Episode 34: How Data is Powering the Energy Transition with Thorsten Heller

In this latest episode of Sustainability Talks, our partner Tomer Strikovsky sits down with Thorsten Heller, a pioneer in digital infrastructure for the energy transition. As the founder of Greenbird, an ETF Partners–backed company that became a global leader in utility data integration before being acquired by GE Vernova, Thorsten shares his journey from startup founder to corporate innovator and explores what it takes to power the grids of the future.

In this conversation, you’ll discover

• Why the energy transition is no longer theoretical — it’s here and accelerating fast.
• Why data infrastructure is as vital as physical infrastructure in building a resilient, sustainable grid.
• Why utilities must evolve from management to orchestration, powered by AI.
• How startups can make a global impact — but sometimes joining a bigger platform scales that impact faster.
• How the next wave of innovation will emerge from AI-enabled, decentralised grid intelligence.

Chapters

00:00 The Shift to Bidirectional Energy Flow

02:45 The Birth of Greenbird and Its Mission

05:15 Understanding the Data Challenge in Utilities

08:46 The Spaghetti Architecture of Data Integration

11:07 Data’s Role in Sustainability and Energy Transition

13:10 AI’s Impact on Utilities and Data Foundations

15:31 The Evolution of Energy Data

17:46 Greenbird’s Journey to Acquisition

22:40 Integration into GE Vernova and GridOS

26:57 The Current State of the Energy Transition

30:38 AI as a Necessity for Future Grid Management

36:23 Advice for Future Energy Tech Founders

About Thorsten Heller

Thorsten Heller is Chief Innovation Officer at GE Vernova, where he leads efforts to build the next-generation software portfolio GridOS. He was the founder and CEO of Greenbird — a Norwegian startup that became a global leader in data integration for utilities (Utilihive) and was acquired by GE Vernova in 2023. Thorsten has worked with over 200 utilities worldwide and is a recognised thought-leader on digital transformation in the energy sector.

Connect with Thorsten Heller  HERE.

Connect with Tomer Strikovsky HERE.

Listen on your favorite platform HERE.