$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Green Car Congress', 'A')123Systems, developer of a new generation of Lithium-ion batteries, announced it has completed its third round of private equity funding totaling $30 million. The current round of financing brings total investment in the company to $62 Million since its founding.
The batteries, based on proprietary nanoscale electrode technology built on research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), promise up to 10x longer life, 5x power gains and dramatically faster charge time (more than 90% capacity in five minutes) over conventional high-power battery technology.
New investors in the company are GE, Alliance Capital Management and FA Technology Ventures. Also participating in this round are existing investors, including Motorola, Qualcomm, North Bridge Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (from which A123 licenses the battery technology), OnPoint, YankeeTek and Desh Deshpande, the company’s Chairman of the Board.
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A123Systems is already supplying batteries to the Black & Decker Corporation for use in a heavy-duty, 36-volt line of portable power tools. The company is also working with the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a major undertaking to develop battery materials for future use in hybrid electric vehicles. Preliminary performance results show a technology with great promise for the future of electric and hybrid electric vehicles.




