Makani (company)
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Wind power |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Defunct | 19 February 2020 |
Key people | Saul Griffith, Corwin Hardham, Donald Montague, Damon Vander Lind |
Number of employees | 20+ |
| Parent | Alphabet Inc. |
| Website | makanipower.com |
Makani Technologies LLC was a company located in Alameda, California that specialized in developing airborne wind turbines. Established in 2006 by Saul Griffith, Don Montague, and Corwin Hardham, it was acquired by Google in May 2013 and functioned under Alphabet's umbrella until its closure in February 2020.
History
Initial financing for Makani came through the Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal (RE<C) program managed by Google.org. The company’s name derives from the Hawaiian word for "wind." Following the passing of co-founder Corwin Hardham in 2012, Makani was incorporated into Google X after its acquisition in 2013. In 2015, leadership shifted with the appointment of Fort Felker, formerly director at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s National Wind Technology Center, as CEO to guide product advancement.
By December 2016, Makani had successfully built a 600 kW prototype featuring a wingspan of 28 meters, representing a key achievement in its development efforts. Beginning August 2018, the firm operated a test facility for energy kites on Hawaii’s Big Island to assess offshore wind power capabilities.
In February 2019, Makani transitioned into an independent subsidiary within Alphabet. At this time, Royal Dutch Shell invested as a minority stakeholder and collaborated with Makani to broaden market access and accelerate expansion in offshore wind energy.
Despite technological advancements, the company encountered challenges such as losing an offshore energy kite during 2019 testing—a setback that underscored the difficulties involved in scaling airborne wind systems.
Alphabet announced Makani’s closure in February 2020, citing commercial risks and prolonged development timelines. Following this, Makani published the Energy Kite Collection—an open-source archive containing flight records and technical materials—and offered its patent portfolio royalty-free to foster innovation across the sector. Additionally, the company produced a documentary titled Pulling Power from the Sky: The Story of Makani, highlighting its accomplishments and strategic direction within renewable energy.
Technology
To deliver cost-effective renewable energy, Makani engineered an autonomous tethered wing that flies in circular trajectories, generating electricity through turbines mounted on its main wing—an approach known as crosswind kite power, originally described in Miles Loyd’s 1980 research. Although Loyd identified challenges related to the mass of airborne generators at scale, many competitors such as Italy’s KiteGen place generators on the ground, producing power via tension in the tether. This method aligns with Makani’s focus on pioneering airborne wind technology to strengthen its position within the renewable energy market.
See also
External links
- Kites
- Airborne wind power
- Wind turbine manufacturers
- Companies based in Alameda, California
- Technology companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area
- American companies established in 2006
- Renewable resource companies established in 2006
- 2006 establishments in California
- Google acquisitions
- Wind power companies of the United States
- X Development
- Alphabet Inc. subsidiaries
- 2013 mergers and acquisitions
- 5
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment