Warming up has never been easier than it is with underfloor heating systems. Over the past decade, heating systems have been revamped in every which way, but no matter how good they were, they were never good enough to reach the perfect temperature.

Intrigued by the desire to implement substantial change within the heating system industry, entrepreneur Lluc Marti saw a window of opportunity in developing a far more sophisticated underfloor design - and took it!

Plactherm represents Lluc’s intelligent underfloor heating concept that uses heated tiles to generate heat and save approximately 30% on energy consumption.

Also called the tile of the future, Plactherm’s heated tiles use smart microprocessors and sensors which regulate the temperature to the user’s needs - both manually and automatically! Before he could warm up for business glory, Lluc Marti had to endure the cold-as-ice stage of trying to skyrocket his intelligent platform to success - and here’s how he did it!

The Engineer behind the Project

Lluc Marti was born in 1985, in a middle-class Spanish family. His parents owned a house in the suburb of Madrid, where Lluc and his friends would spend most of their time playing. Initially, Lluc’s mom and dad wanted him to have an adventurous childhood and experience both the sweet and sour side of life.

To get him on a straight path, Lluc’s parents allowed him the freedom to think outside the box and let him figure out his own way out of a problem. Despite this, their greatest aim was to teach their son to trust in the power of education and build his knowledge for the bright future to come.

While growing up, Lluc was fearless and motivated to enjoy life to the fullest. A true risk-taker, Lluc was notorious among his friends for his out-worldly thinking and his ability to build things from scratch. In his teenage years, Lluc took interest in other branches, such as technology, motorsport, the automobile industry, and inventions, and was impressed by the way recent tech designs impacted daily life.

The desire to build new projects and create used to be just a hobby Lluc went back to, but later on, he took this interest and decided to implement it in his career.

Slow Way to Progress

In Lluc’s opinion, basic was boring, and not taking risks was a risk in itself because playing it safe never made greatness out of anyone. Deep inside, Lluc had always felt like someone who appreciated uniqueness, innovation, and creativity. That, along with his parents’ advice to always strive for what he wanted, took Lluc on a different path in life, one that would open new doors to personal and professional development.

Leaning towards technology as his career choice, Lluc enrolled at Elisava - an international School of Design, based in Barcelona. He studied there from 2004 to 2007 and sharpened his skills in the field of industrial design, technical engineering, and product design.

Especially fascinated with technology versus the car industry, from 2007 to 2008, Lluc acquired a Master’s degree in automotive and motorsport technologies and even earned an additional master’s degree in industrial and energetic project management.

After finishing school, Lluc decided to put his theory into practice and get a job at the Koenigsegg Automotive AB group. At the time, Koenigsegg was a renowned Swedish automobile company, with the main focus on sports cars. Within the company, Lluc had the role of composites manager and was responsible for developing ideas and manufacturing, designing, and upgrading composite car parts.

Time to Shift

At first glance, everything ran smoothly for Lluc as a new engineer. He did a job he loved, contributed with his professional ideas, and felt appreciated for his efforts. Unfortunately, for Lluc, being praised for working for others was less than inspiring and led the young man to become quite unhappy in his life despite his already acquired success.

In his mind, Lluc wished for nothing more than to go back to the basics, at a time he could do nothing else but create - for himself and the benefit of society.

Time to Create

It all changed one seemingly typical Sunday when Lluc and his partner returned home from a recent trip. Namely, the couple had to visit the medical clinic, where Lluc’s partner worked as a pediatric physiotherapist, to turn on the heating system for the next day.

When asking about her job, Lluc’s partner explained that working with special needs children largely depended on the right temperature. Odd as Lluc found this, his partner explained that children with special needs are far more active and creative when a room is properly heated, whereas otherwise - in colder spaces - they tended to become irritable and cranky.

To Lluc the innovator, this sounded like a business idea worth the effort and trouble. Almost immediately, Lluc began contemplating platform designs, asking questions, and consulting experts who would detail the refinement in creating a suitable heating system for larger facilities, like hospitals.

Unlike the heating system pattern he saw times and times again, Lluc wanted his soon-to-be brand to bring something new to the table. To do that, Lluc considered implementing ultra-modern technology in standard heating systems and figured this smart approach would significantly improve the way energy is used and the way we heat facilities on demand.

Not much consideration later, Lluc had a concept in mind and the desire to realize it in his pocket!

The First Smart Underfloor Heating Platform

Lluc’s genius idea of founding an intelligent underfloor heating system came to life in 2013, when his platform - Plactherm - was officially launched. As an expert in industrial and mechanical engineering, Lluc was able to figure out the energetic system in detail and implement its best features in his newly developed heating system.

Plactherm is the first smart underfloor heating platform worldwide, and it is all due to the unique way it operates. Using a sophisticated and sustainable electrical system, the platform uses easy-to-install heatable tiles, which can achieve the desired temperature thanks to their incorporated smart sensors.

Trusting its specialized algorithm, Plactherm can successfully manage heat distribution across all indoor surfaces, whilst also improving insulation and saving over 30% of energy otherwise used in vain. The platform’s system is compatible with all floor types and regulates thermal tile zones separately.

The platform has its own technology which allows users to manage it through smart devices and control the heat levels effortlessly, reasonably, and practically.

Plactherm in a Nutshell

Lluc’s brilliant idea of creating Plactherm was first recognized and backed by The Fundacion Repsol Entrepreneurs Fund, which was more than happy to invest in the project and support it financially. The foundation in question was the prime organization that believed Lluc was on to creating something monumental, something that would make an impact the industry has never seen before.

Today, Plactherm headquarters are located in Madrid, and the company is run by 10 lead engineers, including Lluc. Throughout the years, the company was funded by a single lead investor - Edpstarter - whose financial support was kept under the radar.

Plactherm’s outstanding smart underfloor heating system - the first of its kind - would never serve any good use to society had it not been for Lluc’s incredible vision and his steel determination to provide the kind of service that warms the hearts of professionals and individuals across the globe - and their designated spaces!