Investments

.

.

Investment Philosophy

MegaJoule Ventures, LLC (MJV) provides much-needed financial resources for the purpose of moving very early, promising, but complex Advanced Energy and CleanTech start-ups forward through a disciplined process of cultivating value and reducing risk.  The markets and industrial promise of these technology firms (including energy storage, fuel cells, advanced materials and a host of high-value software systems) can result in massive new industrial potential. 

MJV’s focus is on Advanced Energy and CleanTech entities.  Reliable and affordable delivery of energy is vital to modern life and at the heart of a healthy economy. And importantly, must be environmentally friendly and possess a resilient energy infrastructure.  The imperative for dramatically reducing carbon emissions while simultaneously increasing access to modern forms of energy worldwide, requires a strong impetus to accelerate, broaden and deepen technology advancement.

MJV is different than a typical venture capital fund in that MJV builds a bridge between technological potential and traditional invest-ability.  Early stage investment in complex technologies (sometimes referred to by investors as “tough tech” and “deep tech,” due to the especially time-consuming and difficult to finance) is often difficult to garner. Early stage investment vehicles are often not heavily capitalized, making the technological and market expertise required to vet, accelerate and advance these often complex, sometimes messy investment targets simply out of reach for firms that must operate on a 1-2% management fee.

Investment Philosophy

Advanced Energy Technologies

Energy Storage, Integration & Management – Batteries are the most common form of electricity energy storage.  Global investment in batteries is creating safe, scalable and modular electrical energy storage systems at ever decreasing cost of delivered energy for long periods of time.  These opportunities demand increasingly sophisticated hardware and software used to manage power supply and power quality with greater flexibility and precision.

Software Systems: Digital Grid Resilience  This sector insight explores what new strategies are taking shape for grid operators, and highlights 3 areas of grid innovation: Grid sensors; Grid analytics; and Digital grid control.

Renewable Energy Production Improvements in technologies and approaches to producing energy without relying on fossil fuel consumption continue to offer many investment-worthy growth prospects.  Examples include fuel-cells, solar and wind power, on-site hydrogen and biofuel powered internal combustion engines, and micro turbines.

Energy Efficiency and Electrification Systems  Repurposed electric vehicle and aerospace batteries into fundamental building electricity transmission components at dramatically reduced capital costs.

Allied Technologies

Reinvention and reconfiguration that improve power reliability, reduce energy costs and minimize environmental footprints.

Software Engineering Solutions  Advanced machine learning software energy management systems and building automation systems.

Advanced Materials   Advanced materials play a significant role in the continuing declining capital costs of solar, wind and fuel-cell power generation.  Also in lowering conversion losses, increasing energy densities and wattage solutions for batteries.

Smart Grid Systems – Safe, secure transmission and distribution of electricity over long distances.  Improved prediction capabilities.

Integration and Controls – The technical implementation enabling power conversion, charging, and storage.

Shared Services

Access to shared services and technology  Human resources, technical facilities and capital equipment that would be out of reach for a nascent or early stage firm.

Active Problem Solving  Working with Staff towards adetailed commercialization plan, collaborative identifying and addressing developmental roadblocks and requirements necessary to de-risk subsequent investment.

Connection-Making  The General Partner members have a broad and robust network of scientific, utility, business and governmental connections that can open doors to collaborations and business opportunities necessary to address technological challenges encountered during the commercialization process.

Intellectual Property Strategies  A common short-coming of early stage firms is their failure to aggressively develop a strong intellectual property portfolio.

.

.

Portfolio Companies

Affex

  • Affex has licensed an icephobic coating from HygraTek (repelling of ice) for integration onto MJV’s Toledo Solar panels. The coating technology has an added benefit of reducing dust accumulation for increased solar production.

Brilliency

  • Brilliency is a Platform as a Service company connecting electric, gas, and water utilities with the industry’s most comprehensive analytics, demand-side management, and customer engagement tools.

  • Electrion is dedicated to providing clean, stored electricity transported from a first location of power generation to a distinct location of energy consumption, such as tailgate parties, concerts, weddings, outdoor events or wherever the client is located.

Energy Options

  • As a pioneer in renewable energy, Energy Options is an innovative renewable energy retailer selling PV Solar, Wind Turbines, leading edge energy storage and battery backup solutions.

Flexy Microgrid

  • Flexy provides optimal and cost-effective electricity energy storage systems. Flexy clients realize the benefits of a highly engineered and customer-specific storage system design at approximately commercially off the shelf system pricing.

idenergy

  • Idenergy is a power electronics company specialized in behind-the-meter and low-voltage converter development with an emphasis on telecommunication and high-frequency switching technologies.

Connect Intwine

  • We seek to understand our customers’ needs by asking good questions, and tackle big problems by applying our creativity and passion for technology and building strong relationships.

  • Toledo Solar – We produce the world’s finest CdTe Thin Cell Solar panels, which are designed for a variety of uses from homes and small businesses to large power-generating facilities.

WattJoule

  • WattJoule has developed, and are now deploying, a cost effective energy storage system that utilizes liquids to store electrical energy — liquids that are over 60% water, inexpensive to manufacture in large quantities, and are highly durable. And, since these liquids are based on water, they can never catch fire or explode like other approaches.