MEET Katherine
Katherine He is an investor at TDK Ventures, focusing on transformative innovations in energy, sustainability, and deep tech. She plays a key role in researching, market landscaping, and technology scouting across energy storage, electrification, and next-generation energy solutions. Her investments span breakthrough battery technologies and value chain (AM Batteries, Novalith, Peak Energy), industrial AI (Glimpse), and emerging energy solutions for data centers and AI infrastructure.
Prior to joining TDK Ventures, Katherine was a battery researcher and engineer with eight years of experience developing high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries and energy storage technologies. With a Ph.D. in materials science, she has a deep understanding of advanced materials and was trained in commercializing lab innovations through government and national lab programs.
Beyond investing, Katherine is an active leader in deep tech and entrepreneurial communities. She is a founding member of the Volta Foundation, the largest global battery community with over 70,000 professionals where she co-founded BatteryBits and BatteryStreet. She also served as an executive member of MIT CEO, actively bridging academia, industry, and venture capital to accelerate the cleantech revolution.
She is a published author with 12 peer-reviewed publications, two patents, and one book chapter.
AWARDS
Portfolio Companies Served
AMB’s innovative “dry” process to print Li-ion battery electrodes can reduce energy consumption of a battery plant by 50%, save 40% in capital expenditure and enable potentially higher energy, faster charging, and lower cost batteries.
Novalith’s technology solutions capture and leverage carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere to isolate and extract higher quality – battery grade – lithium from resource deposits, with no harmful by-products. Their process uses less water, smaller infrastructure, and is a lower cost than current industry standards.
Peak Energy has developed an innovative sodium-ion-based energy-storage solution that is expected to be more cost-effective, durable, and easier to mass produce domestically.
Current & Ongoing Deep Explorations
Data Center Energy Infrastructure
This Deep Exploration explores the urgent opportunity in addressing the power demands of AI-driven data centers. As AI workloads surge, data centers require vast amounts of firm, reliable energy—often faster than utilities can deliver. This exploration specifically focuses on the multi-billion dollar market for energy infrastructure innovations like microgrids, transformers, and advanced conductors (everything between generation and a data center), and seeks to identify startups solving the “time to power” bottleneck.
Previous Deep Explorations
Geothermal Power
Advanced Cooling
Decarbonization of Aviation
Fast Charging
Vehicle to Everything (V2X) Communication
Silicon Anode Battery Tech
Solid State Batteries
Charging Infrastructure
Lithium Extraction
Heavy Duty Electrification
Residential Energy Storage
Entrepreneurs First
Be the change you want to see in the world
- Mahatma Gandhi