We frequently come across the concept of “accelerators,” i.e., forces that cause certain phenomena to speed their way into our lives. Recent examples are the adoption of the Internet and cell phones, both of which exceeded analysts’ expectations by an order of magnitude.
Tag:
Venture Capital
Here’s a report of macro-trends observed by venture capital giant Kleiner Perkins. To me, the most noteworthy thing about it is the concept that Kleiner managing partner Ray Lane explained in a conversation he and I had in his office last year: investment in clean energy is capital intensive and requires patience;
You landed your first pitch at a venture capitalist’s (VC) office. You’ve practiced the pitch and have your laptop fired up to deliver. So, like a sprinter at the sound of the gunshot, you dive in hard and heavy to make sure you get through the deck. After all, you might only have one chance to excite them with your company’s story. Inevitably, with all the questions the
So, you’re at a networking event and you get an opportunity to talk with a Venture Capitalist (VC) for just a few minutes. After breaking the ice with quick introductory formalities, you present your elevator pitch, right? Wrong. How can you possibly capture that VC’s interest if you don’t know what excites them? Would you try to sell meat to a vegetarian or bricks to a
A U.S. company has developed a new manufacturing technique that it says could cut the cost of producing solar cells in half by producing silicon wafers that are about one-tenth as thick as conventional wafers.
Twin Creeks Technologies, a San Jose-based company, says it can produce crystalline silicon
Denmark Offers Best Conditions for Clean Technology Growth, Report Says
written by Yale Environment 360
According to a new global index, Denmark offers the best conditions for green technology innovation and entrepreneurship, with a strong record of support for technology startups that have achieved widespread market adoption, particularly in the area of wind energy.
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 to say that the women are not contributing
It’s December again (how did that happen!?) and our annual time for reflection here at Kachan & Co. So as we close out 2011, let’s look towards what the new year may have in store for cleantech.
There are eggshells across the sector for 2012. Global economic uncertainty in particular is leaving
With the emergence of China as the globe’s cleantech powerhouse (see Why China has already overtaken the U.S. in cleantech), it’s become fashionable for cleantech companies with products to sell to target China seeking large purchase orders.
What’s not been so popular is to go to China seeking
Top 5 Things Cleantech Entrepreneurs Fail to Understand About Raising Capital
written by Walter Wang
After decades of venture capital investment, growth and exit, the traditional focus areas of venture capital (such as IT, web and software) have developed strong entrepreneurial ecosystems. A high percentage of start-ups in these traditional areas come to market with one or more experienced entrepreneurs or
Here in Boulder, Colorado the mood is impatient when it comes to the future of energy in the United States. The pace at the national level is not quick enough to deliver the clean-energy future that many Coloradans view as crucial to the future viability of our economy and environment. As a result, the
The energy efficiency sector has had a healthy injection of venture capital over the past 18 months. In Q2, investment in energy efficiency accounted for almost a quarter of cleantech venture capital commitments (Cleantech Group).
It is an increasingly appealing sector for VCs in the
No doubt, a few eyebrows were raised when Gamesa, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of utility-scale wind turbines, recently invested in a company that builds micro-solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and mobile microgrids that are being deployed in Afghanistan by the U.S. military. This is rightly so, since it shows that
In the venture capital community, one hears a great deal about “technology risk.” In my most recent meeting with Ray Lane, Managing Partner at Kleiner Perkins a few months ago, he told me: “We want all technology risk removed before we put more than a few million dollars into a deal.”