Mariah Power gets funding, prepares for global rollout

Since Mariah Power reworked the design of its residential and commercial wind power appliance the Mariah Power Windspire representatives of 37 countries want to sell or manufacture the product, says Mike Hess, chief executive officer.

The Reno company has attracted an additional $500,000 in seed-stage funding from Big Sky Partners of Los Angeles and Greenhouse Capital Partners of Sausalito, Calif.

Executive have said the company needs to raise $10 million in venture capital this year, following the $750,000 in angel funding that it raised from the Sierra Angels and the Keiretsu Forum.

Last year, after installing a few sites for beta tests, the company halted production to retool the product for greater efficiency.

This year, it hired Robert Holland, based in Palo Alto, Calif., as vice president of global sales.

"Bob will help us put our channel strategies together electricians, wind installers, contractors. I've known him 20 years; he's a first-rate mind who will help us put our strategy together," Hess says.

The company also has added Michael B. Schwab, managing director of Big Sky Partners, to its board.

Mariah expects to break even in 18 months, when sales support production, says Hess.

"Things are heating up for us. We're pretty much done with the testing stage and are on the cusp of volume shipments," he says. "Everybody is worried about their carbon footprint."

But Mariah plans to satisfy the big markets (with sufficient wind) first: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, Costa Rica and an eastern European country next year.

Undetermined is whether Mariah will license its technology to foreign concerns, manufacture on foreign soil, or ship from here.

"Manufacturing within a country can give back to the community, he notes. "We would like to manufacture in Africa because

there are few jobs there."

At present, manufacturing is based in Carson City and Reno. And Hess says he'd like to keep things that way to serve the entire U.S. market. "The goal would be to try and do that as best we can."

But there's a hitch: "All my investment capital is coming from California. They want us there. We need to build up the investment capability of Nevada so we can support our own startups."

Mariah plans to produce 680 units this year and 12,000 units the next.

Mariah Power's Windspire stands 30 feet tall and 2 feet in radius. It sells for $3,995.