Gamesa has made further progress on its technological diversification strategy by taking a stake -via its investment fund, Gamesa Venture Capital - in N2S, a Spanish tech start-up specialising in intelligent energy services management. Gamesa Venture Capital has acquired a 20% stake in N2S to bolster and enhance its presence in two of its venture capital fund's target technologies: green mobility, or electric vehicles, and energy efficiency.
The transaction, Gamesa Venture Capital's third deal in a year, is part of the company's strategy for technological diversification into new renewable industries. Through this strategy, the company aims to take an active role in high-growth alternative energy sources, secure innovation and complement and capitalise on synergies with Gamesa's manufacturing activities. Gamesa Venture Capital plans to invest up to 50 million euros through 2016 to buy stakes, initially minority shareholdings, in start-ups and growth ventures engaged in the development of technologies with promising potential for future growth.
Complementary businesses, synergies and new resources
"The stake in N2S represents a major step forward in the Gamesa Venture Capital project, because it enhances our skills in market segments of strategic importance for Gamesa and because it offers many synergies which both companies can deploy in international markets. In N2S we have found a very solid team which, in its short existence, is already developing reliable, time-tested and state-of-the-art technologies. Together we will strengthen strategic business lines and cement their international expansion process," said David Mesonero, Gamesa Venture Capital's Director.
As part of this new transaction, Gamesa will offer its market position, technological, manufacturing and financial skill and experience and its local supply chain to achieve greater market competitiveness and, as a consequence, higher financial and strategic returns.
This transaction strengthens N2S' position in international markets and affords it the resources it needs to cement its technological leadership in the business of managing buildings' energy usage in real time.
"Gamesa's international presence and manufacturing capability enhance N2S' strategic position and give us access to the resources we need to capitalise on the enormous opportunities posed by the digitalisation of electricity consumption, as well as to fuel our international expansion," said N2S CEO Pablo Fernández de la Torre.
Green mobility
Gamesa's entry into N2S will allow the companies to combine the skills and technologies each has developed in the electric vehicle business.
Gamesa has designed several models of electric vehicle charging stations, which it will begin manufacturing in 2012 at its electrical components factory in Valencia, and already has a contract with Iberdrola to supply and market charging stations.
Meanwhile, N2S has developed a platform for real-time intelligent management of the electric vehicle charging infrastructure, under the trade name POWER2DRIVE. The charge can be controlled in simple fashion from any computer, tablet or mobile telephone. The system is suitable for equipment produced by any manufacturer of the charging stations now on the market.
Energy efficiency
Optimising cost of energy (CoE) and energy efficiency are also priority areas for Gamesa and its venture capital fund, and the company is already at work conducting audits and identifying cost of energy savings, both at its own facilities and at those of its external clients.
N2S will complement these capabilities with its web-based, real-time service for managing energy usage (POWER2ENERGY), which may be accessed from any computer, tablet or mobile phone. The system collects data and monitors the energy yield of a range of usage groups, enabling customers to act on the data. Moreover, it generates comparisons with data from other buildings or facilities to facilitate decision-making on policies for managing energy efficiency.
Other appealing technologies
Gamesa Venture Capital's third deal follows transactions carried out in 2011 in the area of off-grid solutions, which included acquiring stakes in two US-based ventures: 28.7% of SkyBuilt Power and 25% of Worldwater & Solar Technologies.
Gamesa Venture Capital has identified other technologies of interest and continues to research and weigh decisions on investments in international markets, such as tidal energy (converting waves and tides into energy); next-generation photovoltaics (conversion of sunshine into energy); small wind (wind energy generated from small- and mid-sized turbines); green mobility; energy efficiency (maximising the use of energy and lowering consumption); and off-grid (small renewable generation units designed for use in remote locations with no grid access).