 |
 |
Portfolio
After more than a decade of investing in the energy technology sector, Altira has repeatedly enabled the success of entrepreneurs and portfolio companies — in excess of 40, and counting — while driving aggressive returns on investment. As a result:
- Entrepreneurs with transformative ideas bring them to us for further development.
- Investors trust us to deliver the maximum return on their investments.
- Strategic industry partners and government agencies seek our commercialization expertise.
Listed below are some of the companies we’ve helped over the years. For more information on how we enabled the success of select companies, be sure to visit the case studies page.
Energy and Power Solutions, Inc.
http://www.epsway.com
Energy and Power Solutions, Inc. (dba EPS Corp.) is a leading energy intelligence company that develops and implements analytic, efficiency and clean solutions for Fortune 500 companies. The company’s integrated product and services suite is delivered using the EPS Way™, an innovative three-step process that maximizes energy and carbon reductions through financially compelling solutions. EPS Corp. delivers the right information – at the right time – to enable decisions that improve energy efficiency, reduce costs, and achieve sustainability goals. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California.
OPX BioProducts, Inc.
http://www.opxbiotechnologies.com
OPX BioProducts has developed a novel way to produce renewable, biorefined chemicals and fuels at a lower cost than current petroleum-derived products. The Company’s platform technology, Efficiency Directed Genome Engineering (EDGE), enables, in high throughput, genetic modification of E coli. The rapid manipulation of genes facilitates the identification of critical genetic codes attributed to the transformation of either sugar or syngas to the target chemical. In addition, EDGE then rapidly identifies the corresponding genes that improve volume/titer, yield, rate and purity in which the bioreaction takes place.
Lilliputian Systems, Inc.
http://www.lilliputiansystemsinc.com
Lilliputian Systems, Inc. has developed the world’s first Personal Power™ solution for consumer electronics devices. The Company’s breakthrough solution delivers the only viable small form-factor battery replacement that provides the enormous run-time improvements demanded by today’s devices, delivering a 5-10x run time improvement (or a 10-20x improvement on a weight basis) at a fraction of the cost. The technology is based on highly efficient and proven solid oxide fuel cells and MEMS based technology, and runs on high energy fuels like butane. The technology is reliable, safe (approved for use on aircraft) and environmentally friendly.
Eco Power Solutions
http://www.ecopowersolutions.org
Eco Power Solutions offers customers the world’s most integrated, all-in-one energy recapture and emissions reduction solution. Its patented turnkey technology can reduce emissions by more than 96% (i.e. sulfur dioxide – SO2 and nitrogen oxides – NOx and particulate matter), as well as remove up to 25% of carbon dioxide output. The company’s technology is also capable of generating supplementary energy by recovering waste heat that normally escapes into the atmosphere, thus providing a significant reduction in operating costs.
NxtGen Emissions Control, Inc.
http://www.nxtgen.com
NxtGen Emission Controls offers a non-catalytic syngas solution that enables engine manufacturers to significantly reduce diesel engine emissions while increasing fuel economy up to 10%. Founded in 2004, NxtGen brought together former employees of Ballard Power Systems and QuestAir Technologies who sought to respond to the confluence of global emission regulations, led by the United States, European Union and Japan, that require diesel engine manufacturers to reduce particulate matter and NOx emissions 10-fold by 2010. The mandates set forward by these regulations cannot be achieved solely through the use of incumbent engine control technologies or clean diesel fuel alternatives. The NxtGen technology can be incorporated into vehicles by original equipment manufacturers as well as by aftermarket retrofit.
SunEdison, LLC.
http://www.sunedison.com
Sun Edison LLC is North America’s largest solar energy services provider and provides an integrated offering including installation, construction, monitoring and operation of solar energy systems. Sun Edison simplifies solar by offering solar energy services that deliver predictable energy pricing with no capital outlays at prices equal to or below current retail energy rates, with no disruptions to existing service. Sun Edison manages the full solar life-cycle, providing post-installation services such as preventative maintenance, monitoring and repairs. Sun Edison has targeted and built a diverse base of blue-chip commercial, government and utility customers. Headquartered near Washington, DC, the company was founded in 2003.
DeepFlex Inc.
http://www.deepflex.com
DeepFlex has patented technology for the manufacture of non-metallic composite pipe for use in deepwater development of oil and gas fields. The DeepFlex composite pipe provides key benefits over the traditional flexible steel pipe such as lower cost, reduced weight per unit length and better strength and corrosion resistance. The superior performance of non-metallic composite pipe could create a paradigm shift in the industry from steel to composites.
Southwest Windpower Inc.
http://www.windenergy.com
Southwest Windpower is a leading developer and manufacturer of low cost, reliable, micro wind turbines in the range of 400 watts to 3kW. These small turbines provide electricity for remote homes, rural areas in developing countries, on-grid applications, telecommunication systems, recreational vehicles such as sailboats, and other remote applications. Southwest Windpower produces two main product lines – Air and Whisper – and has sold over 90,000 turbines to date. The Company is now focusing on the distributed generation market with Skystream, a series of new grid connected wind turbines that will allow consumers in rural areas to reduce or eliminate their monthly electrical bill. The Company has distributors in 55 countries and was awarded the “Exporter of the Year” by the United States Export Import Bank of America in 2002.
GridPoint, Inc.
http://www.gridpoint.com
GridPoint’s intelligent energy management (IEM) products ensure clean, reliable backup power, increase energy efficiency, and integrate renewable energy. A partner in the ENERGY STAR® program, GridPoint helps home and business owners automatically protect themselves from power outages, manage their energy online and reduce their carbon footprint. GridPoint products also provide a superior set of integrated demand response, energy conservation, and load shaping solutions to utilities, which lower the cost of supplying electricity, reduce consumption, and increase the reliability of the electric grid.
Evolutionary Genomics, Inc.
http://www.evolgen.com
Evolutionary Genomics was founded in 2000 and has developed a fully operational, patented, gene discovery technology platform, the Adapted Traits Platform. This platform is being used to screen gene adaptations in biofuel feedstocks such as corn, switchgrass, sugar cane, algae and soybeans to improve yield-related traits, such as grains per plant, grain weight, yield per acre, biomass, drought resistance and disease resistance. These breakthroughs will help to make biofuels an important and permanent part of the solution to the challenges faced worldwide in energy resource sustainability, environmental quality and climate change
ENERPULSE, Inc.
http://www.directhits.com
ENERPULSE has developed a revolutionary new spark plug called PulStar. PulStar can generate significantly more power – up to 10,000 times more – than a conventional spark plug without consuming more power from limited on-board power supply. The PulStar technology has already been proven in a two-piece aftermarket version of the product, DirectHits ® . Over the past five years 50,000 DirectHits ® spark plugs have been sold and installed in engines ranging from two stroke lawn mower engines to modern sport utility vehicle engines and have demonstrated effectiveness in improving fuel economy, cold start and engine performance.
RigNet, Inc.
http://www.rignet.com
Rignet provides broadband, plug-and-play data, voice and video networks to offshore rigs and remote locations. The company supplies and permanently installs all hardware and software and the customer’s choice of related network services to allow a pure plug and play system once a rig arrives on site.
Beyond Compliance Inc.
http://www.beyondcompliance.ca
Beyond Compliance was established to address ineffective, paper-based regulatory compliance management. Beyond Compliance designs, implements and supports the Company’s Integrated Compliance Management System™ (ICMS), which is a web-delivered and mobile field data capture solution to manage regulatory and corporate policy compliance. ICMS delivers the necessary tools and procedures to remain in compliance with applicable legislation, guidelines, and corporate business policies. It goes well beyond software to incorporate subject matter expertise, an intuitive workflow process and a secure technology delivery vehicle. ICMS has been proven to increase operational efficiencies, reduce operating costs and lower business risk as companies meet or exceed their regulatory requirements.
Renaissance Lighting, Inc.
http://www.renaissancelighting.com
Renaissance Lighting produces highly innovative lighting products using its proprietary Constructive Occlusion® technology, delivering exceptional appearance, superior efficiency and glare free illumination for all architectural applications. The Company’s unparalleled products are supported by 27 patents, including its optical and feedback control technologies. Headquartered in Herndon , Virginia, its products are marketed through two distinct brands. Its evo™products produce cutting edge solid state lighting fixtures that maximize the cost and performance advantages of high brightness LEDs to provide complete control of color and intensity, while its Renaissance Lighting™ products offer high performance HID and Halogen lighting to produce surface wash lighting with exceptional uniformity and optimum luminaire spacing. Altira was the lead Series A-1 investor, which closed in September 2007.
Hyperion Power Generation, Inc.
http://www.hyperionpowergeneration.com/
Hyperion Power Generation, Inc. (HPG) was formed to bring to market the unique Hyperion small, modular, non-weapons grade nuclear power reactor invented at the United States’ famed Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico. Through the commercialization program at LANL’s Technology Transfer Division, HPG was awarded the exclusive license to utilize the intellectual property and develop a product that will benefit the U.S. economy and global society as a whole. Hyperion power modules (HPMs) are a perfect alternative for those communities—such as military bases, hospital and college campuses, – that, for security, reliability, or financial reasons, desire to be independent of their local utility’s power source. Equally important is Hyperion’s ability to bring heat for industrial uses and electricity for infrastructure and homes to remote locations with no reasonable access to reliable energy.
DHI Services Inc.
http://dhiservices.com/
Based near Houston, TX, DHI Services was founded in 2006 to provide world-class mud logging and data acquisition services to the petroleum and geothermal industries. DHI’s rig services include: 24/7 well monitoring, satellite internet connections, high speed chromatography, real time data systems, worldwide remote well monitoring, and brand new facilities with state of the art equipment. DHI’s executive management team averages over 20 years of mud logging executive management and operations experience.
Tantalus Systems Corp.
http://www.tantalus.com
Tantalus Systems Corp. designs, manufactures, and markets two-way, real-time data communications networks to monitor and control electric, gas, and water utilities. The Tantalus Utility Network, or TUNet™, is a single, multi-purpose communications backbone specifically designed to help utilities extend the capacity of their distribution infrastructure. Tantalus’ long-range wireless networks unite a utility’s applications, making outage management, advanced metering, power quality monitoring, load management and distribution automation cost-effective and practical throughout both urban and rural service areas.
TransZap, Inc.
http://www.transzap.com | http://www.oildex.com
TransZap is an application service provider and a business-to-business information exchange serving the energy industry via the Internet. TransZap’s technology offers a low-cost, secure solution for transmitting and processing complex financial data. Using easily understood, interoperable formats, energy companies can access secure, real-time data and solutions. TranZap’s current products and services include check stub reporting, crude oil data exchange, gas data exchange, vendor invoicing and joint interest billing.
Austin GeoModeling, Inc.
http://www.austingeo.com
AGM is a software company focused on next generation 3-D well log interpretation and interactive surface modeling. The Company’s first product, Recon, offers the oil and gas industry an unequaled workstation for interactive 3-D geological interpretation. The program is unique in its ability to rapidly create three-dimensional graphic renderings of the earth’s subsurface structures based on volumes of data obtained from hundreds of well logs.
MicroSeismic, Inc.
http://www.microseismicinc.com
MicroSeismic provides passive seismic acquisition and processing services for the exploration, development and production of petroleum resources. By recording the natural seismic energy from micro-earthquakes or production induced micro-seismicity, MicroSeismic is able to create 3-D models of the subsurface structure and dynamic reservoir processes. These passive seismic surveys can be conducted in areas where traditional seismic cannot, without entering a wellbore, with a much smaller crew size, and at much lower cost. MicroSeismic uses its proprietary software to process and analyze the data.
Davidson Instruments Inc.
http://www.davidson-instruments.com
Davidson Instruments is a leading supplier of fiber optic sensor solutions for industrial applications. The Company has developed a family of fiber optic based instruments suitable for use in demanding applications such as power generation, refining and chemical processing, upstream oil and gas production and aerospace. Davidson’s early products were developed for the Navy and the Department of Energy; the Company is now deploying commercial sensor systems to monitor gas turbines, refinery and chemical plant processes and downhole oil and gas production. Davidson’s technology is unique in its ability to reliably withstand extremely harsh environments – where other sensors fail – and to operate accurately in a diverse spectrum of applications, from those requiring a high dynamic range to those requiring high resolution.
EnergyWindow, Inc.
http://www.energywindow.com
EnergyWindow provides a full range of services and products that assist businesses with all aspects of energy procurement and management of the energy supply cycle. The Company’s flagship service, the automated online request for quotation system, matches energy buyers and suppliers via an open, objective Web-based procurement process. This system quickly creates accurate, need-based requests for quotation, solicits competitive bids from multiple, qualified energy suppliers, and identifies the best supplier with which to contract for energy supply. Additional offerings include strategy development, program development, cost and use analysis, tariff analysis and auditing, competitive market information sources, and energy program cost and performance management.
LandWorks, Inc.
http://www.landworks.com
LandWorks provides software and services utilizing leading edge Geographical Information System (GIS) technology and maintains offices in Houston, TX and Denver, CO. The Company’s primary focus is managing ownership, rights and obligations in land. LandWorks specializes in the design, development and implementation of land-related applications built upon the world leading GIS technology of Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) such as ArcGIS®, ArcIMS®, and ArcSDE®. The company also offers a full line of digitizing and data conversion services. In addition, it is a provider of ESRI Certified training classes. LandWorks acquired Geodynamic Solutions, Inc., an Altira portfolio company, in 2004.
Varidigm Corporation
http://www.varidigm.com
Varidigm is a leading manufacturer of variable speed and combustion controls for HVAC equipment and other applications. The Company’s products enable full modulation of heating and cooling systems and eliminate the inefficient on/off cycles associated with most systems. The Varidigm technology integrates with a variety of commercial and residential HVAC systems as well as a wide range of industrial applications.
WhiteStar Corporation
http://www.whitestar.com
WhiteStar provides digital cartographic data to the exploration, production and pipeline markets. The company has the only seamless 1:24,000-scale land grid of the U.S. and is a leading supplier of digital cartographic data for use with GIS-enabled software and Internet service.
WorldTelemetry, Inc.
http://www.worldtelemetry.com
WorldTelemetry designs and develops intrinsically safe wireless systems for remote monitoring of hazardous locations, primarily in the fuel storage market. Data is acquired from WorldTelemetry’s proprietary, safe sensors and transmitted wirelessly through an encrypted mesh network to a gateway, up to a mile away. Data is then transmitted to the client location, through an ASP model. WorldTelemetry serves the refined fuel, convenience store, and fuel distribution industries via its TankLogic brand (http://www.tanklogic.com). The Company serves the bulk, commercial and residential propane markets via its LPGCentral brand (http://www.lpgcentral.com).
Sample of Past Portfolio Companies
WindLogics Inc.
Minneapolis, MN
Provides wind prospecting, site assessment and forecasting through atmospheric software modeling.
Canyon Offshore Inc.
Houston, TX
Subsea remotely operated vehicle services to offshore oil and gas industry.
Coherence Technology, Inc.
Houston, TX
Specialized patented seismic processing services.
RC Squared Inc.
Denver, CO
Stochastic reservoir characterization software and services.
Nu Tech Energy Alliance
Houston, TX
NMR logging technology.
Tubel Technologies Inc.
Houston, TX
Acoustic downhole telemetry systems.
Wenzel Downhole Tools Ltd.
Calgary, Alberta Canada
Mud Motors for oil and gas drilling.
Recognizing Opportunity
From passive seismic monitoring and micro-wind turbines to full-service rig communications and harsh environment fiber-optic sensors, Altira Group has unparalleled skill in unlocking and commercializing transformative potential.