A123 has been a corporate venturing investor in its customer, Fisker Automotive, but its battery malfunctioned in a test for the electric car maker and so its sales have fallen this year partly as a result and it needed to raise money.

Mitsui Ventures joins investors including Intel Capital, AltEnergy, Braemar Energy Ventures and Novus Energy Partners backing the energy consumption reduction company.

The existing shareholders were SSE Ventures, Scottish Enterprise and Logan Energy.

SSE has agreed to acquire 40.05% of Wind Towers from Marsh Wind Technology to take its total shareholding to 80.1%.