Global Cleantech Cluster Association Announces the 2011 Later Stage Award Global Top 30 Finalists

The Global Cleantech Cluster Association, known as the global voice of cleantech, announced its Global Top 30 Semi-Finalists for its 2011 Later Stage Award at the 11th European Forum on Eco-Innovation in Lahti, Finland today. The finalist companies span North America, Europe and Asia, representing the most innovative and quickly growing green technology companies in the world. The finalists will now be judged by 28 cleantech venture capitalists, investors and serial entrepreneurs who collectively manage $3.5 billion in clean technology investment. Winners in the 10 Later Stage Award categories will be receive international investment exposure.

Ten Later Stage Awards awards will be announced on November 14th in Dublin, Ireland at the Dublin Cleantech Forum and GCCA Later Stage Awards Dinner. Co-hosted by An iSli Ghlas – The Green Way, Ireland’s cleantech cluster, the full day executive event features CEO presentations and high-level discussions on the most critical topics for emerging clean technology companies and investment opportunities.

“Narrowing down 185 nominations from cleantech clusters all over the world down to 30 was a very competitive process,” says Ben Taube, Chairman of the GCCA. “These Top 30 Finalists are the rising stars of the world’s clean technology sector.”

“These companies, with their customers and revenue, are building significant green collar economies in the regions where they operate,” said Shawn Lesser Co-Founder of the GCCA. “For the health of the planet, both economically and environmentally, we are committed to spotlighting these game-changing companies on the world stage.”

The GCCA Later Stage Award Global Top 30 Finalists were selected out of the 4000 companies represented by the GCCA’s 30 member clusters. Each cluster conducted internal evaluations to nominate up to 10 companies in 10 categories, including solar, wind, energy storage, green buildings, and water. In total, these member clusters nominated 185 companies for the 2011 Later Stage Award.

The Top 30 finalists were selected through a rigorous Keystone Method™, developed at the University of Michigan by GCCA Head Judge Dr. Peter Adriaens and CleanTech Acceleration Partners. This business and venture development tool has been reliability used since 2006 to rigorously evaluate and scrutinize over 400 early and later stage companies for investment or strategic repositioning.

“The Top 30 Finalists have demonstrated strong product differentiation, viable business models and have secured solid market traction, in their various clean technology sectors,” said Dr. Adriaens. “Narrowing down the nominations from 185 to 30 was a detailed and arduous process. The 2011 Global Top 30 truly are the world’s best in class cleantech companies.”

About the Global Cleantech Cluster Association

Global Cleantech is a non-profit association, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. that creates conduits for companies to harness the tremendous benefits of international cleantech cluster collaboration in an efficient, affordable, and structured way. Global Cleantech provides a gateway for established and emerging cleantech companies to gain exposure to potential investors, new markets, influential networks, innovative technologies and best practices. GCCA was founded by swisscleantech, the Finnish Cleantech Cluster, and Watershed Capital Group For more information about Global Cleantech, please visit www.globalcleantech.org.