A North Carolina based company called Industrial Heat LLC has come out and admitted that it now owns Andrea Rossi’s ecat low energy nuclear reaction (LENR) technology. Industrial Heat has put out a press release in which it confirmed rumors that it had spent $11 million to purchase Rossi’s device.

The press release also confirmed speculation that Tom Darden of Cherokee Investment Partners a North Carolina equity fund is a principal investor in Industrial heat. It stated that one of Darden’s associates J.T. Vaughn is the manager of Industrial Heat LLC. Industrial Heat LLC is based in the Research Triangle region around Raleigh, North Carolina where many technology companies have operations. Cherokee’s website describes Vaughn as a Senior Analyst at the firm.

Vaughn said that his company had acquired the intellectual property rights to the Ecat in the press release. Vaughn and Darden were convinced of the Ecat’s authenticity by a report prepared by physics professors Guiseppe Levi, Hanno Essen, Ronald Petterson, Torbojorn Hartman, Bo Hoistad, Roland Pettersson and Lars Tegner. The scientists tested the ecat in December 2012 and March 2013 and observed its operations. Vaughn and Darden also had an unidentified independent expert exam the ecat before investing their money in it.

The press release stated that Industrial Heat has prepared numerous patent applications to protect ecat technology but wouldn’t’ elaborate. The release didn’t say if any of these applications have been filed or not.

“The world needs a new, clean and efficient energy source,” Vaugh said of his reasons for acquiring Ecat in the press release. “Such a technology would raise the standard of living in developing countries and reduce the environmental impact of producing energy.”

The press release stated that Industrial Heat wants to enter into partnerships with other companies, universities and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) to develop LENR technology. It didn’t identify any of these partners or mention any specific uses for Ecat technology.

Predictably and sadly the cold fusion skeptics have already started attacking Industrial Heat. The Gizmodo blog is claiming that Darden and Vaughn were bamboozled and bought a reactor that might not actually work. Typically the skeptics provide absolutely no proof for their accusations they just make them and hope nobody questions their statements. Those who criticize Rossi for not verifying claims turn around and do exactly the same thing.

Tom Darden

Vaughn and Darden seem like hardhead and sensible businessmen who have done their homework. They actually looked into Ecat and got the facts before investing. Gizmodo mentions Rossi’s criminal conviction but doesn’t mention the involvement of distinguished professors such as Guiseppe Levi in the ecat project.

Industrial Heat’s confirmation is very good news, despite the skeptics. It’s the biggest investment so far in cold fusion and it proves there are far sighted businessmen interested in commercializing this important technology. Hopefully Industrial Heat will be able to commercialize the Ecat and looking into other LENR devices such as those at Brillouin.

I also hope that Industrial Heat’s brave stand will inspire other investors to put their money behind low energy nuclear reaction. We need massive investment in this technology now.