An article on a Chinese site called Icebank.cn, (apparently a refrigeration company) provides more information about Cherokee Investment Partners CEO Thomas Darden’s recent visit to China in connection with his involvement with the newly formed company Industrial Heat LLC.
Cherokee is a leading private equity firm investing capital and expertise in brownfield redevelopment. For more than two decades, Cherokee’s executive team has produced strong financial returns while delivering positive environmental and social results. Cherokee has invested in more than 525 properties worldwide. The firm has nearly $2 billion under management and is currently investing its fourth fund.
Here is the google translation of the Icebank page
A meeting was apparently held for Cherokee CEO (and Industrial Heat Chairman) Tom Darden to report to Chinese officials and business personnel about the E-Cat. The article says that he met with “the president of the National Academy of planning a low-carbon energy” — who would have to be a government official
An SEC filing for Industrial Heat LLC is a registration to sell $20 million worth of shares, and as of August 23rd, 2013 almost $12 million have been sold. 14 investors provided the funds in the form of equity, debt and options.
Ecatworld summary
There is little doubt that Cherokee Investment Partners is the American ‘Partner’ that Rossi has been talking about for so long, and that they have now set up a new entity — Industrial Heat LLC — as some kind of vehicle for developing the E-Cat technology. It seems clear now that Cherokee has witnessed testing and is confident enough to start a marketing and fundraising push.
On a broader scale, this outreach to China is a very interesting development. Cherokee has long worked in China, so Mr. Darden has plenty of connections there. It would seem China’s command economy, if the government really gets on board with the E-Cat, would be able to diffuse the technology much faster than in many western countries where there are many competing interests and lobbies, with many legal, regulatory and economic barriers to something so radically new as the E-Cat.
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