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Nanotechnology - Sunday, October 23, 2005

PowerMetal Technologies - Profile

HQ: Carlsbad, CA

Founded: 2005

Management: Edward Hughes is Founder, President & CEO. Ed is a golf guy who was the SVP/GM for TaylorMade-adidas Golf. Before that he was VP/GM at Maxfli Golf as well as VP for Dunlop Slazenger Group Americas, with its golf, tennis and squash products

Investors: In October 2005, the company raised $10M in Series A equity from Toronto-based Mosaic Venture Partners and a group of high-net worth individuals.

Business Model: PowerMetal wants to create the successor to the Titanium golf club, using nanotechnology, and become the next big golfing trend. The company envisions geezers being able to launch balls with nanotech-shafts 500 yards down a fairway. The company also tips its hat to bringing new lighter weight, more powerful materials to an endless list of products that could be improved with greater lightness and strength including: tennis rackets, baseball bats, Lacrosse sticks, yacht masts, skiis, knives, guns, fishing reels, scuba tanks, and bikes.

Competitors: NanoDynamics, NanoSys, Nano-Tex , Zyvex, Nanodesu, NanoHorizons.

Dirt: PowerMetal is unfortunately named, as it will forever loose in searches to German fan sites about trash metal, epic metal and death metal. Looking around, there is a surprising number of competitors using nanotech advances to improve sporting goods products. Some are looking to launch their own new brands, such as NanoDynamics which has launched the most expensive golf ball available and the Japanese Nanodesu which sells a line of nano bowling balls. PowerMetal looks to be a supplier of technology and materials to other brands and its CEO seems to have the connections to make that happen. However, PowerMetal is a bit late to the party. It's way to soon to know if the company's stuff is any good. To learn more check out USA Today which has the definitive story.

Read - Nanotech could put a new spin on sports (USA Today)