Infinitum announces new collaborations with Rockwell, others
Infinitum, creator of the sustainable air-core motor, has added to its list of investors once again. On November 1, the Round Rock, Texas-based company announced $185 million in Series E funding led by London investment service Just Climate, along with participation from Galvanize Climate Solutions and NGP.
Existing investors including Alliance Resource Partners, Rockwell Automation, Riverstone Holdings, Chevron Technology Ventures, Cottonwood Technology Fund and Ajax Strategies also participated in this round, bringing total funding to-date to $350 million. Funds will be used to expand the company and increase production to meet customer demand and drive decarbonization in the industrial sector, one of the largest and hardest-to-abate emitters of greenhouse gases.
Infinitum’s advanced motors utilize a built-in variable frequency drive (VFD) that reduces energy usage by running the motor at lower speeds when possible. The motor is said to be "50 percent smaller and lighter, uses 66 percent less copper and no iron in the stator, and consumes 10 percent less energy1 than traditional motors," per a November 1 Infinitum press release and many previous documentations from the company.
Infinitum’s air-core motors, so named because the stator does not have an iron core, replace the copper-wound iron core found in traditional motors with a lightweight printed circuit board stator. Manufacturing and servicing Infinitum motors is also said to be "less carbon intensive than traditional motors and the motor’s modular design allows components to be reused multiple times."
“We believe replacing millions of outdated, single-speed motors with higher-efficiency, variable speed motors is key to helping the industrial sector meet sustainability objectives and solving the net zero challenge,” said Benoit Grobon, a director at Just Climate. “Infinitum’s motors are a disruptive, high-impact solution that can be produced at scale and easily implemented to benefit industry through reduced energy consumption and waste. We’re pleased to welcome Infinitum’s team to our portfolio of climate-focused companies and be a part of their growth journey.”
The implementation of advanced motor technology in the US industrial and commercial sectors has the potential to save 127 terawatt-hours per year (TWh/yr), translating into cost savings of $14.7 billion and reductions of 90.2 MMT of CO2, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. This is equivalent to the annual electricity use of all households in California and North Carolina combined.
To accelerate the adoption of high-efficiency, variable speed motors across the global industrial sector, Rockwell Automation and Infinitum are jointly developing a motor system that is compatible with Rockwell’s market-leading industrial automation solutions. The resulting motor and low-voltage drive solution will be distributed through Rockwell, expanding the opportunity for global industrial sector clients to easily deploy a sustainable motor system and cut energy consumption, operating costs and material waste.
“We recognize the vast opportunity that Infinitum’s motors can have across numerous applications to make the industrial sector more productive and sustainable,” said Barry Elliot, Vice President & General Manager, Power Control, Rockwell Automation. “The ease and benefits offered by Infinitum’s combined motor and VFD system can serve as a catalyst for industrial companies to easily transition to using VFDs and save on energy costs. We’re excited to expand our partnership with Infinitum and look forward to the impact it will have on decarbonizing the sector.”
“Partnering with Just Climate, Galvanize Climate Solutions, NGP, Alliance Resource Partners, Rockwell Automation and our existing investors in this investment round is an exciting milestone, and will allow us to make a bigger impact,” said Ben Schuler, founder and CEO, Infinitum. “Our talented team has worked to deliver an award-winning motor that can power the world’s industrial applications with less energy, material and waste to make a positive impact on our planet today and serve generations of the future.”
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