Florrent closes $9.5M seed round for supercapacitor energy storage

What's the deal? Florrent, a South Deerfield, Massachusetts energy storage research and development company, closed a second seed round at $9.5 million after investor demand pushed the raise past its target.

What's the endgame? The company develops supercapacitors, a form of energy storage. Its expansion is creating new jobs in western Massachusetts, according to Western Mass Economic Development Council president and CEO Aaron Vega.

Why now? Vega points to Florrent as evidence that innovation is thriving in a region he says has often been overlooked by the Boston area. He is working to define a strategy for the council to connect research, companies, and investment across Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties.

The context: Vega recently published a paper, "Western Mass is Building the Next Economy. Now We Need to Connect It." His thesis: the region already holds the pieces of an innovation economy spanning quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, food science, climate technology, and AI — but those pieces need connecting.

He cited UMass researchers receiving roughly $235 million in sponsored research funding last academic year, and the university earning 22 US patents in fiscal year 2026.

The signal: Vega wants the council to serve as the region's "convener of conveners," turning research into companies and innovation into jobs. Florrent's oversubscribed round offers early proof that western Massachusetts can draw capital to its emerging climate and technology sectors.

Read more: atholdailynews.com

Image credit: Idaho National Laboratory