The company Ormera will discontinue its services from the second quarter of 2022, and will be liquidated. Together with Ormera, its founders PostFinance and Energie Wasser Bern (ewb) have decided not to continue the portal for measuring and billing self-produced electricity using a blockchain infrastructure, which was launched as a start-up in May 2019. In order to establish Ormera in the market on a sustainable basis, the company would have to raise more funds and quickly become competitive in a very dynamic environment. Such preconditions have not been met.

Ormera, a start-up founded by PostFinance and ewb, offers an online portal for the measurement and billing of self-produced electricity for combinations for own use (ZEV). The process is based on blockchain technology, is fully automated and reduces administrative costs for users.

PostFinance and ewb launched the start-up in May 2019 as part of an innovation process and established initial customer relationships from September 2019. At the end of 2021, together with the shareholders and based on an analysis of the market opportunities, a decision was made not to continue with Ormera from the second quarter of 2022. Ormera will gradually discontinue its business activities. 

Tough market environment and considerable competition

The risks associated with innovation processes and start-up investments were carefully weighed up by the two founders, PostFinance and ewb, during the months of setting-up and putting the platform into place. The year 2021 showed how complex and difficult it was for the comparatively small start-up to gain a foothold in the market. In a dynamic and rapidly developing market, Ormera is exposed to considerable competition from large suppliers in the electricity market. The high capital requirements and the need to become competitive quickly are decisive factors. Matthias Egli, co-founder of Ormera, says: "The Ormera platform represents a promising solution that saves companies a lot of administrative outlay. Ormera carried out set-up and development work that would have had potential as the most modern technological solution available. However, the Swiss ZEV market is still very young. Companies are reluctant to accept innovative ZEV platform solutions in the way that Ormera offers them”.

Promoting innovation means accepting risks

With Ormera, PostFinance and ewb developed an employee idea into the state-of-the-art customer offering in line with their approach of testing innovative ideas and promoting innovation. However, the creation and promotion of start-ups, which entail both opportunities and risks, also require clear decisions regarding the financial viability and future of the start-up.

Sought-after specialists and good follow-up solutions for customers

Ormera Ltd.’s Board of Directors and the Executive Board are currently working with all existing customers and partners on drawing up optimal follow-up solutions. More than one-third of the 14 Ormera employees have already found new positions as sought-after specialists. The other members of staff are in contact with other providers, who are looking to recruit highly specialized employees.