Ex-Fed vice chair Ferguson backs UK smart-socket firm measurable.energy
What's the deal? RO Capital PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Roger W. Ferguson Jr.Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, have jointly led a late-stage restructuring and recapitalisation of British energy-tech firm measurable.energy. The pair significantly increased their investment, becoming the company's joint largest shareholders.
What's the endgame? measurable.energy makes a cybersecure, AI-driven "smart socket" that automatically identifies and switches off wasted electricity in commercial buildings. The deal gives it a simplified ownership structure and capital to accelerate customer acquisition, international expansion, and deployment of its plug load management system.
Why it matters: Plug load from everyday appliances accounts for up to 40% of electricity use in commercial buildings, and around half of that is wasted by equipment left powered when idle. measurable.energy says its technology cuts plug load energy by 50% without relying on behaviour change, with payback in months.
Its customers report strong early results. DalkiaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → saw a 52% cut in energy use and a 49% drop in emissions across 25 UK offices; restaurant chain Tortilla Group reduced energy use by 32%; and Kier Group saved 47% in energy costs with a four-month payback.
Why now? "Businesses around the world are under increasing pressure to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions," Ferguson said. He called the technology "practical, scalable and commercially proven."
RO Group first met the company as a customer before investing. "Since then, the business has continued to build commercial momentum, validating our original investment thesis," said Edward Rowlandson, group managing director of the RO Group.
Chief executive and co-founder Dan Williams compared wasted electricity to a dripping tap. "Small amounts of wasted electricity may seem insignificant, but across a building or estate they quickly add up," he said.
The signal: Backing from a former Federal Reserve official signals growing investor conviction that energy efficiency — not just generation — is a commercial opportunity, as firms face mounting pressure to cut costs and emissions.
Read more: The Energyst
Image credit: Jonatan Svensson Glad (Josve05a)
