TAKANOCK SECURES INVESTMENT FROM MICHIGAN RISE
East Lansing, MI – Takanock, a Traverse City-based startup bringing energy innovation to the data center industry, has secured an investment from Michigan Rise Pre-Seed Fund III. Since its inception in early 2023, Takanock has focused on developing a data center design to address the challenge of grid fragility and the shortage of transmission interconnection capacity.
“Takanock is addressing existing constraints in data center growth by reimagining the use of backup generators,” said Calvin VanderWal, Venture Associate at Michigan Rise. “Their leadership team has the foundation and experience needed to build and scale a company in this industry, and their technical approach will help meet the demand for additional data center capacity.”
Kenneth Davies, Founder & CEO of Takanock, shared his excitement about the new investment: “We're thrilled to partner with Michigan Rise at this pivotal moment, and are particularly enthusiastic about projects within our pipeline that are located here in Michigan."
The investment, from Michigan Rise’s Pre-Seed Fund III, will enable Takanock to commence with the development of data center sites that will ultimately be paired with the company’s proprietary design and sold to customers on a shovel-ready basis."
About Michigan Rise
Michigan Rise is a wholly owned venture capital subsidiary of the Michigan State University (MSU) Research Foundation, operated in partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). Michigan Rise provides early-stage funding to innovative companies that have the potential to transform industries and create jobs in Michigan.
About Takanock
Takanock, a stealth startup at the forefront of energy innovation in the data center industry, is dedicated to addressing the critical challenges of grid fragility and the shortage of transmission interconnection capacity. The Takanock team comprised of industry veterans with a wealth of experience. The founder, Kenneth Davies, previously established Google Energy and led Microsoft's global renewable energy team before co-founding Birch Infrastructure. This venture developed over a billion dollars’ worth of data centers and renewable energy assets. Joining Kenneth is Jeff Donahue, a former head of strategy for BHP Billiton, and former head of natural resources at Canadian Public Pension Investment Board. Tim Campbell, a highly seasoned data center electrical engineer with over 25 years of experience, also contributes to the team.