsung; marketing manager, Hitachi
Georges Saliba
Project Manager
Master’s in business administration, University of Oklahoma; former senior manager, Arthur D. Little; manager, Accenture Strategy; senior consultant, Multiple M&A Advisory firms
Hoora Sarajan
Lead Industry Specialist
Master's in renewable energy systems; Bachelor's in energy and process technology, Bachelor's in physics; former student researcher, PVcomB at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin
Prof. Dr. Dirk Uwe Sauer
Senior Advisor
Professor for electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems, RWTH Aachen University, Germany; Project leader, division for electrical energy systems, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Freiburg
Wassef Sawaf
Senior Advisor
Co-founder and CEO, Wayu Limited; former co-founder and chairman Yellow Door Energy; co-founder and CEO Adenium Energy Capital
Miriam Schmeling
Office Manager
Former Team Assistant, August Storck KG; Office Manager, Technical University Berlin
Dr. Benjamin Silcox
Project Manager
PhD in chemical engineering; former analyst Goldman Sachs & Co.
Janet So
Senior Advisor
Director, Trinergy M&A Advisory; Director, Translink Corporate Finance; former senior consultant for PR firms; former consulting director for McGraw Hill’s AviationWeek / MRO Exhibition in Beijing
Kai Stepputat
Consultant
Master's in industrial engineering and management from the Technical University of Berlin. Working student at Enertrag and Enervis energy advisors
Moritz Sticher
Senior Advisor
Cofounder and managing director, GA Power Group; former managing director, Quast Nahrath Group; cofounder and managing director Credence Power Group; business development manager Europe, SolarPark Korea
Dr. Richard Stuebi
Senior Advisor
Founder and president, Future Energy Advisors; former board member ESA; former VP, US strategy & group technology, National Grid; managing director, Early Stage Partners
Krishnappa Subramanya
Senior Advisor
Chairman, FICCI solar energy task force & SEMI PV advisory panel; fellow, IETE; former CEO, Tata BP Solar
Daan Terpstra
Senior Advisor
CEO, Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance; manager, renewable energy and BESS products, Vattenfall; analyst, Nuon; consultant, Energie Makelaar
Philip von Huelst
Vice President
Master's degree in international management, ESADE Business and Law School; former M&A senior consultant Ernst & Young
Prof. Dr. Eicke Weber
Senior Advisor
VP, ISES; former CEO, Berkeley Education Alliance for Research in Singapore (BEARS); director, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE; professor of physics and applied sciences, Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg
Dr. Christian Weigel
Senior Advisor
Product Manager for Textile and Paper Chemicals at Hoechst AG; Partner and Leader of the Chemical Practice at Arthur D. Little; Managing Director at AlixPartner; PhD in chemistry, Technical University of Vienna
Become part of the team
We are looking for people with the power to think of innovative solutions and who have the drive to change business.
