Energy unicorn 1Komma5 raises €70m as IPO plans stay frozen

By Amara Osei

Energy unicorn 1Komma5 has raised €70 million, according to a report by Sifted, even as its plans for an initial public offering remain on ice.

The round lands while the company holds off on a stock market debut. Sifted, which first reported the raise, framed the financing as a bridge: fresh private money coming in while the IPO window stays shut.

What do we know about the round?

The headline figure is €70 million. That's the concrete number Sifted reported, and it's the single hardest fact in this story. The round keeps 1Komma5 funded without forcing it to test public markets at a moment when European listings remain thin.

Sifted's reporting is the source for both elements of the story: the €70 million raise and the status of the IPO plans, which the outlet described as remaining "on ice."

Why does an energy unicorn raising €70m matter?

1Komma5 carries unicorn status — a private company valued at more than $1 billion — and it operates in the energy sector, one of the few categories where late-stage private capital has kept flowing through a difficult funding cycle.

A €70 million injection for a company of that scale signals two things at once. Investors still see room to put money into energy transition businesses. And companies that once eyed public listings are choosing to stay private longer, topping up privately rather than braving volatile equity markets.

The phrase "on ice" is doing real work here. It doesn't mean cancelled. It means deferred, with no stated timeline — and the new €70 million gives 1Komma5 the runway to wait out better market conditions.

What does this say about the IPO market?

The backdrop is a European IPO market that has stayed quiet for climate-tech and energy companies hoping to list at growth-stage valuations. When a unicorn-sized company raises €70 million privately instead of filing for a float, it's a read on what boards and backers think the public market will pay today versus tomorrow.

Sifted's report positions 1Komma5 as a case study in that trade-off. The company has the profile — unicorn valuation, energy sector — that would have made it a candidate for a listing in a stronger window. Instead, it has banked €70 million and kept its options open.

What comes next?

The raise buys time, but it doesn't settle the listing question. 1Komma5's IPO plans sit frozen until markets or the company's own metrics justify a debut — and until then, the €70 million is what's funding the wait.