Airloom Energy, a company that aims to revolutionize utility-scale wind energy generation, has announced Neal Rickner as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Rickner has over 25 years of experience in the energy, defense, and industrial sectors, and was previously the COO of Makani, a next-generation wind-turbine company owned by Alphabet and Shell.

Rickner said he was honored to join Airloom Energy and committed to a sustainable future. He succeeds Robert Lumley, the founder of the company, who will remain with Airloom.

The announcement comes after Airloom Energy raised $4 million in seed funding from Breakthrough Energy Ventures and other investors. The funding will support the research and development of the Airloom wind energy test device, which can produce 50 kW of electricity with a fraction of the mass and cost of conventional wind turbines.

Airloom’s device uses a lightweight track with 30-foot blades, instead of a 300-foot tower with 180-foot blades. This reduces the material and environmental costs, and allows for more flexibility in siting and usage. Carmichael Roberts of Breakthrough Energy Ventures said Airloom’s unique approach can solve the challenges faced by the wind industry and open new market opportunities for wind energy.

Suncorp Bank appoints Bruce Rush as new CEO amid sale to ANZ