Athena Technology Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, and Heliogen Inc., a provider of AI-enabled concentrated solar power, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination. Following the business combination, Athena expects to be renamed “Heliogen Inc.” and will remain listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol “HLGN”.

Athena, led by chairwoman Isabelle Freidheim and CEO Phyllis Newhouse, is one of the only entirely women-led SPACs, with a diverse, all-female team of managers, advisors and investors.

“We are excited to combine with Athena to leverage our collective expertise as we execute our strategy to accelerate Heliogen’s growth and scale our groundbreaking concentrated solar technology for the global energy market,” said Bill Gross, founder and chief executive officer of Heliogen. “I have been building companies nearly my entire life, and the opportunity that Heliogen’s technology represents, to decarbonize power generation, replace other carbon-intensive sources of industrial heat, and contribute to the cost efficient production of alternative fuels such as green hydrogen, is at the head of the pack in terms of its potential to make a positive impact on society. As economies and industries worldwide continue to decarbonize, I believe Heliogen’s AI-enabled technology will play an important role in supporting and making those goals reality.”

“We very much look forward to working with Bill and the entire team at Heliogen in the pursuit of a cleaner, decarbonized world,” said Newhouse. “Chairwoman Isabelle Freidheim and I co-founded Athena with a mission to work with disruptive technology companies with the potential to advance industry, and even society, through innovation. Heliogen absolutely meets that standard, not only in terms of solar-power generation, but in its ability to produce other sources of clean energy that may replace fossil fuels. The company’s pioneering use of AI and its scalable approach to project development are exciting innovations, and we couldn’t be more proud to combine with Heliogen as a publicly traded company.”

Cohen & Co. Capital Markets (a division of J.V.B. Financial Group LLC), is serving as financial advisor to Athena. Barclays is serving as financial advisor to Heliogen. Cohen & Co. Capital Markets is also serving as placement agent to Athena. DLA Piper LLP (US) is serving as legal advisor to Athena. Cooley LLP is acting as legal advisor to Heliogen.