EcoFactor closes $8M for energy data, analytics
Startups using smart algorithms and big data continue to attract venture capital funding. Read more »
How collaboration can keep cleantech going
Big companies, like GE, need to take on cleantech challenges and carve out a protected space to incubate start-ups. Read more »
Tesla scores $10M grant from CA for Model X
Electric car maker Tesla Motors has been awarded a $10 million grant from California regulators to help it build the Model X. Tesla will match those funds with $50 million of its own money and ultimately hire some 700 workers in 2014 to build Model X’s. Read more »
Cleantech, clean energy investments continue to drop
Global investments in clean energy projects, like solar and wind farms, as well as funding for cleantech companies, dropped significantly in 2012, compared to the same time in 2011. Read more »
Reading Tesla’s tea leaves
Tesla is a high risk venture because it’s a one product company, trying to do something that’s never been done. That means risks like a narrow list of suppliers, a new retail model, and the biggest risk of all — recalls. Read more »
Batteries should be part of the future of Internet infrastructure
Batteries used for content delivery networks could provide power savings up to 14 percent over networks without batteries, and that could increase up to 35 percent if new types of servers were created that could move in and out of different levels of energy states. Read more »
5 things to know about SolarCity’s IPO (and it’s not all good)
SolarCity publicly disclosed its documents for its planned IPO on Friday, giving us a look at some of its risk factors. Those include that the company is being investigated by the Inspector General about the Treasury Grant program. Read more »
It’s still early days for connected wearables
Connected, smart wearables, are in a similar phase to the Home Brew Computer Club Days, according to Jawbone’s CEO Hosain Rahman. We’ll be talking about wearables, the quantified self and connected bodies at our RoadMap event on November 5th in San Francisco. Read more »
Energy poverty is a dark killer
The fundamental issue of electrification and clean household energy is not about empowerment. It is about survival. Read more »
Solar manufacturing hits the skids in China, too
China’s clean energy strategy is in “disarray” due to an oversupply of solar panels and a price war. That means there’s massive consolidation coming. Read more »
As SoloPower starts up factory, quietly raises $12M
Shortly after SoloPower announced it has started up its first commercial scale factory in Portland, Oregon, the thin film solar startup also more quietly filed a statement saying it has raised $12 million in debt. Read more »
The energy-water nexus Part II
Water is undeniably important to our physical survival, and energy is the main physical ingredient in our development of modern society. Shortages in either could have major impacts. Read more »
Note to Romney: Tesla is not Solyndra
Solyndra not surprisingly got a mention in the first Presidential debates on Wednesday night as a symbol of misplaced spending. But another cleantech company surprisingly got lumped into the mix, too: Tesla. My thoughts: Tesla is no Solyndra. Read more »
The energy-water nexus Part I
Water and energy are intimately related in what has been termed the Energy-Water Nexus. In this 2-part article we’ll explore aspects of this connection, touching on pumping water, use of water for the production and extraction of energy, and desalination. Read more »
Elon Musk paints rosier picture of Tesla’s slower production, fund raising
Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk speaks out on why Tesla is raising more money, why the production has been pushed back and just what were the changes to the DOE loan agreement. Read more »
This week in cleantech: the share economy, efficient data centers & grid batteries
What’s going on in cleantech? Over on GigaOM Pro we have some excellent new research on grid batteries, the share economy and energy efficient data center innovation. Read more »
iPhone 5 is a green rock star
The iPhone 5 actually ranks pretty well when it comes to reducing the amount of toxic chemicals it uses, as well as energy efficiency. Read more »
Shai Agassi steps down as CEO of Better Place
The CEO of electric vehicle charging company Better Place, Shai Agassi, will step down as CEO and is being replaced with Evan Thornley, formerly the CEO of Better Place Australia. The company needs to make money and the initial roll out has been slow. Read more »
AT&T doubles down on Bloom Energy fuel cells
AT&T is now Bloom Energy’s largest corporate customer and has doubled its previously announced fuel cell deal. The news is the latest win for Bloom Energy as it continues to brings in tech customers that want to power facilities and data centers. Read more »
The new era of startups focused on design
Startups that are focused on design are emerging as the web and mobile industry’s most successful companies. What does it take to make a commitment to design? Mike McCue, Flipboard’s co-founder and CEO has some ideas. Read more »
Nest launches slimmer, smarter learning thermostat
The next-generation of the Nest learning thermostat is now on sale (and shipping in a few weeks). It’s got a slimmer design and smarter software to make it compatible with most homes in the U.S. Read more »
A power conversion startup buddies up with Japan’s electronics giants
A startup that makes more efficient power conversion devices has raised money from, and partnered with, a group of Japanese electronics giants. Transphorm is a venture-backed startup and its move is a symbol of the growing importance of corporate partners as well as overseas investors in cleantech. Read more »
IKEA to sell only LEDs by 2016
IKEA says it will only sell LED lighting by 2016, and will give up all other less efficient forms of lighting. The news follows IKEA phasing out incandescent lighting, getting rid of plastic bags, and putting solar panels on its rooftops. Read more »
Chinese companies continue to buy up cheap U.S. clean tech assets
The acquisition of solar startup Miasole by China’s Hanergy is the latest example of large Chinese conglomerates acquiring promising U.S.-born clean technology on the cheap. Miasole was sold for $30M, despite raising hundreds of millions of dollars. Read more »
Announcing Pinterest CEO to speak at RoadMap
photo: Pinterest Bottica
In a rare appearance, Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann will be interviewed on stage at our RoadMap event on November 5th in San Francisco. Come hear the story behind one of the most disruptive web designs to emerge in years. Read more »
Tesla plans to raise up to $221M in another stock offering
Electric car maker Tesla could raise up to $221 million in another public offering, the third public offering its had in two years, according to filings. Tesla’s shares rose on the news. Read more »
Fisker keeps on raising funds
Electric car maker Fisker Automotive has managed to raise $100 million of its planned $150 million round, bringing the company’s funds to a eye brow raising $1.2 billion. Advanced Equities led the fund raise. Read more »
How to design a store in a world of connectivity
Is the store still relevant when consumers can buy goods online anywhere, anytime? For sure, but it has to become something else, according to Tesla’s George Blankenship. You can learn more about this topic through this short video clip, or in depth at our RoadMap event. Read more »
The Zipcar of electric scooters launches to the public
Scoot Networks, which has created a network of shared electric scooters, officially launched to the public on Wednesday. One of the killer apps of the service caters to commuters looking to solve the last mile problem of their commutes. Read more »
Google powers a data center directly with wind for the first time
For the first time Google has purchased wind power to directly power a data center in Oklahoma. Previously Google has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into clean power projects, but had yet to power its data centers directly with clean power. Read more »
Why design is the key to the connected world
Intelligent and simple design is the key solution to creating meaningful experiences out of the connected world. Come hear from our speakers on this topic at RoadMap, including the CEOs of Instagram and Tumblr, designers Yves Behar and Tony Fadell, and former Twitter CEO Evan Williams. Read more »
Tesla quietly says it’s delivering Model S cars slower than expected
The morning after Tesla launched its Supercharger plans, the electric car maker said it’s delivering its initial Model S cars slower than expected and is thus revising down its year revenue guidance and short term production targets. Read more »
Tesla unveils free solar-powered car charging stations for Model S owners
Electric car maker Tesla has quietly built out solar-powered rapid electric car chargers at six locations around California and has plans to install many more next year. The tech, which uses a solar system from SolarCity, will be offered for free for Model S owners. Read more »
NYT’s data center power reports like taking a time machine back to 2006
The New York Times article on data center power consumption got a few things wrong but a couple things really right. Read more »
Evan Williams: Green tech is coming, but it’s time to stop talking climate
The Internet has a new advocate for greener technologies: Evan Williams, CEO of Obvious Corp and former CEO of Twitter. At the kick off to Climate Week in New York on Monday, Williams called for reframing the discussion away from talking about climate. Read more »
The secret formula for a great cleantech team
Building cleantech teams is hard. So what’s the secret to some companies’ success? New research says it’s a combo of having the startup team complete at founding, having a team with strong pre-existing relationships, and including the inventor of the core technology in the founding team. Read more »
Introducing the solar pocket factory
Two solar geeks set out to make a device that can make microsolar panels — the kind used in cell phone chargers — in a backyard. The duo raised $77,500 on Kickstarter to fund the machine. Read more »
When it comes to maps, Android co-founder thinks Apple made a wrong turn
Rich Miner isn’t a huge fan of Apple Maps. The co-founder of Android, who is now a partner at Google Ventures, had that to say, as well as that carriers just keep on conceding and RIM’s market share loss is an opportunity for startups. Read more »
A group mapping Japan’s radiation data, turns to air quality data in L.A.
Safecast, a group that mapped local grass roots radiation data in post-earthquake Japan, has won $400,000 from the Knight Foundation to do the same for air quality data in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities. Read more »
Close to a quarter of electric cars sold in U.S. by 2020 will be in Cali
Almost one in four electric cars sold by 2020 in the U.S. will be in California, according to a new report from Pike Research. Read more »
