US-based car maker General Motors’s corporate venturing division has made its second investment by joining a consortium with Japan-based conglomerate Itochu to back Sakti3.
GM Ventures and Itochu Technology Ventures, the Japanese company’s US-based venture subsidiary, have invested an aggregate $4.2m, reportedly split $3.2m and $1m respectively according to newswire Bloomberg, in lithium-ion battery maker Sakti3.
They join venture capital firms Khosla Ventures and Beringea, which previously invested $7m in Sakti3, whose batteries are used in electric vehicles, according to news provider Cnet.
Ann Marie Sastry, chief executive of Sakti3, said: "These investments by General Motors Ventures and Itochu Technology Ventures bring us not only capital, but partnerships that will speed our commercialization efforts.
"The General Motors agreement partners us with a company that is clearly a global leader in vehicle electrification. Itochu Technology Ventures has a strong focus on energy technologies, and on growth markets in Asia."
Jon Lauckner, president of GM Ventures, said: "Our investment in Sakti3 gives us access to an innovative battery technology that has the potential to be a mainstream solution for electrically-driven cars and trucks of the future."
Last year, Sakti3 was awarded a $3m grant from Michigan’s Economic Development Corporation and has been designated as a State of Michigan Center of Energy Excellence in partnership with the University of Michigan.
GM Ventures was launched in June with $100m and last month invested $5m in electric van maker Bright Automotive.