In the era of artificial intelligence, AI presents itself as a useful transversal tool, including in unsuspected areas, such as saving on electricity bills. The Catalan startup Llama Energy aims to put an end to the surcharges on electricity bills, using algorithms and AI to detect if users are paying more than they should.
With this objective, the platform aims to empower consumers to save "as much as possible," as highlighted by Marc Laporte, who founded Llama Energy in Barcelona with Alex Pavlov last year. Since it became operational, the startup has generated more than 100,000 euros in savings, as detailed by Laporte. The goal is to close 2025 having expanded this figure to three million euros.
As Laporte recalls a year after the company's founding, he and Pavlov met a year earlier. His partner was already exploring the inefficiencies of the energy market and had created several prototypes. "I was one of the first users, and over time, also a co-founder. Since then, we have worked together to create the product we would have liked to find."
This approach has evolved, and Llama Energy has integrated automatisms capable of analyzing bills, calculating savings, registering users, and managing usual communications automatically. Recently, they have also launched a new functionality: the system can read bills through a photo, which facilitates and speeds up the use of the service.
With these elements, Llama Energy acts as "a personal energy advisor powered by AI." The system scans bills to detect hidden charges, automatically compares market rates, and recommends the best option for each user. To streamline communication with users, everything is managed via WhatsApp. In addition, they are working to expand services towards energy efficiency solutions, such as personalized advice and smart devices.
In addition to constantly monitoring energy prices, it can make automatic company changes if it detects saving opportunities. With its autopilot mode ---for two euros per month---, it includes complete management of the change. Through these tools, the startup achieves average reductions of 30% on the bill, with cases reaching 65%. In fact, Autopilot customers save an average of 392 euros annually.
Goal: 10,000 users in 2025
The company, which started with a roundpre-seedof 400,000 euros, aims to reach 10,000 users this year, as well as expand automations, and forge alliances with energy providers. In addition,its strategy also includes reaching vulnerable groups, and has already started collaborating with social entities: "Often they are elderly people who have been with the same energy company for years and, therefore, are paying much more without knowing it, or minorities who do not have a good knowledge of the energy market."Llama Energy's objective goes beyond controlling and optimizing its clients' bills: it wants to eliminate commissions that it considers "excessive and unnecessary" and that Laporte assures they are detecting regularly: "Our goal is to eliminate the surcharges in the energy market."
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