Vycon

What Vycon does

Vycon is a U.S.-based, privately held manufacturer of high-speed flywheel energy storage systems founded in 2002 and headquartered in Chino, California, with a regional headquarters and manufacturing facility in Shenyang, China. The company designs and builds kinetic energy storage products using patented active magnetic bearing levitation, permanent magnet motor generators operating up to 36,750 RPM in a vacuum, and bi-directional IGBT power converters achieving over 99.4% efficiency. Its product portfolio comprises two lines: the VDC (Direct Connect) family — including the 300kW VDC-XXE and 450kW VDC-XXT — for mission-critical UPS ride-through and backup power, and the REGEN family — including the 125kW modular system — for capturing regenerative braking energy in electric rail and stabilizing microgrid/renewable applications. Both lines are certified compatible with all major three-phase UPS brands (ABB/GE, Eaton, Mitsubishi, Riello UPS, Schneider Electric, Socomec, Vertiv).

Vycon sells primarily through enterprise field sales and a global channel of authorized distributors supported by more than 200 trained technicians available 24/7. Target verticals include data centers and colocation, healthcare facilities, electric rail and transit, airports, microgrids/renewables, casinos/hospitality, and broadcast/media. Pricing is quote-based at the enterprise level, with the company claiming $100,000–$200,000 in lifecycle cost savings per flywheel over a 20-year operational life versus 5-minute VRLA battery banks. Cumulative shipments reached 1,500 systems by October 2018, with the installed base having logged over 48.5 million operating hours and 22.3 million discharge/recharge cycles across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific (including China, SE Asia, India, Australia/NZ, Mexico, and the Philippines).

Revenue is generated through hardware sales of complete flywheel systems including the flywheel unit, power electronics, monitoring systems, and integration with UPS systems. The company has not publicly disclosed revenue, raised approximately $17.5 million across three disclosed funding rounds between 2009 and 2013, and operates with an estimated 51–100 employees. The leadership team is led by CEO & CFO Mark Zhang and President Frank DeLattre, and the company opened a new manufacturing plant in October 2024 to expand production capacity.

Name

Vycon

Legal name

VYCON Inc.

Website

https://vyconenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Vycon is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of high-speed flywheel energy storage systems serving mission-critical data centers, healthcare facilities, electric rail operators, airports, and microgrids through enterprise sales and a global channel partner network. Its VDC and REGEN product lines replace or complement lead-acid batteries in UPS and regenerative braking applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flywheel Energy Storage Systems

NAICS

Mechanical Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (333613), Battery Manufacturing (33591)

SIC

Motors & Generators (3621)

akta.pro primary industry

Energy Storage Systems (BESS, Flywheels, Batteries) (HDABAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mechanical LDES (Pumped Hydro, Compressed/Liquid Air, Flywheels) (EUAFADAB), UPS Batteries & Energy Storage Modules (HDACAJAE), Power Distribution & Switchgear (UPS, PDUs, Busway) (HDABAKAA)

Keywords

• Flywheel energy storage
• Kinetic energy storage
• Uninterruptible power systems
• Regenerative braking energy
• Microgrid energy storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Cerritos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Flywheel Energy Storage Hardware Sales: VYCON generates revenue through the sale of flywheel energy storage systems including VDC (Direct Connect) products for backup power/UPS applications and REGEN products for regenerative energy applications in electric rail and microgrids. The company sells complete systems that include the flywheel unit, power electronics, monitoring systems and integration with UPS systems. Sales occur through direct engagement and channel partners.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VYCON designs, manufactures, and sells high-speed flywheel energy storage systems that store kinetic energy for backup power (VDC Direct Connect line) and regenerative energy capture (REGEN line). The systems use patented active magnetic bearings and permanent magnet motor generators to deliver instantaneous ride-through power for UPS applications in data centers, hospitals, and industrial facilities, and to capture and reuse regenerative braking energy in electric rail and microgrid applications. Complete systems include the flywheel unit, power electronics, monitoring interface, and integration with major three-phase UPS brands.

Product overview

VYCON offers two main flywheel energy storage product lines: VDC (Direct Connect) for backup power/UPS applications and REGEN for energy recycling in electric rail and microgrid applications. The VDC line includes the 300kW VDC-XXE and 450kW VDC-XXT models, both using patented high-speed motor generator technology with active magnetic bearings. The REGEN line features 125kW modular systems designed for electrified rail, capturing regenerative braking energy. Both product families share core patented technology including high-speed permanent magnet motor generators, magnetic bearings, and smart monitoring systems. The products are certified compatible with all major three-phase UPS brands including Mitsubishi, ABB/GE, Eaton, Schneider Electric, and Vertiv.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VDC: Direct Connect flywheel energy storage systems for backup power and UPS applications, providing instantaneous and reliable power for mission-critical facilities including data centers, hospitals, and industrial operations.
• REGEN

Products and services

• VDC (Direct Connect) Flywheel Energy Storage System The VDC (Direct Connect) product line consists of flywheel energy storage systems that provide instantaneous and reliable backup power for mission-critical UPS applications. Compatible with all major brands of three-phase UPSs, the scalable VDC models ensure high-quality power 24x7 for data centers, hospitals, and industrial operations.
• VDC-XXE 300kW Flywheel System 300kW rated flywheel system providing clean ride-through backup power with over 99.4% efficiency. Features active magnetic levitation technology and 20-year life without major service interval. Targeted at data centers, healthcare imaging, and other mission-critical applications requiring reliable UPS ride-through.
• VDC-XXT 450kW Flywheel System 450kW flywheel system offering the highest power density in the industry, operating at temperatures up to 104°F (40°C) with a 20-year operational life. Housed in a 30" W x 30" D chassis. Designed for data centers, hospitals, and mission-critical applications requiring high power density and high temperature tolerance.
• REGEN Flywheel Energy Storage System Flywheel system for capturing and regenerating energy in electric rail, industrial, and distributed generation applications. Stores energy from regenerative braking and delivers it back during acceleration phases, repeating the cycle hundreds of times daily without degradation.
• REGEN 125kW Modular Flywheel System Modular flywheel system designed for electrified rail and subway systems with native 750 Vdc or 1500 Vdc motor generator providing bulk energy storage with high reliability and low life-cycle cost. Designed for 2-minute headway metro operation without compromising product life.
• REGEN for Rail (Wayside Energy Storage) Specialized flywheel system for metro rail applications, capturing regenerative braking energy and providing voltage support to supplement existing rail traction power substations. Deployed wayside at transit stations to reduce traction power consumption by up to 20%.
• REGEN Microgrid/Renewables Solution REGEN systems providing critical power conditioning for microgrids by absorbing frequent power fluctuations and protecting sensitive electronics against premature failure in harsh environments including remote areas, mining and oil fields, ships, and distant islands. Designed to reduce diesel generator fuel consumption and integrate renewable generation from solar.

Quantifiable outcome

• $100,000 to $200,000 cost savings per flywheel deployed vs. 5-minute VRLA battery bank over 20-year lifespan
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core, minor and regional.

• Federal Transit Authority (FTA)strategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009The FTA funded the Los Angeles Metro Way Side Energy Storage System (WESS) project through the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TRIGGER) Program as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The project deployed VYCON REGEN technology at the Red Line subway Westlake/McArthur Park station.
• ABB/GEcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABB/GE is a major three-phase UPS manufacturer that certifies and resells VYCON flywheel systems as part of integrated power protection solutions.
• EatoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEaton certifies and resells VYCON flywheel systems alongside their three-phase UPS product lines.
• MitsubishicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMitsubishi Electric certifies VYCON flywheel systems for use with their three-phase UPS products including the 9900B and 9900C series.
• Riello UPScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRiello UPS certifies and resells VYCON flywheel systems as compatible power protection solutions.
• Schneider ElectriccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchneider Electric certifies VYCON flywheel systems for integration with their three-phase UPS offerings.
• SocomeccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSocomec certifies VYCON flywheel systems for use with their power protection product lines.
• VertivcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVertiv (formerly Emerson Network Power) certifies and resells VYCON flywheel systems.
• ITS SolutionsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerITS Solutions is a local IT infrastructure expert that recommended VYCON flywheel systems to Cavern Technologies for their underground data center expansion.
• IGSA Power SystemsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIGSA Power Systems is the sales representative for VYCON products in Mexico and Latin America, facilitating the Mexico City International Airport deployment.
• UrbaconminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUrbacon is a technical partner that recommended replacing The Travel Corporation's lead-acid batteries with VYCON VDC-XXE flywheel systems.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Direct peers

• Active Power (Caterpillar): Active Power was Vycon's most direct competitor in flywheel-based UPS systems for mission-critical facilities before being acquired by Caterpillar in 2017. It offered similar kinetic-energy ride-through products targeting data centers and healthcare.
• Beacon Power: Beacon Power manufactured flywheel energy storage systems for grid regulation and UPS applications. As a direct flywheel peer, it represents the closest technology and use-case analog to Vycon's VDC and REGEN product lines, though it filed for bankruptcy in 2011.

Broad incumbents

• ABB: ABB is one of Vycon's certified UPS OEM channel partners, also a broad power-electronics and UPS incumbent serving data centers, rail, and industrial markets. Comparable as both a partner and overlapping solution provider in mission-critical power.
• Vertiv: Vertiv (formerly Emerson Network Power) certifies and resells Vycon flywheels alongside its three-phase UPS portfolio and offers competing lithium-ion UPS solutions. Comparable as a UPS incumbent serving the same data center and industrial customers.
• Schneider Electric: Schneider Electric certifies Vycon flywheels for use with its three-phase UPS offerings and is a broad power-management incumbent for data centers, healthcare, and industrial facilities.
• Eaton: Eaton certifies and resells Vycon flywheels alongside its three-phase UPS lines and competes with broad power-quality and energy-storage solutions targeting the same mission-critical end markets.
• Fluence Energy: Fluence is a leading grid-scale battery energy storage systems provider. While focused on longer-duration grid applications rather than UPS ride-through, it represents the broader competitive landscape for energy storage that overlaps Vycon's microgrid and renewable use cases.
• Tesla (Energy / Megapack): Tesla's Megapack and Powerpack products target large-scale battery energy storage for utilities and increasingly data centers. Comparable as a broader energy-storage incumbent encroaching on flywheel addressable markets.

Emerging players

• East Penn Manufacturing: East Penn is a major North American lead-acid and advanced battery manufacturer competing with Vycon in backup power for data centers, healthcare, and rail. Comparable as a competing energy-storage technology provider serving the same mission-critical segments.
• EnerSys: EnerSys manufactures industrial batteries including backup power solutions for data centers, telecom, and rail — directly competing with Vycon's flywheel ride-through value proposition for VRLA replacement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VYCONEnergy
• Facebookfacebook.com/100748320023929

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vycon