Participated · Series C · Aug 2021

Prieto Battery develops and commercializes advanced 3D solid‑state lithium‑ion rechargeable batteries. The company is focused on a proprietary 3D solid‑state rechargeable battery architecture intended to improve performance and manufacturability. Prieto closed the first tranche of a $5.7M Series C financing to advance that technology. The round was led by Pilatus Capital, with participation from existing investors including Stanley Ventures. Prieto was founded by Dr. Amy Prieto and is led by CEO Mike Rosenberg. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate development of its core battery technology. Prieto Battery develops and aims to commercialize a patented 3D lithium‑ion battery architecture. The company has also patented a unique electroplating manufacturing process that uses non‑toxic materials and is intended to be price competitive. Prieto's batteries can be produced in customizable shapes and the company positions the technology as transformational with competitive cost advantages. Founded in June 2009, Prieto is based in Fort Collins, Colorado, where its lab and headquarters are located. The company has pursued strategic partnerships as a way to both capitalize the company and define target markets for commercialization. In May 2016 Prieto announced a strategic investment from Stanley Ventures to accelerate bringing the technology to market. Prieto Battery develops patented 3D lithium‑ion battery technology and an electroplating manufacturing process that uses non‑toxic materials. Led by CEO and CSO Dr. Amy Prieto and incorporated in 2009, the company demonstrated fabrication of key battery materials and components in 2014. Prieto is optimizing prototypes for commercialization and plans to introduce a novel 3D anode in late 2016, then incorporate that anode into its full 3D lithium‑ion solid‑state battery cell. The company announced a business collaboration with Intel’s New Business Group to accelerate marketplace introduction of its full 3D solid‑state cell. Prieto received an initial, undisclosed investment from Intel Capital and is actively seeking capital in a Series B‑1 round. It aims initially to replace a segment of the market served by conventional graphitic anodes with its 3D anode technology.

Participated · Series A · Jul 2021

Fabric8Labs, founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Diego, has created a patented Electrochemical Additive Manufacturing (ECAM) platform that builds metal parts atom-by-atom at room temperature, eliminating costly post-processing while achieving exceptional feature resolution and surface finish. The technology enables production of next-generation components such as direct-to-chip cooling structures, 3D antennas printed on PCBs, and high-current interconnects for electric vehicles. With ECAM, customers can move seamlessly from prototyping to high-volume output on a single manufacturing line. Backed by an ISO9001-certified, ITAR-registered U.S. facility, Fabric8Labs plans to expand production capacity from 5 million to 22 million components annually. The company is hiring across manufacturing, design, quality, and process engineering to meet demand from AI/HPC, wireless communications, and power electronics sectors. Its U.S. manufacturing presence also addresses supply-chain resiliency requirements for advanced electronics customers.

Participated · Series A · Apr 2021

Bartesian makes an intelligent cocktail maker that uses recyclable flavor capsules with real juices, natural extracts and bitters to produce customizable premium cocktails at home using the consumer’s own spirits. The machine can create more than 40 cocktails in a few simple steps and removes the need to keep complex ingredients on hand. Founded in 2014 after a successful Kickstarter and initial $250,000 investment, Bartesian is headquartered in Chicago. The company reported triple-digit growth, 975% year-over-year revenue growth in 2020, more than 5 million cocktails served, and subscribers grew over 30x since March 2020; it was sold out for much of 2020 and achieved millions in monthly revenue. Planned uses of capital and strategic focus include scaling production, expanding domestically and internationally, growing the cocktail library, expanding commercial partnerships with stadiums and arenas, and pursuing unique collaborations to enhance the luxury at-home cocktail experience. Actress Mila Kunis has joined Bartesian’s board of advisors to provide guidance on brand strategy and growth.

Led · Seed · Aug 2020

MSUITE is a Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based construction tech company that provides a cloud-based SaaS platform enabling collaboration across design, fabrication and jobsite teams. Its solution connects BIM-to-fabrication-to-field construction workflows and provides automatic real-time status updates, tracking, and estimating information. The platform is designed to increase productivity and reduce construction costs by improving coordination among disparate teams. MSUITE is already used by many ENR Top 600 Specialty Contractors firms, indicating adoption among large contractors. Led by President Britton Langdon, the company said it will use new capital to scale company areas and accelerate platform innovation. The company completed a $4m seed funding round to support those plans.

Participated · Series A · Dec 2018

FreeWire Technologies manufactures battery-integrated ultrafast EV chargers (Boost Charger™) and develops an accompanying energy management platform. Its Boost Charger packages charging infrastructure, grid infrastructure, and energy storage into a compact solution that enables high-power charging without costly utility upgrades. The company is evolving its software — AMP Pro expected in 2022 providing distributed energy management services, followed by Charging as a Service in 2023 — aiming to create multiple recurring, high-margin revenue streams and ultimately a turnkey retail energy service. FreeWire has installed nearly 5 MWh of energy storage capacity to date, has over 30 MWh booked, and aims to deploy over 5,000 battery-integrated ultrafast chargers by 2025. It recently broke ground on a 66,000-square-foot R&D and manufacturing facility in Newark, California, and is increasing manufacturing capacity to serve markets including the UK, Canada, Japan, and Australia/New Zealand. The company will use new capital to accelerate commercial deployments, expand its talent pool, and invest in R&D to advance its product roadmap and energy management services. FreeWire Technologies, based in San Leandro, Calif., builds battery-integrated EV charging and turnkey power solutions centered on its Boost Charger. The Boost Charger pairs an integrated 160 kWh lithium-ion battery with low-voltage grid connections to enable high-power DC fast charging where grid upgrades are cost-prohibitive. The company has deployed over 200 battery-integrated chargers with Fortune 100 companies, fleets, retail locations, and gas stations, and intends to deploy more than 2,500 ultrafast charging stations by 2025. FreeWire is described in the article as the global market leader in battery-integrated EV charging. The company will use new capital to accelerate international expansion of the Boost Charger and to expand production capacity to meet unprecedented customer demand. The round brings the six-year-old company’s total venture funding to nearly $100 million. FreeWire Technologies is a San Leandro, Calif.-based company that develops battery-integrated ultrafast electric vehicle charging and turnkey power solutions for grid-edge electrification. Its core products are ultrafast charging systems designed to overcome grid inefficiencies while mitigating infrastructure costs and impact on the grid. In late 2019 it launched the Boost Charger, a battery-integrated ultrafast EV charger deployable with existing infrastructure at up to 40% lower installation cost versus other high-power chargers. The Boost Charger was expected to hit the market in the second quarter of this year. FreeWire positions its scalable clean power and services to enable new applications and business models for customers previously dependent on fossil fuels. The company is focused on commercializing these technologies and scaling deployment worldwide through strategic partnerships. FreeWire Technologies develops infrastructure-light ultrafast EV chargers and mobile on-site power systems designed to overcome constraints of traditional grid infrastructure. Its product lines include the Mobi Charger mobile EV chargers and the Mobi Gen clean, quiet on-site power units that can substitute or supplement diesel generators. The company positions its solutions to enable rapid, cost-efficient power deployment without costly construction or hardware installation. FreeWire says its technologies support new applications and business models at the grid edge and aim to meet growing demand for flexible electrification. The company has engaged in pilots and strategic partnerships tied to vehicle electrification and retail deployment, and will use new capital to commercialize products and expand its operations and sales teams. FreeWire is based in San Leandro, California.