Circum Technologies
“Securing market entry and signing the first industrial pilots.”
Context & Challenges
Circum Technologies, a deeptech startup originating from the CEA laboratories in Grenoble, has developed a patented high-density thermal energy storage technology. After validating its prototype at a pre-industrial scale, the startup faced the classic "valley of death" challenge: how to transition from the lab to signing its first commercial contracts with major industrial players, without an established sales force or commercial brand. The founders, exceptional engineers, called on Meridian Consulting to structure their go-to-market strategy and accelerate the signing of their first pilot projects.
“We knew our technology worked in the lab, but we had to prove its economic viability to risk-averse major industrial groups.”
Our Diagnostic
Our diagnostic revealed that the startup was attempting to address too many markets at once (district heating, chemicals, steel, data centers), dispersing its limited resources. Furthermore, the commercial pitch was too technical, focusing on the physical performance of the technology rather than the return on investment (ROI) for the end customer. Finally, the decision-making process within major energy industrial companies was not understood, leading to excessively long sales cycles.
Approach & Methodology
We focused our efforts on defining a hyper-targeted sales action plan. First, we conducted an attractiveness study to select two priority verticals: waste heat recovery in the steel industry and thermal regulation in data centers. Next, we reformulated Circum's value proposition by building a customized ROI simulator for industrial buyers. Finally, we directly supported the founders in commercial negotiations with four targeted major accounts. In parallel, we prepared the "Deeptech" financing application for Bpifrance to secure the non-dilutive funds needed to deploy the pilots.
Mission Roadmap
Results Achieved
In just 6 months, Circum Technologies signed 3 pilot contracts with major industrial accounts (including a European cement manufacturer and a data center operator), securing full funding for the manufacturing of the industrial prototypes. These signatures, combined with obtaining the €2.4M Deeptech aid from Bpifrance, enabled the recruitment of the first 6 sales engineers.
Scope Exclusions
“Meridian brought the commercial rigor we lacked. They helped us speak the language of our industrial clients' CFOs.”
Dr. Pierre-Antoine Roux — Co-founder & CEO, Circum Technologies
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