Regarding notables:
See
Malta energy storage system is looking forward to first pilot
Malta has received a round of funding and is graduated from "project" to group that can sail. The Cambridge, MA-based company is focused on the storage of electro-thermal energy and the funding put the group in celebration mode this month. In return, the company is turning up the volume on its potential role in the future of energy storage—namely, working out salt-based electro-thermal energy storage.
Brian Dowling, Xconomy, reported that Malta is heading off into the world "with a $26 million Series A funding round led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the climate change fund led by Bill Gates."
https://techxplore.com/news/2018-12-malta-energy-storage.html
Also regarding Bill Gates and climate change. Also, Alphabet's X