WiTricity, a US-based developer of wireless charging technology for electric vehicles, has increased a funding round backed by Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), a subsidiary of Japan-headquartered conglomerate Mitsubishi, to $52m.
Venture capital firm Future Shape and undisclosed private investors added $18m to the $34m first tranche of the round, led by Stage 1 Ventures and backed by Mitsubishi and Air Waves Wireless Electricity, a vehicle associated with Kenneth Horowitz, co-founder of cellular frequency licensor Cellular One, in November 2020.
Spun out of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2007, WiTricity is developing wireless charging technology based on magnetic resonance.
Venture capital firm Haiyin Capital provided an undisclosed amount of financing for the company in 2015, following a $25m series E round in 2013 featuring electronic components manufacturer Foxconn and Intel Capital, the corporate venture capital subsidiary of semiconductor technology producer Intel.
Argonaut Private Equity and Stata Venture Partners had participated in a $4m round for WiTricity in 2008, the latter having contributed to a $1.9m round the year before.
The company’s existing investors include carmaker Toyota, home appliance manufacturer Haier, power equipment producer Delta, oil and gas technology provider Schlumberger, conglomerate Omar Zawawi Group, manufacturing services provider Systech, Chartline Capital Partners, Ace & Company and Everbright.