A startup invested in by Bill Gates will receive additional $12.7 million for an “oval wind turbine”

The American startup AirLoom Energy plans to implement a new approach to wind energy. The idea started with a drawing on a napkin.

Instead of placing massive turbines on top of 100-meter towers, the company attaches vertical blades to cables that run along an oval track just 25 meters (82 feet) above the ground. The company hopes to produce electricity at a price of $13 per megawatt-hour, which would be more than 50% cheaper than traditional onshore wind power.

The idea of the “race track” configuration came from kitesurfing, which is a passion of the company’s founder Robert Lumley. He first sketched the concept on a napkin during a wind energy conference in Berlin.

The company has already received $12.7 million in funding from 21 anonymous investors.

Prior to that, AirLoom raised $4 million in November from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, and MCJ Collective, founded by Bill Gates.

It doesn’t look quite clear yet, but it’s already very interesting.