Friday, September 18, 2009

Unstealthing Kleiner Perkins' Fortu Powercell: Kleiner helped them seek DOE Battery Funds

Via yet another determined reader of TheEEStory.com, a new stealth Kleiner investment has come to light. This time, it required a FOIA request to the Department of Energy to learn the list of applicants for advanced battery development funds.

The complete list is a whos who of battery upstarts, established players and wannabes. It is currently located at TheEEStory.com.

Since Kleiner has been so generous to me in regards to my numerous requests for comment on EEStor, it does make me chuckle a bit to be able to help uncloak yet another of their investments hiding in stealth. :-)

The DOE document lists Fortu Powercell Inc., as having an address of Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers of 2750 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025. The POC listed is Mr. Alan Greenshields. From their website, it looks like this is a German company. http://www.fortu.de/

According to the forums website, RCGroups, Fortu uses a lithium chemistry consisting of Lithium-Cobalt-inorganic technology.

HHHhhhmm. Backing a German company for funds designed to grow a domestic battery industry. HHHhhhhmmm, not commenting on the EEStor investment. HHHhhhmmm.

Anyone at Kleiner care to clear any of this up for inquiring minds? Email: eestorblog@gmail.com


Here is one of their patents.

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