Vienna, Austria

Infrastructure for
distributed energy.

Riddle&Code builds KERN — the platform utilities and aggregators use to connect, manage, and monetise distributed energy assets at scale. We own the full stack: hardware, connectivity, platform, and market access.

WHY WE EXIST

The infrastructure gap in the energy transition

Distributed energy resources are multiplying — rooftop solar, batteries, heat pumps, EV chargers. Utilities face flexibility obligations. Aggregators need scale. Nobody wanted to build the connectivity and compliance layer from scratch.

We did.

Infrastructure, not apps

KERN is the layer that sits between physical assets and energy markets. We're not a consumer app or a meter-reading service. We're the platform your operations team runs — reliably, at scale, without depending on consumer devices or WiFi.

Full stack ownership

Hardware, MIOTY wireless connectivity, HEMS/ESC/LSP platform, and direct market access in a single integration. Partners deploy once — they don't stitch together three separate vendor relationships to get an asset to market.

Regulatory complexity absorbed

ESC compliance, flexibility reporting, and audit documentation are built into KERN — not a manual process your team maintains. We carry the technical and regulatory complexity so you carry the customer relationship.

What KERN delivers

One platform. Three asset classes. One integration.

MIOTY wireless connectivity

10km range, 1.5 million messages per day, ultra-low power. No WiFi, no consumer app dependency — works in basements, rural areas, and industrial sites. One gateway covers an entire neighbourhood or industrial zone.

IEC standard 10km range 1.5M msg/day No per-asset commissioning

HEMS — residential assets

Manage residential PV and battery portfolios. Optimise intraday trading, flexibility dispatch, and curtailment prevention — automatically, across thousands of homes.

PV + battery Intraday trading €114/asset/yr ARR

ESC — energy sharing communities

Community energy pooling built for Austrian and EU regulatory frameworks. Compliance is auditable and automated — not a spreadsheet your legal team reviews quarterly.

EU regulatory compliant Automated reporting €24/member/yr ARR

LSP — grid-scale flexibility

Large Scale Plant management for grid-scale assets: BESS, industrial loads, and aggregated portfolios. Direct access to ancillary service and flexibility markets — no third-party aggregator required.

aFRR / FCR Direct market access €25k/plant/yr ARR

TRACK RECORD

Validated, not promised

Leading utilities

Validated with leading utilities. The deployment model, regulatory alignment, and economics are validated at regional scale — the same playbook applies to any regional utility territory.

MIOTY at scale

1.5 million messages per day demonstrated capacity. IEC standardised — not proprietary lock-in. Partners aren't betting on a single vendor's survival; they're adopting a published standard.

Unit economics that work

Hardware at €239 sell / €100 COGS — 58% margin. Platform ARR of €114 per HEMS household per year. The economics support utility bundle pricing and operator margin at scale.

FOUNDERS

The team behind KERN

Manfred Bodner

Co-Founder

Tom Fürstner