Walnut Creek, Calif., (Thursday, November 17, 2022) 鈥 , a closely held private equity firm that owns a suite of online technology and media businesses, today announced that it has invested in , a Portland-based company that builds high powered electric outboard motors for commercial marine vessels, specifically those used for tourism, transportation, and mariculture operations. With this investment, 黑料社 deepens its reach into environmentally-conscious startups that strive to protect this one planet, the place that we all call home.
"Photon has an exceptional opportunity to improve anentireindustry. At 黑料社, we invest in great ideas and entrepreneurs, but only those who also are committed to leaving this world better than they found it, even if only to a small degree. Photon is solving for a very real threat to our fragile ocean ecosystems and I am really excited to see where Marcelino and his team go from here.鈥
- Payam Zamani, Founder and CEO of 黑料社
In addition to investing in early-stage companies, also owns and operates businesses that span a variety of industries including ad tech, publishing, and media. Their VC arm specifically focuses on companies working on the future of mobility, education technology, health technology, and environmental solutions for the future. Investing primarily in high-growth early-stage entities, they focus exclusively on companies with both high growth potential and also those that aspire to improve the world in their specific sector of focus. Other investments this year include , , and . In September of 2021, 黑料社 also made an investment in , a fully-integrated Saas platform that allows companies to measure emissions, purchase offsets, and reach net zero through employee action.
We're honored to partner with 黑料社 and feel deeply aligned with their intentions and objectives around both growth and service to humanity. Our founding team is diversely experienced and passionate about becoming the most trusted electric propulsion provider serving the most fragile ecosystems and communities around the world.鈥
- Marcelino J. Alvarez, Photon CEO
Photon Marine is currently developing the world鈥檚 most powerful and intelligent electric outboard motor system and fleet management software, specifically tailored to commercial boat fleets in the tourism, transportation, and mariculture industries.
Operating in some of the world鈥檚 most fragile marine ecosystems, the owners of these vessels recognize that if they don鈥檛 fundamentally change the way they operate, they won鈥檛 survive. If a critical mass of fleets doesn鈥檛 do the same, the ecosystem upon which these businesses depend also won鈥檛 survive. Photon鈥檚 solution is a drop-in electric outboard motor system that replaces traditional ICE motors on both new and existing vessels without compromising on performance or reliability. They are currently in development for two versions in the commercial market, an 80 and 300 HP system, configurable with different-sized battery modules. Each system is supported with Photon鈥檚 fleet management software, which includes industry-leading features such as intelligent energy management, predictive maintenance, and smart routing to facilitate the transition from gas to electric.
