IONS by Peak Energy
Hosted by Peak Energy Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Cam Dales, IONS will bring you energetic and informative conversations across a wide range of topics with industry thought leaders from the world of energy storage and renewable energy. Episodes monthly starting in 2025!
IONS by Peak Energy
Investing In Energy - A Conversation with VC Anil Achyuta Formerly of TDK Ventures
In this episode, host Cam Dales of Peak Energy speaks with Anil Achyuta, an early investor in Peak from TDK Ventures. TDK Ventures, the corporate VC arm of TDK Corporation, invests in deep tech/frontier tech within energy and mobility, characterized by a long-term, patient approach.
We discuss TDK's significant role in batteries back to the 2004/2005 acquisition of Chinese company ATL, whose pouch cell technology, propelled by the iPhone's success, led to the spin-off and rise of CATL. A key factor was ATL's journey to improve quality under TDK, adopting a "zero defect policy" mindset crucial for meeting stringent requirements like Apple's.
Anil shares his initial skepticism about investing in batteries as expensive, high-risk experiments. His perspective changed by seeking investments with performance gains, a strong unit economics advantage (without subsidies), and addressing fundamental industry misalignments.
Anil describes TDK Ventures' "prepared mind" approach, involving deep dives and thesis development before investing. Cam highlights the crucial role of timing for startup success, and Anil concludes with personal lessons from cricket.
Follow us on LinkedIn! https://www.linkedin.com/company/peakenergytech
