Bill Gates on Insanity and Energy R&D - ScienceInsider - http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2012/02/bill-gates-on-insanity-and-energy.html?ref=hp

in Cleantech Government Policies and Regulations Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

Google invested nearly $1 billion last year in clean energy companies. Why aren’t more big companies doing so?

More importantly - why is google doing so - Read More: http://www.marcgunther.com/2012/02/01/why-google-invests-in-clean-energy/

in Cleantech Government Policies and Regulations Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

Deals for 'new generation' renewable technologies – wind, solar, biomass - are entering the big time driving the market to new record highs, reports PwC in its annual global analysis of merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions in the renewable sector.

Some of the main points include:

• Total renewables deal value leaps 40% worldwide, driven by industry shake-out

• Reappraisal of nuclear post Fukushima gives extra boost to renewables' generation and prospects

Read More: http://press.pwc.com/GLOBAL/News-releases/renewables-ma-hits-new-record-highs/s/ce2bd04f-23cb-493e-b5c9-7813bb13423e

in Solar PV Solar Thermal Onshore Wind Offshore Wind Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity Cleantech Careers and Jobs

Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Energy Holdings has agreed to buy First Solar’s 550 MW Topaz Solar Farm at little less than it's estimated value of $2 billion.

Read More: http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/07/technology/buffett_first_solar/

in Solar PV Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

Google is quite a big proponent of renewable energy and have made all kinds of investments in wind, solar, geothermal, etc. Some are to generate clean energy for their own needs, others are more akin to financing deals to help big wind and solar farms get built.

But sadly, one of their most promising clean energy projects has just gotten the axe. Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal (known by the acronym RE

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

SmartPlanet assembled some of the leading political analysts in the United States to determine what impact Solyndra’s bankruptcy will have on fu - http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/intelligent-energy/solyndra-roundtable-future-renewable-energy-investment-is-at-risk/10608?tag=nl.e660

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is asking the U.S. Congress to put aside politics and invest heavily into energy research, presuming that reason will - http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/intelligent-energy/bill-gates-to-congress-invest-in-energy-r-d/10653?tag=nl.e660

in Cleantech Government Policies and Regulations Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

Despite the threat of cuts to current energy research programs, Gates, in an editorial, says the U.S. should increase annual R&D from $5 billion a year to $16 billion for economic, national security, and environmental reasons. Read this blog post by Martin LaMonica on Green Tech. - http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-57328879-54/bill-gates-calls-for-massive-increase-in-energy-research/

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

Scientists can improve their odds of success in securing capital by knowing their options and responsibilities. The likelihood of achieving victory and avoiding pitfalls, such as surrendering one's fledgling company, increases if researchers know their goals from the outset, put a plan into motion to achieve them, recruit established hands to support their pursuit and go into the search with realistic expectations. Read More:
http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2011/110421/full/nj7343-379a.html

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

This article talks about how, "small cleantech" may ultimately get much bigger and provide better investor returns than the 'typical highly capital intense' investments that were the norm with 'Cleantech v 1.0'

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

Ecosummit 2012 (ECO12) takes place on 22-23 March 2012 in Berlin in the beautiful Radialsystem, the perfect location for networking, fostering new deals and enjoying the smart green capital of Europe. ECO12 brings together startups, VCs, corporates and utilities and fosters cleantech, renewable energy, emobility, smart green city and sustainability. ECO12 expects 400 participants and offers promising startups two extraordinary opportunities to win fame and fortune in our ecosystem. All startups are invited to apply for our ECO12 Award while those fund raising in 2012 can also apply for afree investor pitch.

For the first time, we run the ECO12 Award for which you can…

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

Despite the spectacular crashes of some cleantech companies, the performance of venture capital investments in that sector has actually been on a par with the performance of investments in companies across the broader spectrum of industries, according to Venrock vice president Matthew Nordan.

Nordan presented the keynote address at the Conference on Clean Energy 2011 at the Westin Boston Waterfront this morning, saying that one analysis of cleantech companies and general VC investments showed that roughly 40 percent of funds investing in cleantech were “above water”, which ranged over a three year period from “a little worse” to “a little better” in comparison with the general VC investments.

http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2011/10/31/daily27-Cleantech-venture-capital-Scarce-for-startups-available-later.html

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

U.S. venture capital firms’ assets have plummeted, according to a new analysis by the center-left think tank Third Way. - http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/private-firms-hesitate-over-clean-tech-investments/2011/10/18/gIQAPokNKM_story.html

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

Over on Network World where I've had a gig as a columnist for about 18 years, in my Backspin column I wrote about a power generation system this week called E-Cat which is to be tested on October 28th. If you've missed the recent brouhaha over the E-Cat (which stands for [...] - http://www.forbes.com/sites/markgibbs/2011/10/17/hello-cheap-energy-hello-brave-new-world/

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity Clean Energy Banking

Indian clean energy firm Greenko received a $50 million investment by General Electric to expand its wind energy operations. - http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/greenko-lands-50-million-from-ge-wind-energy-in-india/19730?tag=nl.e660

in Global Warming and Climate Change Cleantech Government Policies and Regulations Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

Buffett, Gates and others advocate for tomorrows biggest market. - http://www.matternetwork.com/2011/9/billionaires-get-behind-cleantech-funding.cfm

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency- Energy has shortlisted 60 research projects to receive funding of around $156 million from its 2011 budget. The new ARPA-E focuses on pacing the innovations in clean technology and increasing the competitiveness of U.S in biofuels, grid controls, solar power electronics and thermal storage.
The various sectors of clean technology industry receiving funding from the ARPA-E include:

PETRO: Plants Engineered To Replace Oil ($36 million)
REACT: Rare Earth Alternatives in Critical Technologies ($31.6 million)
HEATS: High Energy Advanced Thermal Storage ($37.3 million)
GENI: Green Electricity Network Integration ($36.4 million)
Solar ADEPT: Solar Agile…

in Cleantech Government Policies and Regulations Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

http://www.cleanlaunch.com/

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

http://www.environmental-expert.com/news/top-ten-cleantech-initiatives-of-the-coca-cola-company-253705

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity

The Big List of Greentech VC in July

More than half a billion dollars in 40 VC funding rounds
The Big List of Greentech VC in July

Venture capital funding sometimes settles into a lull in the summer months. Not so this year.

July was a healthy month for greentech investment with more than $560 million in more than 40 rounds across the varied set of sectors in greentech. Here's the list:

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/The-Big-List-of-Greentech-VC-in-July/

in Cleantech Venture Capital and Private Equity