Michele Klein

Biography

      Michele Klein has been at the forefront of battery innovation, working in research, venture capital, and management roles. She has pioneered energy storage research at Santa Clara University, launching cross-disciplinary battery research, and was Senior Director of Applied Ventures LLC, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials, responsible for renewable energy and energy storage. She identified and invested in nine companies, serving on the boards of seven, which included Enphase Energy and Infinite Power Solutions. Before joining Applied, she co-founded, led and sold two VC-backed technology companies making manufacturing process control equipment, and served on the boards of both companies. From 1997 to 2003, Klein was CEO of Boxer Cross, when it was acquired by Applied Materials. She also led a High Yield Technology, when it was acquired by Pacific Scientific in 1996. She has also held management positions at Knoll International and Hewlett-Packard and serves on the advisory boards of two venture funds, the Silicon Valley Association for Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE), SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium and Stanford’s “Women on Boards”. She earned a BS from the University of Illinois, and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Research Interest

 Energy, CleanTech, Battery