Team StartupCity

• IIT Madras incubated Wankel Energy raises $1 Million in pre-seed funding
• Targets Rs 66,000 Crore energy loss in India's process industries
• Patented Phoenix Expander turns wasted steam into clean electricity

Wankel Energy Systems, a deep tech startup incubated at IIT Madras, has raised $1 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Shastra VC, with participation from strategic angel investors. The startup is developing a patented clean energy solution to tackle energy inefficiencies in Indian industries.

Wankel’s innovation, the Phoenix Expander, is a compact rotary device that captures wasted steam pressure or exergy from pressure reducing valves (PRVs) in industrial plants and converts it into clean electricity. This addresses a massive, often overlooked problem, Rs 66,000 crore worth of energy is lost annually in steam based systems across Indian industries like food, paper, chemicals, and textiles.

There are over 45,000 steam boilers across India generating more than 1.26 billion tonnes of steam every year. Most of this steam passes through PRVs, which lose valuable energy in the process. Wankel’s Phoenix Expander can recover up to 160 kW per valve, offering payback within 6-24 months and annual savings up to Rs 50 lakh.

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The impact goes beyond cost. Each unit reduces over 180 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year, making it a powerful solution for industrial sustainability. With three granted patents and over 20 innovations protected as trade secrets, Wankel is positioning itself as a global clean tech platform.

Backed by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the startup also plans to launch next-gen compressors for multi-medium applications.