BMW i Ventures will invest in Our Next Energy (ONE), a Michigan-based energy storage company that’s working to develop longer-range, lower-cost batteries. ONE will use the investment to scale production of its first products. ONE has demonstrated two proprietary technologies. The first, called Aries, uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry in a structural cell-to-pack architecture… Read more »
BMW i Ventures will invest in Software Motor Company (SMC), a Silicon Valley-based company with experience with HVAC retrofit motors. SMC will use the funding to expand its product line and bring to market its full-stack Building Operating System (BOS) platform, designed to optimize energy and maintenance through intelligent automation. SMC says it has developed… Read more »
BMW i Ventures plans to invest in CelLink, a San Carlos, California-based manufacturer of flexible circuit technology. The funding will support CelLink as it moves several projects into full-scale production. CelLink, which plans to continue to ramp production of large-area flexible circuits for power and data transmission in its first manufacturing facility through the end… Read more »
BMW i Ventures has announced a strategic investment in semiconductor maker GaN Systems. GaN Systems focusses on power transistors based on Gallium nitride (GaN), a wide band gap semiconductor material that promises higher energy efficiency, smaller form factors and higher performance. “GaN Systems’ power transistors have created new possibilities for engineers to build the power… Read more »
Electric bus manufacturer Proterra has closed a Series 6 round of funding, raising $55 million from various investors, including BMW i Ventures. Proterra will use the new money to increase production at its manufacturing facilities in South Carolina and Los Angeles, and to boost R&D efforts at company headquarters in Silicon Valley. For BMW i… Read more »
The company’s venture capital arm, BMW i Ventures, announced that it is making a strategic investment in the operators of the ChargePoint charging network.
Q&A with ONE CTO Dr. Steven Kaye. There is a wide range of characteristics that describe the performance of any given battery chemistry: energy density, specific energy, specific power, discharge efficiency, self-discharge rate, cycle life, calendar life, and—not the least important—cost. Some types of Li-ion chemistries are really good in a few characteristics but fall… Read more »
BMW i Ventures, the BMW Group’s venture capital firm, has invested in German startup HeyCharge, which is on a mission to install EV charging stations in locations such as apartment complexes and office buildings. “HeyCharge enables EV charging without an internet connection, which is a key enabler to cover untapped white spots,” said Kasper Sage,… Read more »
ChargePoint, which operates a network of more than 33,000 independently owned charging spots, has secured $82 million in funding, the first part of a larger fundraising round led by Daimler. The new investment will support the expansion of the company’s charging network into Europe. BMW i Ventures and other existing investors also participated in the… Read more »
Wireless power transfer specialist WiTricity has closed a $34-million investment round. Stage 1 Ventures led the round, and investors included Air Waves Wireless Electricity and Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas). The infusion of capital will enable WiTricity to continue its wireless power platform development and expand its intellectual property portfolio. WiTricity is actively engaged with key standards… Read more »