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SDForum Presents "The Global Water Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities in Water Technologies and Clean Energy" on January 25 (Discount Available)
On January 25, 2011, SDForum will present a special program entitled The Global Water Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities in Water Technologies and Clean Energy. #0160; A description of this program is as follows:
Water, our most precious commodity, continues to garner more attention in the media as climate change and increasing demand constrain supplies worldwide. Where are we ahead, where are we behind and what’s next? This conference brings together global leaders and influencers to share best practices and learn more about the intersection of technology driving innovation to solve a pressing world problem which is the energy crisis and limited water supply. This conference is brought to you in partnership with Australia as part of the #39;G #39;day USA 2011 program #39;.
Opening Keynote by Senator David Cogdill, California State Senate
Other Confirmed Speakers Include:
James Cameron, National Water Commission, Australia
Drew Clark, IBM Venture Group
Dr. Craig Criddle, Stanford University
Jim Davis, SAP
Amol Deshpande, Kleiner Perkins
Burt Hamner, Hydrovolts
Cassie Doyle, Consulate General of Canada
Bill Kocher, City of Santa Cruz Water Dept. CA
Henrik Skov Laursen, Grundfos Water Technology Center
J Patrick McIntyre, ET Water
Tamin Pechet, Banyan Water
Rafael Simon, VantagePoint
Don Wood, Draper Fisher Jurveston
Closing Keynote by Susan Leal, Co-Author of Running Out of Water.
This program will be held from 8:30 AM - 4:15 PM at AMD Commons Auditorium, One AMD Place, Sunnyvale, CA #0160; Early-bird registration pricing is available until December 15. #0160; Readers of Green VC can also save $10 with code quot;WATER10 quot;. #0160; Additional program details and registration is available here.
December 08, 2010 in Conference and Events: Greentech / Cleantech, SDForum, Water | Permalink
Green Professionals 2011 Conference to Take Place on January 26 in Portland (Discount Available)
The Green Professionals 2011 Conference will take place #0160;on January 26, 2011 in #0160;Portland, Oregon. This event, hosted by Fluid Market Strategies, #0160;will provide educational sessions and networking opportunities to individuals currently employed or seeking opportunities in the green economy. #0160; The conference will #0160;have four tracks (Energy Efficiency, Renewables, Sustainability, and Green Jobs) and the most recent version of the agenda can be viewed here. #0160; This conference builds on a successful event in 2010 which drew more 600 attendees.
This conference will take place from 7:30 am - 6:30 pm at the Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther #0160;King Blvd, Portland OR 97232. #0160; Thanks to our friends at the Green Professionals conference, readers of Green VC can receive a #0160;15% discount from the standard registration price for this event. #0160; To receive the discount, please use code quot;GREENJOBS quot; (without the quotes) when registering online. #0160;
[cross posted from Green Collar Blog]
December 08, 2010 in Conference and Events: Green Business | Permalink
Silicon Valley Energy Storage Symposium to Take Place on January 12 (Discount Available)
On January 12, 2011, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network will present the Silicon Valley Energy Storage Symposium. #0160; This symposium is intended to bring together key participants – from the public and private sectors, and from the academic and research communities – to engage in a discussion of the future of energy storage and how #0160;Silicon Valley can help advance this industry.
The event will feature a keynote address by FERC Commissioner Philip Moeller, plus panel discussions highlighting local energy storage projects as well as an in-depth discussion of the challenges being faced in getting more storage on the grid.
The program will take place from 8:30 am - #0160;1:00 pm at AMD Commons Auditorium, 991 Stewart Drive, Sunnyvale, CA (map). #0160;Thanks to our friends at Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, readers of Green VC can receive a $20 discount from the standard registration price for this event. #0160; To receive the discount, please use code quot;energy_partner quot; (without the quotes) when registering online. #0160; For more information:
Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network #0160;- Home Page
Silicon Valley Energy Storage Symposium #0160;(a link to online registration is on this page)
December 08, 2010 in Conference and Events: Greentech / Cleantech, Energy Storage, Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network | Permalink
Startup Legal Corner: The Art of Negotiation (Guest Author)
Editor #39;s Note: This is a guest post by Dan Unter, attorney #0160;at Cleantech Law Partners, a law firm that serves the unique legal needs of renewable energy and cleantech companies in the United States #0160;and around the world. Mr. Unter can be #0160;contacted at dunter[at]cleantechlawpartners.com
Bend But Don #39;t Break: The Art of Contract Negotiation
When handed a business contract, you should know that there will be terms that either don’t comport with your business or create too much risk in relation to the benefit gained from the agreement. It is then that you have to negotiate those terms away.
When giving a client or supplier your standard contract, who then proceeds to strike out your protective clauses, it then that you have to negotiate them back in.
And finally, when the amount contemplated in a contract is in dispute, you must raise your negotiation skills into high gear.
Here we are going to talk briefly about the tactics of negotiation that I employ and have had success with over the past 10 years of almost constant contract negotiation.
Give To Get:
When starting a negotiation, you must first realize that you will be giving something to get something. Keep this in mind before you begin so you can put together a list of things you need, versus things that can be offered for sacrifice. Best case scenario is that #0160;what you are willing to sacrifice #0160;is exactly what the other side is looking for. In any event, this exercise will lay out the parameters by which you will be working within, and that will be key in determining how the negotiation will go, and if it is even feasible.
This mentality may also determine how you write your contracts, giving yourself some wiggle room on certain limits, like service levels, liability, and anything else that would appear your are “giving” at great cost to you.
Not Your Opponent:
In a typical business setting, the person on the other end of the negotiation is not your opponent, but more likely a future supplier, client, financier or partner. In other words, someone you most likely will be working with in the future. So, think about what continued arguing about that one last point will get you: most likely someone who won’t give you any leeway in the future on something more important.
The Bulldog:
However, there are many instances where the other party sees things differently. This happens way too often with lawyers and business people alike, who see a negotiation as a competition; a way to prove something to themselves or their superiors. This is a huge mistake on their part, but you don’t have to sink to their level, and in the end this is an opportunity for you to score a win. First, remember that if this is the person you will be dealing with after the contract is signed, this is a good indication of what you will be dealing with on an ongoing basis. Sound awful? Then maybe cut ties early and save your efforts (and sanity) for someone else. Second, if you are ready to push forward, try to understand their motivations. Is it to save face? To appear they’ve gotten something for nothing to their boss? Whatever it is, with some gentle prodding, the true nature of why they are pushing will be revealed. It is at that point, with skill, you can succeed in #0160;the negotiations.
An example on this point is once I had to deal with a company that wanted unlimited liability on the products we were selling them. This was not going to happen, but we wanted to get the deal done. Attempts to get their negotiator, an outside attorney, to understand we would not be putting the whole business on the line for one deal failed, so I switched to bend but don’t break mode. I know that many outside lawyers want to get their two cents in and need to show their clients they’ve gotten a few “wins” for them. In this case, I gave him whole list of things they could have on the marketing side, better service levels and higher insurance requirements. Once he got excited, I let him know that this was contingent on us not budging on the limits on liability, as I had to “take something back” to my boss as well. He understood this and we got the deal done. So in the end, we never had to deal with him again, gave almost nothing (the service levels and insurance limits were that high already) and got the contract signed.
Get To Yes:
Once you have your strategy ready, remember the ultimate goal: To get the contract signed (as long as it is good for you). Keep this always in the front of your priority list and you will see how it influences things like: keeping conversations on point, keeping cycles to a minimum and preferring face-to-face meetings. If you keep getting pen to paper as your ultimate goal, you will get it done.
Disclaimer: Legal information is not the same as legal advice -- the application of law to an individual #39;s specific circumstances. Consult a lawyer if you want professional assurance that any information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.
November 23, 2010 in Startup Legal Corner, Startup Resources | Permalink
Puralytics is Grand Prize Winner of 2010 Cleantech Open
At #0160;its 2010 Awards Gala in San Jose, the #0160;Cleantech Open announced that water purification company Puralytics won the $250,000 grand prize package of #0160;investment and services. #0160; The Cleantech Open is an annual #0160;business plan competition that provides more than $1 million in prizes for early-stage clean technology startups.
OnChip Power received the second place #0160;award and EarthClean received the #0160;third place award. You can view #0160;the complete #0160;list of the #0160;finalist teams here. #0160; Congratulations to all winners and participants!
November 18, 2010 in Clean Tech Open (CTO) | Permalink
November 15 is Deadline for 2011-2012 Acumen Fund Fellows Program
The Acumen Fund Fellows Program #0160;is a program of the #0160;Acumen Fund that is designed to train the next generation of social sector leaders. #0160; The program selects 10 individuals annually and #0160;is open to #0160;applicants from around the #0160;world. #0160; The application deadline for the 2011-2012 #0160;class of fellows is November 15, 2010. #0160; For more information:
Acumen Fund Fellows Program - Home page
Acumen Fund Fellows Program - FAQ (PDF)
November 10, 2010 in Acumen Fund | Permalink
WEST (Water Energy Smart Technology) Summit is December 6 at Stanford University (Discount Available)
On December 6, Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) will be holding the WEST (Water Energy Smart Technology) Summit. #0160;This program will include the following panel sessions: #0160;
Panel 1: Innovation in Technology to Manage Water and Energy
Peter Williams, CTO, Big Green Innovations, IBM
Laura Unobskey Shenkar, Principal, Artemis Project
Ken Stedman, Founder amp; CTO, M2 Renewables
Moderator: Alex Macintosh, Founder amp; CEO, EcoMundi Ventures
Panel 2: Innovation in Business Structures and Models
Tamin Pechet, CEO Banyan Water; Founder Imagine H2O
Craig Criddle , Professor, Woods Institute, Stanford University
Kevin Surace, CEO, Serious Materials (invited)
Andrew Tang, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (invited)
Moderator: Elizabeth Echols, Administrator, U.S. Small Business Admin., Region IX #0160;
Plenary Panel and Call to Action: Catalyzing Transformative Change
Steve Jurvetson, Managing Dir., Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Steve Richie, Assistant GM, SFPUC Water Enterprise
Suz MacCormac, Partner, Morrison and Foerster, Co-Chair, CleanTech Practice Group
Moderator: Bonnie Nixon, SSV Board Chair
This event will take place #0160;from #0160;8:30am - 5:30pm at the Arrillaga Alumni Center, Stanford University, 326 Galvez Street, Stanford, CA 94305-6105. #0160; Thanks to our friends at SSV, readers of Green VC can receive a 20% discount by using code quot;GOWEST quot; (without the quotes) when registering.
November 10, 2010 in Water | Permalink
SDForum Presents "Greening Your Data Center" on November 16 (Discount Available)
On November 16, SDForum will present the next program in #0160;its Clean Tech Breakfast Series entitled Greening Your Data Center. #0160; A summary of this program is:
Mission critical installations face a number of cooling system challenges in the modern data center. The requirements of today #39;s IT systems, combined with the way those IT systems are deployed, has created new cooling related problems. These are new problems which could not have been foreseen when the data center cooling principles were developed over 30 years ago. #0160; Come listen to a panel of experts explore the implementation, challenges and future opportunities in data center cooling and capacity. What are the promising technologies in the modern data center?
This program will feature the following panelists:
Rick Chateauvert, EMC
Mike Dauber, Battery Ventures
Joyce Dickerson, Stanford University
Andrew Feldman, SeaMicro
Mukesh Khattar, Oracle
Moderated by: Mavis Yee, Nixon Peabody, LLP
This program will be held from 8:00 am - #0160;10:00 #0160;am at Nixon Peabody, One Embarcadero Center, 18th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111. Thanks to our friends at SDForum, readers of Green VC can receive a $5 discount from the non-member registration price for this event. #0160; To receive the discount, please use code quot;CLEAN05 quot; when registering online.
November 04, 2010 in Green IT, SDForum | Permalink
"Financing a Cleantech Company: Annual Trends in Financing" to Take Place on December 2 (Discount Available)
On December 2, the Environmental Business Cluster (EBC) will present a program entitled Financing a Cleantech Company: Annual Trends in Financing. An overview of this program is:
Steady capital is a must for all companies, the first step in funding is knowing where to look. Join experts from the investment world at our annual quot;Trends in Financing Panel amp; Holiday Celebration quot; to understand the types of financing that are occurring in your industry today - including topics such as who is getting funding while the world faces complex financial challenges - and what is new and to expect for 2011
The presenters for this #0160;program will be:
Mark Platshon, Partner, VantagePoint Venture Partners
Brian Goncher, Alternative Energy amp; Clean Tech Practice Director, Deloitte
Micah Myers, Investment Associate, Claremont Creek Ventures
This event will take place from #0160;3:00 pm #0160;- 6:30 pm #0160;at Fenwick amp; West LLP, 801 California Street, Mountain View, CA 94041. Thanks to our friends at EBC, readers of Green VC can obtain discounted tickets when registering in advance by following these steps:
Go to the online event registration page
Select your tickets from the quot;Partner quot; section of the page
For more information:
Financing a Cleantech Company: #0160;Annual Trends in Financing #0160;- Program Information
Environmental Business Cluster - Home page
November 04, 2010 in Environmental Business Cluster (EBC) | Permalink
Clean Tech Open to Announce Grand Prize Winner on November 17 in San Jose (Discount Available)
The Clean Tech Open #0160;(CTO), a business plan competition that provides more than $1 million in prizes for early-stage clean technology startups, will announce the #0160;grand prize winner of its 2010 competition #0160;on November 17 at the Cleantech Open 2010 Awards Gala in San Jose, California. #0160;
The grand prize winner will #0160;receive a package #0160;of investment and services valued at $250,000. #0160; You can view a list of the #0160;finalist teams here.
Thanks to our friends at the Clean Tech Open, readers of Green VC can receive a 20% discount to attend the Cleantech Open 2010 Awards Gala via this link.
November 04, 2010 in Clean Tech Open (CTO) | Permalink
Startup Legal Corner: I Have a Great Idea for a Company -- Now What? (Guest Author)
Editor #39;s Note: This is a guest post by Dan Unter, attorney #0160;at Cleantech Law Partners, a law firm that serves the unique legal needs of renewable energy and cleantech companies in the United States #0160;and around the world. Mr. Unter can be #0160;contacted at dunter[at]cleantechlawpartners.com
As a lawyer working for many many startups, I #39;m often asked for the logical progression from an idea, product, or service to a business. #0160; Below you #39;ll find a summary version of this roadmap. #0160; Look for future guest posts where I #39;ll expand upon these areas.
Business Plan. I see this countless times -- #0160;a business without a proper plan outlining the issues, challenges and reasonable numbers will flounder. It does not have to be done by a professional, just an honest assessment that has been reviewed #0160;by at least someone else other than you.
Idea Protection. You do not have to spend $30,000 on a patent, and you don’t have to keep your idea under your mattress and never tell anyone about it, but you should take steps to protect yourself. First, use a #0160;nondisclosure agreement #0160;(NDA) for potential investors/partners/suppliers/etc., and only give a digest of your idea to people you are just meeting. The NDA is for the next phase of discussions. Loose lips do sink ships, but tight lips also don’t help. Find a balance.
Contracts. Put all people working on the business under contract (employment, consulting, etc) which should contain provisions including #0160; quot;work for hire, quot; confidentiality and limits on liability provisions and clearly #0160;define roles and responsibilities.
Value your company or product or services. This is a tough step to do, but a necessary step as you go out and either seek investment or customers. When I set up companies for clients, valuation is always a huge issue. It should be noted, if you don’t already know, that valuation goes UP after you sign customers or bring on key people.
Form a Company. The limited liability aspect of a corporation or LLC is appealing, but expensive. A regular sole proprietorship or partnership with the right amount of insurance can give you the same protection in many cases. This will be the subject of a future post.
Operating Agreement. Define who owns what and the roles/responsibilities. No matter what type of company you form, this document is a necessary component to entities of #0160;two or more people. It should outline contributions, duties, ownership share, voting rights and many other items that will help you run your business with as little confusion as possible.
Again, this is from a lawyer’s perspective. So, essentially these are the checkpoints that I usually hit, which may change depending on the situation. For the most part, documents like the ones outlined above start or spur the essential conversations that all companies must have, no matter how good the idea is or how much (or little) money is behind it. Hopefully they do the same for you!
Disclaimer: Legal information is not the same as legal advice -- the application of law to an individual #39;s specific circumstances. Consult a lawyer if you want professional assurance that any information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.
November 04, 2010 in Startup Legal Corner, Startup Resources | Permalink
Green VC Introduces Startup Legal Corner
Green VC #0160;is pleased to announce a new feature, the Startup Legal Corner. #0160; This feature is designed to provide law-related information and resources to assist #0160;social and green entrepreneurs and small businesses. #0160; If you #39;d like to contribute to this feature or have requests on topics that should be covered, send an e-mail to news[at]greenvc.org
November 04, 2010 in Startup Legal Corner, Startup Resources | Permalink
40% Discount Available to GreenBeat (November 3-4 @ Stanford); Finalists for Innovation Competition Announced
Green VC is pleased to offer its readers with a last-minute discount of 40% to GreenBeat 2010, which will take place at Stanford University on November 3rd #0160;and 4th. #0160; #0160;This event, presented by #0160;VentureBeat and SSE Labs of Stanford University, will bring together more than 400 entrepreneurs, utility executives, technology executives, policymakers, and investors to explore the evolution of the smart grid and how the new quot;Super Grid quot; is creating business opportunities in autos, energy storage, and renewables. #0160;
Speakers at GreenBeat 2010 will include John Doerr (Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield amp; Byers) and Vinod Khosla (Partner, Khosla Ventures). #0160; The complete agenda is here and you can view video highlights from GreenBeat 2009.
GreenBeat 2010 will also include an Innovation Competition that will highlight companies in the smart grid sector with cutting-edge business models and technologies. #0160; The 10 finalists for this competition are:
Ecofactor delivers a personalized and automated HVAC demand-response system that allows homeowners to maintain the level of comfort and convenience they’re accustomed to, without changing behavior or sacrificing control. EcoFactor makes DR programs attractive to the consumer, and more effective for utilities, all the while propelling the growth of the smart grid in the residential sector.
Gridbot creates networked hardware which intelligently manages one of the largest emerging loads on the grid, electric vehicles.
OpenADR provides a simple interface that facilitates real-time monitoring and control over the HVAC system and other large building loads. Its platform specifically targets peak reduction by helping the end-user implement a custom load-reduction plan that includes reducing lighting, HVAC and plug loads when a demand-response signal is sent from the utility.
Optimized Energy Networks is a development company specializing in the creation of microgrid projects in a new application of the project finance model.
PowerMap makes the MyPowerMap meter, which plugs into any outlet in the home and provides consumers with real-time energy consumption information for their home appliances and other electonics.
Redwood Systems is pioneering a new, unified power and control architecture, purpose-built for the properties of LEDs, to dramatically improve energy efficient lighting. Leveraging technology from networking, Redwood’s solution facilitates unprecedented energy savings and greatly improves overall building performance.
SmartGridView creates tools which help thinkers make sense of vast amounts of smart-grid information.
World Infrastructure Technologies creates smart-grid infrastructure visualization software which displays susceptibility and reliability issues in the form of heatmaps and geo-referenced visualizations of equipment.
Enbala Power Networks allows large energy users like municipal water plants to participate in an electricity management program enables them to provide services to the ISOs and RTOs — the entities responsible for operating electricity systems and markets in deregulated regions, such as Ontario, New York, New England, California, and so on. #0160; The goal is to provide better quality and reliability of electricity delivered across the grid.
The last company, an innovative powerchip developer, will be launching at GreenBeat 2010.
To receive the 40% discount #0160;for GreenBeat 2010 please use code quot;GBOFFER quot; (without the quotes) when registering. #0160;
GreenBeat 2010 - Home page
GreenBeat 2010 - Registration
November 02, 2010 in Smart Grid | Permalink
Clean Tech Open Announces 2010 Finalists in All Regions
The Clean Tech Open #0160;(CTO), a business plan competition that will provide more than $1 million in prizes for early-stage clean technology startups, recently announced the finalists #0160;for its 2010 competition. The finalists, by regional competition, are listed below. #0160; You can also view a list of the semifinalists here.
These #0160;finalist teams will now be competing #0160;at the #0160;national competition, which will be awarding a grand prize of $250,000 in investment and services on November 17, 2010. #0160;
California Region
FogBusters, Inc. - Revolutionary technology for removing fat, oil and grease (FOG) from wastewater
Suntulit - Smart, multi-zone HVAC system enhancement for homeowners with central forced-air systems
Stramit Strawboard - Converts low-cost agricultural waste into high-value building board
Pure Solar - Laser-processing tool to produce an industry-standard c-Si wafer to increase efficiency for photo-voltaic cell manufacturers
SmartSense #0160;- Real-time fault detection, fault prediction and performance monitoring for electrical grids
Pressure Sentinel - Automatic tire inflation system that eliminates the problem of underinflated truck tires
North Central Region
EarthClean - Creator of a biodegradable, non-toxic fire suppressant system that can be used in existing firefighting equipment
Graphene Solutions, Inc. - Technologies that increase the practical application of nanomaterials in coatings, composites and energy generation and storage
Silicon Solar Solutions #0160;- Improves energy output and lower cost of silicon-based solar power cells.
North East Region
OnChip Power - Bringing integration to power electronics
7Solar - Energy Independence, one building at a time
V Squared Wind - Wind technology
Pacific Northwest Region
Arcimoto - Builder of a fun and cost-effective electric vehicle for the around-town drives that typify most vehicle use
Nanocel Inc. - Revolutionizing the cooling of electronic devices with its microfluidic polymer cooling system that can cool specific areas that generate the heat
Puralytics - Maker of unique water purification devices that remove all types of pollutants in a single step without using chemicals or producing waste water
Rocky Mountain Region
infiniRel - Assures renewable energy service providers of maximum equipment uptime at the lowest service cost through predictive data analysis and maintenance scheduling support
INOTEC - Distributes electrons to microbes in a manner that provides them with energy to more efficiently transform and remove contaminants found in waste and drinking waters
pureSilicon - Addresses growing electrical use by computer servers
October 15, 2010 in Clean Tech Open (CTO), Green Business Competitions and Awards, Green Entrepreneurs / Social Entrepreneurs: Resources | Permalink
Google, Good Energies, and Marubeni Corporation Invest in Atlantic Wind Connection Backbone Transmission Project
On October 12, Google and #0160;Good Energies #0160;announced (Google blog post #0160;| Good Energies press release) that each had invested in the #0160;development stage of the Atlantic Wind Connection Backbone (AWC) Transmission Project. #0160; The specific dollar value of the investment wasn #39;t disclosed, but each obtained a 37.5% stake. The New York Times reported the cost of the transmission project at $5 billion and cited the CEO of Trans-Elect #0160;who said #0160;that the #0160;stakes taken by Google and Good Energies #0160;would require an investment of $200 #0160;million each in the initial phase of construction (if the companies maintained their percentages of ownership). #0160;In addition, The New York Times reported that Marubeni Corporation #0160;obtained a 15% stake in this project.
The development of this project is being by Trans-Elect, which hopes to begin construction in 2013 of #0160;the proposed 350-mile underwater backbone, which would run from #0160;New Jersey to Virginia. #0160; When completed, it #0160;is projected to provide transmission capabilities for approximately 6,000 MW of offshore wind capacity.
quot;This new American super grid off the Mid-Atlantic coast will unlock an important untapped resource, creating the foundation for a new industry and jobs for thousands of American workers, quot; said Bob Mitchell, CEO of Trans-Elect.
quot;We are honored to participate with our partners in this groundbreaking project. The Atlantic Wind Connection Project will enable the development of thousands of megawatts of wind energy capacity in one of the nation’s most restricted power markets. AWC will help bring stability and security to the eastern power grid while enabling the states to meet their renewable energy goals and standards by accessing an untapped large scale local renewable resource - offshore wind, quot; said John Breckenridge, Managing Director at Good Energies. quot;Good Energies consistently searches for outstanding investmentopportunities that present innovative and cost-effective solutions and which we can leverageour expertise to aid in the transition to a low carbon economy. quot;
quot;We are excited to make our first investment in transmission development on this gamechanging renewable energy project, quot; added Nathan Campbell, Director at Good Energies. quot;We see the space as an enormous opportunity to deploy capital within our North American Infrastructure fund. Transmission backbones that enable gigawatts of renewable energy to be deployed will be critical in achieving long term public policy objectives. quot;
October 13, 2010 in Good Energies, Google, Wind Power | Permalink
Cleantech Open Announces Winners of North Central Regional Competition
The Cleantech Open, a business plan competition that will provide more than $1 million in prizes for early-stage clean technology startups, recently announced the winners of its North Central regional competition #0160;(which includes Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin).
The winning teams were:
EarthClean Corp. #0160;(Minneapolis, MN)
Xolve, Inc. #0160;(Platteville, WI)
Silicon Solar Solutions (Rogers, AR)
These teams will receive a quot;Startup in a Box quot; prize package of cash and in-kind services #0160;valued at up to #0160;$30,000. #0160; They will also #0160;be #0160;proceeding to #0160;the Cleantech Open national competition, which will award a grand prize of $250,000 in investment and services on November 17, 2010.
In addition, NewWater, based in Minneapolis, won the region #39;s sustainability award, an honor given to the team that most effectively incorporated a triple bottom line approach to scaling their business.
quot;We were delighted to have more than 50 entries in this year #39;s first North Central region competition #0160;-- which was second only to the California region, quot; said Justin Kaster, the regional director for the North Central region and an investment banker with Twin Cities-based Cherry Tree Companies. quot;While each entry was innovative and inventive, our four winners represent the best in cutting-edge clean technology and renewable solutions. With world-class training and extensive one-on-one mentoring, our winners now have the comprehensive tools to showcase their business. We #39;re thrilled to see such success in the competition #39;s first year in this region and believe the tremendous strides all our participant companies made will help our region lead in this emerging industry. quot;
October 12, 2010 in Clean Tech Open (CTO), Green Business Competitions and Awards | Permalink
GreenBeat 2010 is November 3 - 4 at Stanford University (Discount Available)
UPDATE: A last-minute 40% registration discount is available here.
VentureBeat and SSE Labs of Stanford University #0160;will #0160;present GreenBeat 2010 #0160;at Stanford University on November 3rd #0160;and 4th. #0160; This event will bring together more than 400 entrepreneurs, utility executives, technology executives, policymakers, and investors to explore the evolution of the smart grid and how the new quot;Super Grid quot; is creating business opportunities in autos, energy storage, and renewables. #0160;
Speakers at GreenBeat 2010 will include John Doerr (Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield amp; Byers) and Vinod Khosla (Partner, Khosla Ventures). #0160; The complete agenda is here and you can view video highlights from GreenBeat 2009.
GreenBeat 2010 will also include an Innovation Competition that will highlight companies in the smart grid sector with cutting-edge business models and technologies. #0160; The application deadline is Octobe 21 and entrepreneurs can learn more about the competition here.
Through October 15th there is a #0160;30% early-bird discount. #0160; After that date, readers of Green VC can receive a 20% discount by using code quot;GREENVCVIP quot; (without the quotes) when registering. #0160;
GreenBeat 2010 - Home page
GreenBeat 2010 - Registration
October 12, 2010 in Conference and Events: Green and Social Entrepreneurship, Conference and Events: Green Financing and Venture Capital, Conference and Events: Greentech / Cleantech, Smart Grid, Stanford University | Permalink
Crosslink Capital Raises $200 Million for New Venture Fund
According to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal, San Francisco-based venture capital firm Crosslink Capital has completed raising a $200 million #0160;venture fund #0160;(Crosslink Ventures VI). #0160; The article cites Crosslink general partner Jim Feuille who states that fund will invest in early-stage companies to more mature enterprises, primarily in the technology sector. #0160; Note that Crosslink #39;s portfolio includes a focus on energy and the firm has invested in cleantech companies including Luxim and Solopower.
October 12, 2010 in Crosslink Capital | Permalink
Solar Power Development Company Silverado Power Announces Launch; Has 400 MW in Utility-Scale Projects
Silverado Power announced its public launch today at the Solar Power International conference. #0160; Silverado Power #0160;is a solar development company based in San Francisco, CA. #0160; The company stated that it has #0160;more than 75 US solar farms in various stages of development and 40 already filed for interconnection in Southern California. #0160; Overall, Silverado Power stated that it has 400 MW in utility-scale projects #0160;in progress. #0160; Martifer Solar, a portfolio company of the Martifer Group, has provided the central funding for Silverado Power.
“The solar industry has made great strides in the last five years but hasn’t addressed a fundamental problem; how to reduce the time-to-production for solar energy. The lack of transmission infrastructure has been one of the main contributors. We are confident that Silverado Power will play a crucial role in helping California utilities meet its energy needs through a distributed model that avoids this problem, satisfying environmental regulations and avoiding transmission issues that normally prevent power from reaching end-users. In many cases, transmission is more valuable than the land,” said John Cheney, CEO, Silverado Power.
October 12, 2010 in Silverado Power, Solar | Permalink
GoingGreen Silicon Valley to Take Place October 12 - 14; 50% Discount for Green VC Readers
AlwaysOn will present GoingGreen Silicon Valley 2010 from October 12th - 14th in San Francisco. This event wlll provide educational programs and networking opportunities for members of the cleantech/greentech community, including CEOs, entreprenuers, business development officers, researchers, media, and venture capital and private-equity investors.
Panel sessions at GoingGreen Silicon Valley 2010 include:
The Evolution of GreenThe transformation to a clean and sustainable civilization encompasses every imaginable technology and industry. With the initial momentum of the favored green sectors slowed by economic reality and political reassessment, what cleantech sectors quietly advance, relatively immune to transient trends? In addition to energy and transportation, how is clean technology creating opportunities in water, agriculture, construction, infrastructure and waste management? How are enabling technologies in materials sciences and genomics catalyzing these opportunities?
Moderator: J. Hovey Kemp, Partner, Goodwin Procter
Anup Jacob, Partner, Virgin Green Fund
Kevin Genieser, Managing Director, Head of Clean Energy Investment Banking, Morgan Stanley
Marc van den Berg, Managing Director, Vantage Point Venture Partners
Raj Atluru, Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Financing the Green 21st CenturyHow do you finance renewables in an economic environment of tight credit and lower prices for conventional energy? How can next-generation infrastructure upgrades using clean technology - not just in energy, but in water, transportation and construction - secure viable financing while still delivering solutions that create a net benefit for consumers instead of an additional economic burden? Is the expectation of some sort of climate or energy legislation holding up investment in energy technology? What emerging energy technologies are so competitive they can emerge regardless of government assistance?
Moderator: John Gimigliano, Partner, Energy amp; Sustainability, KPMG
Langley P. Eide, Vice President, Global Technology Equity Capital Markets
Trae Vassallo, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers
Jon Sakoda, Partner, NEA
Peter O'Rourke, Senior Advisor to the Executive Director, Loan Program Office, U.S. Department of Energy
At GoingGreen SiliconValley 2010 the AlwaysOn editors will also honor the GoingGreen Top 100 Private Companies. In addition, up to 50 green technology CEOs willl pitch their market strategies to a panel of industry experts in “CEO Showcases.” For additional program information you can view the GoingGreen Silicon Valley 2010 website.
Thanks to our friends at AlwaysOn, readers of Green VC can receive a 50% discount off the standard registration rate by registering via this link. For more information:
GoingGreen Silicon Valley 2010 - Home page
GoingGreen Silicon Valley 2010 - Registration (50% Discount)
October 08, 2010 in AlwaysOn, Conference and Events: Green and Social Entrepreneurship, Conference and Events: Green Business, Conference and Events: Green Financing and Venture Capital, Conference and Events: Greentech / Cleantech | Permalink
Community Energy Obtains $4 Million in Series A Financing
Community Energy, a #0160;Radnor, PA-based renewable energy developer and marketer, announced this week #0160;that it #0160;completed a $4 million Series A round of financing. #0160; This financing was led by SJF Ventures and joined by NGP Energy Technology Partners. #0160; The company said that it will use the funds to expand its pipeline of utility-scale solar generation projects under development in the Northeast, Midwest, and West.
“In the past, we’ve looked at the renewable energy project development space, but haven’t found a match until now,” said Chris Sorrells, Managing Director at NGP Energy Technology Partners. “We are pleased to join SJF Ventures in backing a very proven management team to aggressively pursue utility scale solar development in their target markets.” #0160;
“We liked the seasoned leadership team at CEI, and their 10-year track-record of success in early-market renewable energy development and renewable power marketing,” said David Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of SJF Ventures, who has joined the CEI Board of Directors. #0160; #0160; “The solar power market is just opening up at scale, and we look forward to advancing that market with Community Energy.”
October 06, 2010 in Community Energy, Funding News, Solar | Permalink
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