Makani Power develops airborne wind turbines—wing-like vehicles with onboard rotors that fly in a circular, crosswind path tethered to a ground station, where they deliver electricity to the grid. The rotors both propel the wing into orbit and act as turbines once airborne; the tether transmits generated power to the ground station. The vehicles are light-weight and potentially cheaper to produce than traditional turbines, and maintenance can be performed on the ground. Makani is still testing prototypes and plans to construct larger wings intended to reach about 1,600 feet and generate enough power for roughly 600 homes. The article cites a timeline targeting the largest prototype in 2013 and hopes for commercial production about two years later. Financially, the company has received government and corporate support to advance its prototypes.

Total raised

$23M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Grant

Latest activity

Jan 2012