RevAlve, a start-up based in Estonia, is reimagining the way we preserve and operate heritage buildings. With a mission to protect historical architecture without compromising on energy performance, the team behind RevAlve is building a solution that meets modern climate goals while maintaining the integrity of culturally significant sites.
Their technology empowers cities to reopen neglected heritage buildings—spaces once too expensive to heat—by making energy use smarter, not more invasive.
In 2024, RevAlve joined the EIT Jumpstarter programme in the New European Bauhaus category. What began as an idea quickly took shape thanks to the hands-on training and expert guidance the programme offered.
“Jumpstarter really helped develop our product-market fit and understand the financial aspects of creating a start-up that you don’t learn at university nor through project management,” explains Iiris Tähti Toom, co-founder of RevAlve.
The programme culminated in a major milestone: RevAlve took home 2nd place and €5,000, while also deepening its collaboration with the City of Tallinn—an essential partner for their pilot deployment.
RevAlve’s solution is a tech-first, low-impact approach to heritage building management. Instead of relying on traditional insulation or physical alterations, their system uses artificial intelligence to forecast energy demand and optimise heating accordingly.
At its core, RevAlve employs Machine Learning and Reinforcement Learning to predict weather, occupancy, and market energy trends. This allows heritage buildings to consume energy when it’s cleanest and cheapest—like when wind turbines are spinning—making them more adaptable to the fluctuating supply of renewables.
While still at the prototype stage, RevAlve has already secured a promising test site in Tallinn’s Kopli district. The historic building is currently abandoned, largely due to its exorbitant energy costs, but could be revived through the savings offered by predictive energy tech.
Beyond developing a functional prototype, the EIT Jumpstarter journey helped the team sharpen their business fundamentals and build meaningful partnerships.
The relationship with Tallinn’s municipality has proven especially valuable, offering a real-world environment to test and refine the solution.
RevAlve is preparing to deploy its technology in Tallinn while continuing to develop the system through simulated testing. Once validated, the start-up aims to expand across Europe, targeting cities with rich architectural heritage and ambitious climate goals.
By enabling smarter energy use without structural intervention, RevAlve offers an innovative path forward—one where climate adaptation and cultural preservation go hand in hand.
RevAlve is showing Europe that heritage buildings can be part of the climate solution.
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