Efenco and the EIC Accelerator: Plasma Chips That Stayed in the Lab

Efenco, an Estonian company co-founded by CEO Kristjan Tiik, Aleksandr Nagornoy and Aleksander Vlassov, developed HERC (High Energy Ray Ceramic), a chip meant to be placed inside industrial boilers. Its EIC application said the "self-powered device" would create plasma during combustion, boosting "burning efficiency by 18%" and lowering greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, with about 50,000 suitable systems in the EU and "105.6M in revenue by the end of 2027", according to CORDIS.

The European Innovation Council granted €2,496,592 towards a €3.57 million project from February 2023 to July 2025; the company announced the award as €10 million of support. The final report states the overall objective was "to reach the first industrial installation of HERC chips". What it describes instead is laboratory work in a custom test rig called the "Fire Cube", showing soft X-ray emission from heated crystals and "up to 5–10% shifts in energy distribution profiles", which it says "lay a robust foundation for industrial pilot deployments post-project".

Where Efenco Stands Now

Efenco is still registered and has no tax debts, but Estonian tax data compiled by Inforegister show two employees in 2026, down from 12 in the second quarter of 2024, an average monthly wage of €650 in early 2026 and no sales in 2024 or 2025. Its website's latest news dates from 2023. In November 2023 the company announced €4.5 million of funding including grants and said it had six commercial partners, including Adven, Thermory and Bepco, lined up for pilot projects, Tech Funding News reported; it also said it had already delivered 20% savings for a major Tallinn utility. The EIC final report, which covers only the grant project, describes no industrial pilot.

The Technology: Plasma From Waste Heat

HERC chips contain pyroelectric lithium tantalate crystals in vacuum-sealed ceramic housings. Heated and cooled by the flame, they emit soft X-rays, which Efenco says create low-temperature plasma that changes how fuel burns. The final report records photon rates of up to 2.7 × 10⁷ per square centimetre per second from a 14-chip set-up and calls this "the first experimentally validated instance" of thermally generated high-energy photons affecting combustion.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project was to take HERC from a 2022 industrial validation to its first industrial installation. The final report does not describe any installation; it reports laboratory science and moves industrial pilots to after the project. The 18% efficiency claim is not repeated as a measured result. CORDIS lists the project as closed.

1. First industrial installationNot doneMoved to post-project.
2. 18% efficiency gainNot shownLab shifts of 5-10%.
3. Photon emission scienceDeliveredFire Cube tests.
4. Commercial revenueNone€0 in 2024 and 2025.

The Money

Efenco's annual reports, summarised by Inforegister, show a loss of €667,149 in 2025 after €28,415 in 2024, with equity falling from €1.52 million to €0.85 million. Whether any EIC equity was invested has not been announced.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

The report says high-temperature process heat accounts for 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions and that most of these industries lack alternatives. A retrofit chip that cut fuel use by 18% would matter. The EIC funded that promise; the public record shows it did not reach a boiler within the project.

The Verdict

Efenco and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.