In this iteration of Smart Energy Finances Weekly, the Asian region shows interest in smart metering and electric vehicle (EV) expansion while flexibility and energy storage continue to prove key markets in the European domain.

The last week has seen key moves being made by international players such as Trilliant and Sympower to double down on their position within the energy transition.

Trilliant, an international provider of solutions for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), smart grid, smart cities and IoT, has announced the start of its manufacturing in Malaysia.

The manufacturing team will be focused on the Trilliant Communications Module (TCM) and the Trilliant Street Light Controller.

Local production is aimed to reduce delivery cycles and contribute to CO2e reductions in manufacturing and shipping processes. According to Trilliant, approximately 119 tons of CO2e will be reduced over the course of the next three years in Malaysia.

In addition to the new manufacturing activities, Trilliant has reached a milestone with smart meter deployments in India and Malaysia.

Its recent expansion into Thailand will result in Trilliant technology being deployed, helping utilities provide more reliable access to electricity to their customers.

The company plans to deploy an additional seven million meters in the Asia-Pacific region through local partnerships over the next three years.

According to Trilliant, the announcement is a reflection of the company’s growing commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, with more than 3.5 million smart meters currently deployed and operational.

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Sympower has strengthened its position as a European independent flexibility services provider, having raised an oversubscribed €22 million ($22.4 million) investment round from a group of five venture capital (VC) funds to finance growth in low carbon grid-balancing services.

The raise was led by Activate Capital, a VC and growth equity firm serving climate and sustainability stakeholders in energy, mobility, and industrials.

Together with Activate Capital, the consortium of VC firms includes Expon Capital as well as previous investors Rubio Impact Ventures, PDENH and Rockstart.

This new raise is hoped to assist Sympower in transforming Europe’s electricity grid.

The funds will allow Sympower to serve more industrial and commercial customers across Europe, including demand-side loads, renewable energy production, EV charging, and battery storage facilities.

Commenting on today’s funding announcement founder and CEO Simon Bushell, Sympower, said: “Given the current uncertainty in both the financial and energy markets, we are delighted to have secured further VC investment and we welcome aboard the experienced teams of Activate and Expon. The ongoing trust and support of our current investors is also invaluable as we accelerate the expansion of our services across Europe. This will help enable the transition to a clean energy system, and assist in solving short term problems during the current EU energy crisis.”

Energy storage solutions developer Powin has announced a $135 million growth equity investment.

The investment was led by Singapore’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (GIC), with participation from existing lead investors Trilantic Energy Partners North America (Trilantic North America) and Energy Impact Partners (EIP).

The partnership and investment are stated to reflect Powin’s mission to bolster its stake in the sustainable transformation and decentralisation of the world’s electrical grids.

The news comes in as energy storage technology is set to play a pivotal role in the transformation of electrical grids and global decarbonisation due to the rapid expansion of renewable energy.

The investment will scale Powin’s global manufacturing, further develop its suite of products, and support its relationship with international suppliers.

Taiwanese Hon Hai Technology Group has announced a Memorandum of Understanding with NXP Semiconductors, a global automotive semiconductor company, to jointly develop platforms for a new generation of smart connected vehicles.

The virtual MoU signing ceremony was attended by Young Liu, Chairman of Hon Hai and Kurt Sievers, President and CEO of NXP from Taiwan and Germany, respectively.

The centerpiece of the new collaboration is Hon Hai’s new EV platform.

It integrates NXP’s S32 family of processors, and its analog-front-end, drive, networking and power products. The collaboration will also include new platforms such as Electrical/Electronic Architecture (EEA), Cybersecurity, connectivity solutions using the latest NXP S32 domain and zonal controller family for gateways and vehicle networking control, while also advancing secure car access with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ultra-wideband (UWB).

Another pillar is safe automated driving augmented by NXP’s radar solutions. Hon Hai and NXP have outlined more than 10 automotive products for the first stage, which will soon be in development.

The new collaboration is hoped to boost Hon Hai’s ability to build competitive EV products at a rapid pace, reduce time to market as well as optimise the efficiency of its research and development (R&D) resources.

According to Hon Hai, NXP will also be a preferred supplier for Hon Hai’s automotive business development.

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British fast-charging battery manufacturer Nyobolt has closed its Series B funding round, which will see £50 million ($59.8 million) pumped into the company.

The round was led by H.C. Starck Tungsten Powders, a subsidiary of Masan High-Tech Materials, one of the world’s largest tungsten suppliers — a key component in Nyobolt’s batteries.

Nyobolt has a range of applications for its batteries ranging from home appliances to electric vehicles and industrial robotics.

The funding will bring Nyobolt’s products to market and launch its manufacturing next year. The company says it hopes to produce “millions” of units. The funding will also enable Nyobolt’s first materials manufacturing plant in the UK, as well as expansion of the US cell engineering facility and the teams’ growth across the globe.

Nyobolt says its charging solution will decrease charge times “from hours to minutes” and help maximise uptime and productivity.

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