TDK Corporation’s venture-capital arm, TDK Ventures, announced a significant investment in geothermal energy advancement. The company announced a strategic investment in Rodatherm, an advanced geothermal energy company. This investment is part of Rodatherm’s $38 million Series A funding round.
The companies believe the investment will accelerate Rodatherm’s closed-loop advanced geothermal system (AGS) technology. According to Rodatherm, the system is designed to provide sustainable, affordable, and reliable baseload energy.
Promoting Advanced Geothermal Energy
Rodatherm’s technology has a unique design optimized for sedimentary basins, which is a major reason why the company stood out to TDK. According to TDK, the system utilizes a fully cased and pressurized closed loop that allows efficient heat transfer into a specialized working fluid.
This working fluid is fully isolated and directly powers a turbine. According to TDK, it achieves 50% higher efficiency than traditional water-based geothermal systems. In addition, the system leads to low operating and maintenance costs. TDK expects it to achieve competitive energy costs at an early project scale.
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“This investment reflects TDK Ventures’ commitment to supporting transformative technologies that address critical global challenges, including the urgent need for clean and affordable energy,” said Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures. “We believe geothermal can play a significant role in near-term energy generation, and Rodatherm’s innovative closed-loop system, combined with its strong leadership team, has the potential to unlock reliable, clean power for millions—an ambitious mission we are proud to help accelerate.”
Rodatherm plans to use the Series A funding to build its first pilot system in Utah.
The company will use this site to demonstrate the system’s ability to meet projected cost and efficiency targets. Its goal is to create full-scale project development. According to Rodatherm, it does not use fresh water, has a small surface footprint, and is designed to last decades.
“We believe geothermal energy is poised to be a major contributor to the global energy transition,” said Curtis Cook, CEO of Rodatherm. “And with TDK Ventures’ assistance both financially, and in providing access to TDK Goodness, as well as the many synergy opportunities within TDK Corporation, our road to success is now shorter and smoother.”
