Tag Archives: venture capital
Semprius Lands $7.5M for CPV
Can concentrated PV (CPV) compete against the still-plunging prices of standard photovoltaics? Semprius and its investors think so. Semprius just added another $7.5 million in venture capital to its war chest for its high-concentration PV systems. The funding came from existing investors Siemens Venture Capital, ARCH Venture Partners and Intersouth Partners. That follows a $3M [...]
PREVIEW: 1Q Cleantech VC Investment Numbers
Despite the headwinds of the economy and the difficulty of bringing cleantech firms to market, VCs are still investing in cleantech, and early signs indicate that 2012 could be a good year for VC investment totals in this broad field. Cleantech Group just gave a sneak peak at the VC investment totals for the first [...]
MiaSole Grabs $55 Million
In a tough time for a solar company – especially a thin-film manufacturer – to raise money, MiaSole raised another $55 million to drive its next wave of growth. The company says it’s begun production of modules rated at 14% conversion efficiency, an increase of 30% over the past year. It says it has the industry’s lowest capex per watt because of [...]
Nanosolar Raises $20M for Printable Thin Film Solar
Nanosolar, which uses nanotechnology to print thin film solar, closed $20 million to fund expansion. The company is attempting to deliver the lowest cost thin film solar through advanced design and manufacturing processes. Current investors Mohr Davidow Ventures and OnPoint Technologies, Inc. participated in the round with new investor aeris CAPITAL. “We believe solar printing is [...]
SolarCity Grabs $81M in Equity Financing
California-based solar energy system provider SolarCity has secured $81 million in equity financing the company said Wednesday. The funding round was co-led by the recently formed energy-focused platform of Silver Lake Partners — Silver Lake Kraftwerk and Valor Equity Partners — and will be used to support SolarCity’s expansion plans and “potential acquisitions.” Growth, it [...]
2011 U.S Cleantech Investments
Overall 2011 was a good year for cleantech in the US and the numbers indicate a positive trend that may carry over in 2012. In 2011 we saw increased investment in green technology compared to 2010 and there was also a positive trend as the year progressed. Ernst & Young reports that US venture capital [...]
Cleantech Funding Starts Strong in 2012!
Venture firms and strategic investors in cleantech started 2012 off strong with five investments so far in the first week of the year: Transphorm received $5,500,000 from Foundation Capital, Google, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Lux Capital, and Soros Fund Management as per a regulatory filing, bringing the total round to $30.5 million. Transphorm announced [...]
Green Chemical Venture Fund Launches
As I am preparing for my incoming article on ICIS Chemical Business about renewable chemicals investment 2012 outlook, I came across this news about Warburg Pincus investing up to $355m in an new private equity firm called First Green Partners based in Minneapolis. The new firm will be led by Doug Cameron – ex-Cargill official [...]
U.S Q3 Venture Capital: $1.1B
According to a new report by Ernst & Young, U.S. venture capital (VC) investments in cleantech rose by 73 percent, to $1.1 billion, in the third quarter of 2011, in spite of a global slowdown in investment in most other business venues — with the notable exception of Internet ventures and health care. Ernst & [...]