Zero Motorcycles in Santa Cruz, Calif. today revealed that Invus, LP, the company’s earliest financial backers, have invested another $17 million in the business, with potential to add $9 million more over coming months.
The capital will go towards expanding the Zero’s U.S. operations, primarily, and towards expanding the company’s global sales efforts, research and development, according to a company press statement. Invus, LP invested in Zero Motorcycles in April 2008 and has remained the company’s principal investor.
Zero’s DS motorcycles are highway legal and safe for off-road bike paths, but drive quietly thanks to an all-electric drivetrain, so they are viewed as advantageous for use by urban law enforcement. All of Zero’s bikes have lithium-ion batteries that are fully recyclable, and according to the company website:
“[The bikes] will produce less than one-eighth of the CO2 pollution per mile at the power plant than a gas-powered motorcycle. It will also produce 1/100th of the smog causing nitrous oxides.”
The company’s founder, Neal Saiki, recently announced he was leaving the company to pursue another clean tech and transportation breakthrough: the first successful flight of a human-powered helicopter via the The Igor Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter Competition. The competition is run by the American Helicopter Society International with a $250,000 prize provided by Sikorsky Aircraft.
Zero Motorcycles is the next step in motorcycle evolution and represents the ultimate electric motorcycle technology. Unencumbered by conventional thinking about how they design, manufacture, and sell high performance electric motorcycles, they’re on a mission to turn heads and revolutionize their industry by combining the best aspects of a traditional motorcycle with today’s most advanced technology. The result is an electric motorcycle line that’s insanely fast, and environmentally friendly. Since inception, Zero Motorcycles, Inc. (formerly Electricross) has been dedicated...
Inventures Group is not a VC firm. They have no limited partners’ expectations to attend to – all of the funds are their own – they have skin in the game and, for better or worse, the skin is all theirs. They are not simply advisors– They will join your board of directors and do the heavy lifting whether it is glamorous or not. And being outside of the management team lets them provide a perspective free...
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation designs, manufactures, and services military and commercial helicopters. It provides fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft, and civil and heavy lift helicopters, as well as related spare parts. The company also offers maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for aircraft and helicopters. In addition, it provides integrated helicopter services, including helicopter management, maintenance, and charter helicopter flights. The company’s helicopters are used by various governments in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia,...
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