• Danotek Motion Technologies

  Participated · Series B · Aug 2011

  Danotek develops and manufactures permanent magnet generators (PMGs) and related converter systems for delivering wind energy to the power grid. The company has patents pending on several products, including PMGs and power electronics for wind turbines. It also develops variable-speed propulsion and accessory drives for electric and hybrid electric vehicle markets. Led by President and CEO Don Naab, Danotek plans to expand research and development initiatives and to launch initial production. The company secured $15M in a Series B financing to support those efforts. Danotek is headquartered in Canton, MI. Danotek Motion Technologies is a Canton, MI-based company that designs and manufactures advanced generators and components to supply wind energy to the power grid. The company also produces motors, drives, pumps and other accessories for electric and hybrid vehicles. Danotek raised $13.2M in a second funding round to support its growth. Proceeds will be used to expand research and development, install utility-scale megawatt load testing equipment, and hire and train workers. The company plans to launch production of permanent magnet generators with an annual capacity of about 4,000 units in approximately three years.

• Nuventix

  Participated · Equity · Jul 2011

  Nuventix designs and sells SynJet synthetic‑jet cooling products that move air with an oscillating membrane to cool LEDs and other hot electronics. Its SynJet technology is positioned as a quiet, energy‑efficient alternative to traditional fans and is offered in a variety of sizes and form factors. The company says the technology can make LED lights brighter, longer‑lasting and potentially cheaper, and is applicable to spot, down, track and accent lighting using high‑brightness light engines. Nuventix has been solving thermal management problems globally since 2003 and highlights use cases from chips in LED lighting to embedded computing. The company announced plans for global expansion and continued technology advancements supported by new capital and a strategic collaboration with GE Lighting.

• SynapSense

  Participated · Series C · Jul 2011

  SynapSense develops wireless instrumentation and a combined hardware and software data-center optimization platform that reduces energy use and carbon footprint for large operators. Its customers include data centers operated by companies in technology, finance, healthcare and defense. The company’s product set is a hardware and software stack designed to optimize infrastructure efficiency. SynapSense will use new capital to boost international operations and to enhance its data center optimization platform. Financially, the company has just completed a $16 million Series C financing to support expansion and product development. SynapSense was founded in March 2006 by Peter Van Deventer and Dr. Raju Pandey.

• Scientific Conservation

  Participated · Series B · Apr 2011

  Scientific Conservation develops a cloud-based energy management platform for building owners and operators. The company completed the acquisition of Servidyne, a provider of energy efficiency, demand response and sustainability solutions for existing buildings, and the combined business will operate as SCIenergy. SCIenergy will formally launch next month to deliver the integrated platform and services. The company has more than 160 employees worldwide and customers in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia. It maintains an Operations & Technology Center in Atlanta. Scientific Conservation recently raised capital in a Series C to support its growth and combined operations. Scientific Conservation offers a software-as-a-service platform, SCIwatch™, that analyzes energy consumption in commercial buildings by interfacing with building automation systems. The platform compares predicted energy and system efficiencies against real-time operation to help reduce annual energy spending. Led by CEO Russ McMeekin, the company has positioned its technology for deployment across large commercial portfolios. The company closed a $19M Series B financing, providing capital to scale commercial adoption. GE Capital Real Estate has agreed to deploy the company’s energy analytics platform in its buildings in the United States, Canada and the UK, representing a strategic commercial partnership. Scientific Conservation maintains a technology center in Atlanta, GA, while its headquarters are in San Francisco, CA. Scientific Conservation Inc. is a Berkeley, CA-based provider of energy efficiency and system optimization solutions for the commercial building market. Its core product is a SaaS-delivered Automated Continuous Commissioning (ACC) platform that automatically detects system faults to reduce energy consumption and building carbon footprints. The ACC platform is designed to identify issues early to prevent major costly problems. The company also operates a technology center in Atlanta, GA. Recent funding will be used to continue developing its suite of products. The company has announced Series A financing activity that bolsters its product-development plans. Scientific Conservation Inc. provides energy efficiency and system optimization solutions for the commercial building market. The company is based in Berkeley, California. It completed a $5m Series A financing with Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ). DFJ said the firm expects newly appointed CEO Russ McMeekin to be instrumental in establishing SCI as a leader in the building energy management space. Russ McMeekin was named Chief Executive Officer; his prior roles include President and CEO of Progressive Gaming International (2002–2008), President and CEO of ViaFone, Inc. (2001–2002), and 11 years at Honeywell International. The article does not disclose operating metrics or additional financial details.

• SustainX

  Participated · Equity · Mar 2011

  SustainX develops isothermal compressed-air energy storage technology and holds multiple US patents for core elements of its approach. The company has completed a pilot plant and is working to commercialize by building its first megawatt-scale system. The recent funding will support continued development of its patented technology and accelerate deployment of MW-scale systems. SustainX is on track to demonstrate a one-megawatt grid-connected system in collaboration with AES Energy Storage under a US Department of Energy Energy Storage Program award. Founded in 2007 by engineers at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, the company is based in West Lebanon, New Hampshire. The financing activity described in the articles reflects progress toward commercialization rather than disclosed revenue or user metrics. SustainX, founded in 2007 and based in West Lebanon, N.H., develops ICAES™ (Isothermal Compressed-Air Energy Storage) systems for bulk grid storage. Its core product uses pistons to compress air into above-ground vessels while maintaining nearly constant temperature during compression and expansion to improve efficiency and reduce cost versus other above-ground options. The design relies on ambient-temperature, nontoxic working fluids, mature industrial components, and proprietary thermodynamic and hydraulic control innovations; the company holds four U.S. patents on core aspects of the technology. SustainX targets the emerging market for grid-scale storage created by renewable generation and aims to displace gas-fired peaker plants. Financially, the company has secured a new $14.4M venture financing and earlier received about $5.4M from NSF SBIR and the U.S. Department of Energy Energy Storage Program. SustainX plans to develop and demonstrate a grid-scale prototype in partnership with AES Energy Storage capable of powering roughly 1,000 typical U.S. homes. SustainX is developing a technology for utility-scale energy storage that stores large amounts of energy using compressed air. The company received a $5.39M award from the US Department of Energy to develop the technology and advance to a full-scale demonstration. The DOE- and SustainX-funded demonstration will culminate in deployment of a 1 megawatt, 4 megawatt-hour system hosted at an AES Energy Storage LLC-affiliated site. The DOE award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Previously SustainX received a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Science Foundation and venture capital funding from Polaris Venture Partners and Rockport Capital Partners. The company was spun out of Dartmouth College last year and employs 10 people at its site in West Lebanon, New Hampshire.

No current team members are available.