As the founder of the Bay Area networking group, Women In Cleantech & Sustainability, I am keenly interested in learning about who the media thinks as being the most influential women in the field. However, it feels like every top ten list for women in Cleantech always lists the same lovely ladies. This is not […]
Points out five mistakes cleantech startups often make that impede their ability to raise venture capital. Amongst other things it points out that having a great technology by itself is not enough; a company needs to be able to build a business based on it. This point alone makes this article a must read for cleantech entrepreneurs trying to launch the next big thing.
Looks at how cleantech has the potential to produce the next billion dollar companies and become the engine of growth for the US; and goes on to look at how the entrepreneurial ecosystem can be encouraged, especially in the critical early stage phase.
Many cleantech entrepreneurs are in the tough place we commonly call the Valley of Death. Stable, but underfunded, which they need for growth. If this describes your company, find out what you should do.
Greenstart, a startup accelerator exclusively designed for cleantech companies, is seeking applications for the company’s inaugural three-month accelerator session, which begins on September 12. Submissions will be accepted until July 3
This post examines the central role of energy in our lives by posing the hypothetical question the impact that free and unlimited energy would likely have on our world. Of course, as the author points out energy is neither free nor is it unlimited and prices for fossil fuels are destined to rise as emerging economies energy appetites make themselves felt on the market. From a venture capital perspective, it is this type of disruption that makes cleantech a compelling area for investment.
Data from the first quarter of 2010 show a solid growth in global clean energy investment. While China maintained its global lead with clean energy investments of $6.5bn, the wind energy sector saw a global investment of $14.1bn, making it the biggest renewable energy sector. In spite of some lingering concerns, a record overall new investment in clean energy worldwide is forecast for the year 2010.
After a banner year in 2008 of investments directed to capital-intensive technologies like solar and wind, US venture capitalists backed away from that plan in 2009. So where are they putting their money now? Where the fastest payback is likely to be. New analysis shows a surge of investments in energy efficiency solutions—such as smart grid, and commercial and residential energy management.
By some measures 2009 has been the worst year in the young solar PV sectors history. In fact, global revenue for Photovoltaic (PV) panels is expected to drop by nearly 20 percent in 2009, as oversupply causes prices to crash by nearly fifty percent. Many of the weaker firms may not survive this shakeout and right now things do look very gloomy – even though by some other measures 2009 is not as bad as it may seem. For example more newly installed capacity (4.2 GW) is installed this year than any year – ever; however this is of little comfort to the many firms in this sector that are being buried under an avalanche of negative revenue. This article examines the short term outlook for the solar PV sector going forward, basing itself on market data from a recent iSuppli study.