The following is a recent online interview I conducted with Tyler Van Houwelingen, CEO of LENR Invest, a startup investment company focusing on the LENR field. See here for more information (Full disclosure: LENR Invest is a sponsor of E-Cat World)
What is the purpose of LENR invest?
LENR Invest’s main goal is to enable, promote and accelerate promising new energy technologies, particularly in the LENR field, through targeted investments and synergy identification. We also work to keep both our investors and the companies we have invested in, informed of the latest development and information in the LENR and alternative energy sector. Our philosophy is “the more we are, the stronger we are”, and we focus on creating and strengthening collaborations between the actors in the field. Our early collaboration with LENR-Cities was exactly in this direction, by prototyping a LENR ecosystem.
What kinds of projects do are you seeking to invest in?
Our investments are mainly targeted to bridge the gap between a lab demonstration and an industrial prototype, by funding companies at this early stage. We are also interested in the development and cross promotion of compelling LENR related Intellectual Property. We are hopeful that the inventors of compelling IP are rewarded for their work, but that this also does not create an unnecessary barrier that holds back the nascent industry.
What are some short term and long term goals of LENR Invest?
We believe that a new era in energy is coming, but as any disruptive progress, it requires a strong push to overcome the technological, economic and political barriers. In the short term, this is our modest goal, to participate in and possibly help accelerate the emergence of this new energy. In the long term, our goal is to become one of the main actors in the new energy sector.
Who is on the team behind LENR Invest?
We are mainly three persons, who had the same idea 2-3 years ago: creating a fund to bring money into the LENR field to help make it happen faster. Antoine Guillemin, (who is a highly successful entrepreneur with a PhD in Physics) initiated the Swiss company in early 2013, and almost at the same time Michael Halem (our financial expert and former Wall Street pro) and Tylervan Houwelingen, (who is the CEO of LENR-Invest and an MBA/Engineer, creator of LENRProof.com as well as other firms) met to organize the founding of a similar company in US. The three of us, then, merged the efforts and put together the overall structure in summer 2013. To this core team, we have also now added our outside group of investors as well as the companies we have invested in.
How much money have you raised for LENR Invest?
We have a dual US/Europe structure with individual investors coming from both areas. While we prefer not to disclose specific amounts, we can say that we sold out and have fully invested our first fund and are now preparing a second fund.
Can you provide any information about the kinds of organizations or individuals who are investing in LENR Invest?
These are mainly individuals who are convinced of the emergence of LENR as a potential breakthrough energy resource and interested in participating in the field at an early stage.
What information can you provide to people who might be interested in investing in LENR invest?
In case of interest, the best way is to contact us directly. Contact information can be found on our website at www.lenr-invest.com.
Do you have any feel for the amount of interest there is ‘on the sidelines’ — i.e. people watching the field waiting to see what might happens if important breakthroughs are announced?
Yes, we know that some of the biggest investors are on the sidelines, watching LENR and preparing for the moment to jump in it. The timing for us, as a “smaller” player, is tight, but we believe that with our own aligned investors we can, and will play, an important role when the public breakthrough will happen.