The Motley Fool has written about Altair
I see several things to like about A123 Systems. First, it already has a successful commercial product. Since early 2006, A123 has been supplying battery cells to Black & Decker
Second, its car battery technology has attracted the attention of a major automotive company. Earlier this year, General Motors
Now, to be fair, Altair is working with Phoenix Motorcars, which recently announced modest deals to supply both Alcoa
And A123 is not just a two-trick pony. In addition to its deals with Black and Decker and General Motors, it is also partnering with General Electric
Apparently, GE was pleased enough with the technology to become the lead investor in a $40 million secondary financing round announced this past January. Another investor in that deal was Proctor & Gamble
Alas, the possibilities don't stop there. A123 System has so far attracted more than $100 million in venture capital, including large chunks of money from Motorola and Qualcomm, both of whom could utilize A123's lithium-ion battery technology.
Real products, real partnerships, and access to large companies with deep pockets are all things that A123 has going in its favor. Until Altair can show that it is making progress on a similar scale, I will remain pessimistic about its long-term outlook.
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Fool contributor Jack Uldrich owns stock in GE but none of the other companies mentioned in this article. The Fool has a strict disclosure policy.