Google's parent company is shutting down power-generating kite subsidiary Makani: 'The road to commercialization is longer and riskier than hoped'

Google Plus/ MakaniMakani used kites to generate power, as a more flexible alternative to other forms of wind power.Alphabet is shutting down Makani, its power-generating kite subsidiary, a blog post from Makani CEO Fort Felker announced Tuesday. "This doesn't mean the end of the road for the technology Makani developed, but it does mean that Makani will no longer be an Alphabet company," Felker said.The company was acquired by Google in 2013, and graduated into an independent entity under the Alphabet corporate umbrella in 2019. However, the business metrics didn't seem to be with it. "The road to commercial viability is a much longer and riskier road than we'd hoped," Felker said.A small portion of Makani's employees will stay on for a few months to "package what they learned," while the

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