Venture Capital Firms

VC Arm of Volvo Leads $14 Million Investment in Series B Funding for SDCmaterials, Inc.

SDCmaterials, Inc. has announced today that it has closed $14 million in series B funding with Volvo Technology Transfer leading the funding. VTT is the venture arm of Swedish car maker, Volvo and it manly invests in companies that Volvo has an interest in. VTT also has an industrial arm together with Volvo, manufacturing trucks, and VTT is the second largest truck maker in the world.

Other investors participating in this round of funding include Invus Financial Advisors, BASF Venture Capital GmbH., and other private investors.

SDCmaterials is a company that is based in Temple, Arizona and has unique nano-material fabrication and integration processes that deliver significant benefits to customers who are reaching the limits of more orthodox production.

The catalysts that are manufactured by SCDmaterials are unique in that they reduce the consumption of precious metals and improve performance, as well as increasing the longevity of emissions and chemical production applications. Furthermore, SDC ceramics additives also make their ceramics components stronger and more fracture resistant and therefore more appealing to military armor applications. The company was founded in 2004 and has been dedicated to improve the automotive industry with its nano-material fabrications and processes.

According to Maximilian Biberger, CEO of SDC Materials; having VTT investing in the company is a very significant event for SDCmaterials. Because VTT is the world’s second largest truck maker, SDCmaterials will have access to accounts that can generate enormous profit from its catalysts. The fact that VTT has chosen to invest in SDCmaterials means that they believe in the company and have confidence in the technology that SDC Materials produces for them.

According to Anders Brannstrom, CEO of VTT; the materials that are manufactured by SDCmaterials are a great opportunity for VTT to reduce their manufacturing costs, by incorporating their catalysts into the trucks that VTT manufactures. Furthermore, the technology that SDCmaterials offers also makes a good investment opportunity for VTT and Volvo.

VTT or Volvo Technology Transfer AB is the corporate vc arm of the Volvo Group and is part of the Swedish automotive complex, building heavy-duty trucks as well as cars. Volvo has had a strong presence in Europe and North America for over 80 years and over that period of time, the Volvo Group has built a reputation of making transportation vehicles that are of high quality and good performance.

Invus Financial Advisors is the sister firm of Invus Financial, LLC and mainly invests equity in companies that have the aim to transform their industry. Invus is based in New York, but also has offices in London, Hong Kong, and Paris. Invus was founded in 1985 and has over $4 billion in capital under its management.

Emerald Technology Ventures is a vc firm that is dedicated to investing in the clean-tech industry. The vc firm was founded in 2000, and has been very active in the rapidly growing clean-tech industry and investing in companies that have new innovative solutions for clean technology. Some companies in Emerald’s portfolio include Advanced BioNutrition, AgraQuest, AquaSpy, Catalytic Solutions, CTP Hydrogen, and others.

BASF Venture Capital GmbH, or BVC is actually the vcd arm of the BASF Group and primarily invests in companies that have the potential to develop products for BASF or be of interest to BASF. Some companies in BVC’s portfolio include ChrySolix, AgION, FGI, Heliatech, and others.

For more information about SDCmaterials, click here.

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