Albatross Technology raises $1.6M to scale floating wind turbines
What's the deal? Tokyo-based Albatross TechnologyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has raised 250 million yen (about $1.6 million) in a Series B round led by the Development Bank of JapanDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The money will fund a large-scale offshore experimental machine, building on a smaller prototype now being tested off Nagasaki Prefecture.
Who's backing it? Alongside the Development Bank of Japan, investors include Sumitomo Heavy IndustriesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Mitsubishi Gas ChemicalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Showa Machine Trading, albacrossDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Hokuhoku CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The round brings the company's total raised to roughly 770 million yen since its seed round.
What's the endgame? Albatross develops floating vertical-axis wind turbines (FAWT) designed for deeper waters — a priority for Japan, which has limited shallow marine areas. Its design emphasises structural simplification and a lower centre of gravity, which the company says can cut costs versus traditional horizontal-axis turbines with larger floating structures and anchoring systems.
What they're saying: The FAWT technology "not only seeks cost reduction for floating offshore wind power but also contributes to rebuilding the wind turbine supply chain in Japan," said Yuuki Takemori, the bank's director of innovation investment.
By the numbers: At roughly $1.6 million, the round sits toward the smaller end of deals in the sector, ranking in about the 16th percentile by amount. Costs for the small-scale offshore test have already been covered through a collaboration with five research firms.
The signal: As renewable energy demand rises, floating turbines suited to deeper zones are central to expanding offshore wind. Backing from strategic industrial investors like Sumitomo Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical signals that Japan's heavy-industry players see FAWT as a route to both cost reduction and domestic supply-chain resilience.
Read more: third-news.com
Image credit: U.S. Department of Energy
