1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. 2 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:11,120 Speaker 2: Octopus, Energy Group Planning too spin off. It's Cracking Technology 3 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 2: software platform unit. If you're not familiar, well, energy companies 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 2: definitely are. Cracking is a software platform, as we mentioned, 5 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 2: a company, it helps utilities manage the transition to cleaner energy. 6 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 2: And we've got a great guest to explain what it's 7 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 2: all about. What's going on. 8 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 3: I'm here, alrit is here, CEO of Cracking Technologies. As 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 3: the company bio notes, he's a multi time CEO, entrepreneur, 10 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 3: and an AI analytics, cyber and fintech veteran. He's here 11 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 3: in the studio with us. Welcome, How are you very good? 12 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: Thank you. 13 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 3: Look, as Carol mentioned, energy companies are very familiar with 14 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 3: what you do. But if people think about utilities and 15 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 3: the transition to renewables, how does your company help them 16 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 3: do that? 17 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: So every utility on the planet is evolving these days 18 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: because the technology behind the energy is evolving. You have 19 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: from electricity at every home, smarts homes, evs although it's renewable, 20 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: solar and the like, vainly to modernize ver entire infrastructure, 21 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: from building into communication, from hard price to modern technology. 22 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:06,399 Speaker 1: We help him do that. 23 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 3: Hold on, I thought the president is canceling wind projects 24 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 3: and he's talking about drill drilling more in the US 25 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 3: and building nuclear. Look, nuclear takes a really long time. 26 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:20,119 Speaker 3: We've spent a lot of time talking about that. Are 27 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 3: utilities pulling back on renewables? 28 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: The state with the most investment in renewable right now 29 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: is Texas. It's cheaper, Solar is cheaper, more accessible, more affordable. 30 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: You can bite faster than building a nuclear power plants 31 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: more solar investments than any other energy form. It's a 32 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 1: political can it be done? 33 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 3: Even with tariffs on hardware that comes from China? 34 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,639 Speaker 1: Obviously it's more expensive that way, But in general, solo 35 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: became so cheap and it's getting cheaper every day that 36 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: everyone are moving to that. But it's a mix. It's 37 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: never just so all wind or nuclear. It's always a mix. 38 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 2: Well, so I'm still trying to unders down what you 39 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 2: guys do your platform, So what are you helping energy 40 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 2: companies do. 41 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: I'll give you an example. If you have your colling 42 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: your home during the summer, or you have an electric 43 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: vehicle you charge at seven pm when you get home, 44 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: that creates a massive spike on the grid. And the 45 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: issue is the grid is actually built for the maximum 46 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: point in time, so every spike is really expensive for 47 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: us as consumers. What we do is help manage that spike, 48 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:26,080 Speaker 1: spread it a bit. Maybe we charge your car a 49 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: bit later at night so on as you wake up 50 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,639 Speaker 1: and you have enough juice, Maybe we cool your home 51 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: slightly differently during the day. That's one example. There's many 52 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 1: examples like that. We can move shift load between the 53 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: weekend during the day. You can do dynamic pricing, so 54 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: you incentivized consumers to spend the right time and right energy. 55 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,679 Speaker 3: Is your software necessary because the grids in many parts 56 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 3: of the United States are not sufficient. 57 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: So for two decades we did not have any increase 58 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: in load and demand in the US. 59 00:02:57,560 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 3: And now we found AI. 60 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: Not just AI with more manufacturing, more evise, we move 61 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: from gas to electricity and so on. 62 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 3: What was moving from gas to electricity the right move 63 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 3: in hindsight. 64 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: Yes, houses barn less if you use electricity, it's a 65 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,239 Speaker 1: fundamental it's a safety thing, it's easier, easier to transport. 66 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: There's a lot of advantages. But we do need to 67 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: update our agreed. 68 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:26,839 Speaker 3: But does it financially make sense? It's consumers. 69 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: Gas parces go up and down. An electricity form solar 70 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: is actually really cheap when the sun is up. If 71 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: you put the buttery, you store it for night. You 72 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: can actually reduce electricity prices using these technologies. 73 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 2: You know what's interesting is I mean Octopus has said 74 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 2: that you guys help lower bills when renewable surge, but 75 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 2: energy prices are still high for many households. Just talk 76 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 2: to my husband's like, why is it so high? Why 77 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 2: should consumers believe that this software benefits them and not 78 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 2: just your bottom line? 79 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: Because unrelated to cracking, the entire industry now need to 80 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: invest in infrastructure, adding more capacity and improve the grid. 81 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: That is going to cost a lot of money. Any 82 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: usage of technology to optimize that will reduce that investment 83 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: because we reduce the peaks and part of that saving 84 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: can go to every household. 85 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 2: Is there a point though, where the grids are built 86 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 2: I mean, we've been talking about this and how much 87 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,279 Speaker 2: they're maxed out, and now we've got all of the 88 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 2: AI demand kind of starting to be factored in. But 89 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 2: is there a point where the grid is built out 90 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 2: and we don't need a software platform because we don't 91 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 2: have peaks or we have enough. 92 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: Even when the grid is perfect, we still need to 93 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 1: choose which energy source do we use. The sun happens 94 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 1: to be free, but it's not always there. If we 95 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: can shift the usage and pick the right moments, we 96 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 1: can reduce costs. 97 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 3: You've talked a lot about solar, but wind is also 98 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 3: of interest to us, not just because of what's happening 99 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 3: offshore of the United States or what's not happening offshore 100 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 3: of the United States right now. Is this administration making 101 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 3: a mistake canceling wind power projects? 102 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: Look, some countries believe it's a really good investment for 103 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: the future. The truth is you need to mix. You 104 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: need variety. The ideal mix is a bit of everything 105 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: versus choosing one over the other. 106 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 3: So you think the US should have wind power, I. 107 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: Think we need to have a mix of everything versus 108 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: just pick one or favorite and price goes into account. 109 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 1: Investing in you azz, for example, there's a five year weight. 110 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 1: There's a line to get a new generator, a new turbine, 111 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: So we have to have a mix. 112 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 2: We are talking with a mirror or he is chief 113 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 2: executive officer of Kracking Technology is joining us here in studio. 114 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 2: There let's talk about the spin off and why it's happening. 115 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:37,480 Speaker 2: Critics are saying that spinning this off is less about 116 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 2: strategy and more about extracting value for investors. So how 117 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 2: do you respond to this view a mirror that this 118 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 2: is a financial engineering play rather than an innovation story. 119 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, Kracken was born inside an energy company. Very few 120 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: successful tech companies were born inside an energy company. It's 121 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: such actually quite rare. It made us who we are, 122 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: improved our technology and knowledge of the space tremendously. But 123 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: we would like to work with other energy companies who 124 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 1: may compete with our parent company. We'd like to invest 125 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: in other markets that our parent company may not play in. 126 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: So we cannot grow and innovate and service the market 127 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: when we're limited to a certain parent company. 128 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:19,280 Speaker 2: So you're saying that by going out on your own, 129 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 2: you're able to access a lot more companies. What does 130 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:25,679 Speaker 2: that mean dynamically in terms of how big your company 131 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 2: could be? I mean Sky News reported that you guys 132 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 2: could be worth as much as fourteen billion. We have 133 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:30,359 Speaker 2: heard ten billion. 134 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:34,359 Speaker 1: I've heard the rumors. I have no clue what's the number. 135 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 2: But you understand the business and you understand that by 136 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 2: spinning off what you might be able to access. So 137 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 2: what does it mean in terms of valuation or is 138 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 2: this all hype in terms of do those numbers make 139 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 2: you nervous? 140 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: First of all, expectations should make you nervous. Our job 141 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: is to be with a great business and hopefully meet 142 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: each and every expectation down the road. But by splitting 143 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,919 Speaker 1: the two companies, we can attract capital and investors that 144 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: are experts in software, not just in energy experts at 145 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,720 Speaker 1: leaf stage software companies. Five hundred million dos ARL is 146 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: not your typical startup. This is scale, so it would 147 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: definitely allow us to attruct the right capital structure and 148 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:13,559 Speaker 1: the right investors over time. 149 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 3: Some of the mag seven are actually eyeing energy, Amazon, Google, 150 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 3: Microsoft looking at the energy space, especially AI driven grid management. 151 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 3: Why should utilities bet on you rather than going with 152 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 3: a larger player. 153 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: So kracking is unique in that it does only one thing. 154 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: We only do the platform for utilities for energy companies, 155 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: and it's a very wide system end to end. The 156 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: problem is the alternative you can go with Oracid and 157 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 1: SAP and other companies. You will need to buy a 158 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: dozen to three, four or five all the way to 159 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: fifty systems in order to service for technology stock. It's expensive, 160 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: it's slow, it's not fit for purpose, it's not designed 161 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: for the needs of an energy company. And that's where 162 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: we're coming in. 163 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 2: So when does this all happen? 164 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: So we've been running independently operationally for the last eighteen months, 165 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: two years. We're now splitting physically the two structures the 166 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: cup table, and that is going to end by mid 167 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: next year. 168 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 2: By mid next year, and are you going to be 169 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 2: a publicly held. 170 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: Entity or will stay private at that point in time. 171 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: Obviously it opens options down the road, but right now, 172 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: the first step is split the two. 173 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 2: What's a risk to the business? What's the thing that 174 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 2: kind of worries usually look at the outlook? What is 175 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 2: it that's the thing that I hate to say keeps 176 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 2: you up at night because everybody throws that out there. 177 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: I have three teenagers. Okay, there's more than one. But 178 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 1: the another one thing is the demand right now to 179 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: modernize our energy infrastructure in every country is spiking in 180 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: each and every country. And our job is how do 181 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: we service as many utilities as we can and make 182 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: sure each and every project is a success. To date, 183 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: all of our migrations. We service seventy million households. All 184 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:58,320 Speaker 1: of them have been successful. Want to keep that truck 185 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,080 Speaker 1: Recorde while handling more and more dema. 186 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 2: Just real quickly twenty seconds. Is most of your business 187 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:04,599 Speaker 2: in the US or is it global. 188 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 1: Globally all over Europe? Half of the UK is running 189 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: on Krak in Australia, Japan and Germany, France and the 190 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 1: US national Greg just announced we picked Krakcken to run 191 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 1: for technology. 192 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 2: We'll stay in touch, love to hear more as you guys, 193 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 2: and when you are officially I guess. Amir ord He's 194 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 2: CEO of Krakin Technology, is joining us in studio