Five start ups get Intel investment

SAN FRANSICO: Establishing a more diverse portfolio in is energy goals, Intel Corp has pumped in close to $10 million in as many as five startup companies. The company had recently kicked off a new sub-group, christened the Energy Systems Group, in a bid to focus on the development of smart building, smart homes and smart grids.

The five start ups which has received Intel investment are New York-based CPower, San Francisco-based Grid Net, Limerick-based Powervation, Texas firm Convey Computer and iControl, based out of Palo Alto.

Steve Eichenlaub, managing director of platform technologies, cleantech and digital health at Intel Capital, said “the investments share synergies focused on accelerating adoption of Smart Grid technologies, fostering energy efficiency and performance in ways that benefit consumers of electricity and power utilities as well as complement Intel's strategic objectives."

According to an EETimes report, CPower, which has received Intel Capital's initial funding, is a company that delivers targeted energy management services and solutions that enable companies to optimize their facilities and operations through energy reduction initiatives and earn market payments for those reductions. Meanwhile, Grid Net is seen as a pioneer in providing the network operating system and management control plane for the Smart Grid.

Another start up that has found Intel investment, Powervation, provides digital power controllers for server, desktop computing and communications platforms that deliver capabilities in automatic configuration and self stabilization.

In the meantime, Convey Computer is a company that offers high-performance computing solutions which aim to reduce energy consumption and boost performance. , while iControl provides an IP-based platform that delivers monitored home security, remote home monitoring and home and energy management capabilities to security and broadband providers.