About Makani
Makani is an Energy & Utilities company based in Alameda (United States) founded in 2006, and was acquired by Google in May 2013. Harnesses high altitude wind energy. Makani has raised $15 million across 5 funding rounds from investors including Google, Shell and OSTI.GOV. The company was acqui-hired. Its focus areas include Energy Tech, Renewable Energy Tech, Wind Energy and Turbines. Its legal entity is MAKANI TECHNOLOGIES LLC. Its competitors include Accio Energy, Windlift and eWind Solutions; 2 of its 3 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
Makani was founded in 2006 and is based in Alameda, United States. Operations focus on the renewable energy sector, where high-altitude wind is captured through energy kites. These devices are deployed to generate electricity by converting strong winds at elevation into usable power. The approach targets efficient wind resource utilization in various geographic settings, supporting sustainable energy production without traditional turbine infrastructure.
- Headquarters Alameda, United States
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsEnergy & Utilities
- Website makanipower.com
- Social LinkedIn X
- Acquired by Google (May 2013)
- Legal Name Makani Technologies Llc
Funding Insights of Makani
Makani has successfully raised a total of $15M across 5 strategic funding rounds. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $15M
- Total Rounds 5
- First Round $10M
(Jun 2006)
- Investors Count 3
All 5 funding rounds of Makani with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
3 investors in total: 3 institutional.
Investors in Makani
Makani has secured backing from 3 investors, including institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Google, Shell and OSTI.GOV.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Shell is recognized as a global energy and petrochemical company. | 1907 | shell.com | London, United Kingdom | |
A technology company offering products and services, including search engine, cloud computing, advertising, email, productivity software, and more | 1998 | google.com | Mountain View, United States | |
Scientific and technical information is managed and disseminated by OSTI.GOV. | osti.gov | Oak Ridge, United States |
Investor details for Makani
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Timeline of Makani
4 dated milestones of Makani across 13 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Makani is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $10.0M.
- Exit Acquired by Google.
- Funding Latest funding round, Series A,.
Competitors of Makani
Makani has 3 listed competitors in our database, 2 of them funded. They include Accio Energy, Windlift and eWind Solutions.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| accioenergy.com | 2007 | Ann Arbor, United States | $5.19M | 11 | Wind energy is converted to electricity by specialized devices. | |
| windlift.com | 2006 | Raleigh, United States | $160,000 | 17 | Airborne wind energy systems are developed for electricity harvesting. | |
| ewindsolutions.com | 2013 | Beaverton, United States | Airborne wind energy systems are developed for higher-altitude wind access. |
Detailed competitors of Makani
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Web traffic of Makani
Websites that share an audience with Makani (makanipower.com).
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Makani. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| esolar.com | 100% | View details | |||
skystreamenergy.com | skystreamenergy.com | 75% | – | ||
| kitegen.com | 74% | View details | |||
squid-labs.com | squid-labs.com | 30% | – | ||
potenco.com | potenco.com | 30% | – | ||
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 7 similar websites and full traffic analytics for Makani
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- 7 similar websites
- Audience overlap
- Engagement analytics
- Traffic by brand
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Top companies in Renewable Energy Platforms
3 companies that operate in the same segment as Makani (Renewable Energy Platforms) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Silicon-based solar PV modules are manufactured for diverse applications. | 1985 | San Jose, California, United States | USD 171.73 M | USD 300 M | 600 | |
Solar panel tracking software is provided for monitoring and control. | 2013 | Fremont, California, United States | USD 42.63 M | USD 3.56 B | 1,300 | |
Iron-air energy storage systems are developed for renewable energy projects. | 2009 | Somerville, Massachusetts, United States | USD 2 B | 902 |
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Related news about Makani
Complete news archive for Makani
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Frequently Asked Questions about Makani
Makani was founded in 2006.
Makani is headquartered in Alameda, United States. It is registered at Alameda, California, United States.
Makani is a funded company, having raised a total of $15M across 5 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Series A of $10M, raised on Jun 2006.
Makani was founded in 2006 and is based in Alameda, United States. Operations focus on the renewable energy sector, where high-altitude wind is captured through energy kites. These devices are deployed to generate electricity by converting strong winds at elevation into usable power. The approach targets efficient wind resource utilization in various geographic settings, supporting sustainable energy production without traditional turbine infrastructure.
Makani's top competitors include Windlift, Accio Energy and eWind Solutions.
Makani operates through Makani Technologies Llc.
Yes. Makani was acquired by Google in May 2013.