Northwest Side CDC Closed Loan to Present Power Systems LLC

Northwest Side CDC is announcing the closing of a $320,000 loan to Present Power Systems LLC, located in the Century City Tower building at 4201 N 27th Street. Present Power Systems develops power electronics for solar energy storage to help large manufacturers make their batteries smaller and function at a higher level of efficiency. This loan will finance the project costs associated with the development of a new product that will be launched, manufactured, and sold by an outside firm located on the West Coast.

PPS was initially founded in 2016 by Jason Katcha with a full scale launch in 2019. Jason began his career working for GE Healthcare developing MRI Scanners, CT Scanners, and other medical devices. His job was to make these devices smaller, more efficient, and more cost effective. After years in that industry, he decided that he wanted to bring those same principles to the renewable energy space to have an impact in that market and make solar power a more realistic alternative to fossil-fuel-sourced electricity. After departing GE, he worked for Half Moon Power on solar projects both in Wisconsin and in cities across the United States, including Hawai’i. Eventually, he developed his own product and signed a contract with a large battery manufacturer located in Asia to help with their development of solar power storage technologies. NWSCDC provided Present Power Systems with its initial start-up loan in 2019.

Jason is passionate about the work that he does and has a core mission of making solar power more accessible for people to install in their homes. This is one of the reasons why he chose to locate his company in Century City Tower – to be proximate to the community that he wants to develop products to serve. He is committed to the neighborhoods and fully plans to grow right here in Garden Homes. Jason also highlights the amenities that CCT has to offer to Present Power Systems and other businesses with similar needs.

“Century City Tower has fantastic resources for power tech. We have tremendous labs, an EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) Chamber, Thermal Chamber, and large power output to the building. This makes high tech development possible here”, Katcha said. “We have great community support and a nice start-up ecosystem within the building. We work together and help each other.”

Jason has plans to expand both their product line and hiring footprint. Two job positions are being added as a result of the new loan and more growth is hopefully on the horizon. For Northwest Side CDC, all of these factors made Jason’s loan a no-brainer.

“Present Power Systems is truly a hidden gem in Milwaukee. You are talking about a company that is helping make renewable energy accessible to more and more households around the globe and they are located right here in our building at Century City Tower”, said NWSCDC Executive Director Willie Smith. “It shows other companies and residents alike that amazing innovation and successful business can take place on the North Side of Milwaukee”.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.