Comments on: Rubber Recycling Startup Lehigh Gets Kleiner, Index Backing

By: Victor Landin

Victor Landin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:29:40 +0000

We produce windshield wiper blades and have scrap rubber. Is this something you might be interested in purchasing from us? We are located in Brownsville, Tx

This is a great venture. I would be willing to start a plant in Texas.

By: Desislava 20 Granulators Co.

Desislava 20 Granulators Co. — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:05:00 +0000

We look forward to hearing from you,

With Regards,

Konstantin Tomov,

President of Desislava 20 Granulators Company

VAT No.:

BG040002183

Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Registration Number:

1017244600 / 24.02.1992

ADDRESS:

9 Zlatovrah Str.

1164 Sofia, Bulgaria

tel./fax: 359 2 870 3295

mobile: 359 896 872 859

URL: www.desislava20granulators.com

By: Kleiner, Index Invest $34.5M in Rubber Recycler Lehigh « Earth2Tech

Kleiner, Index Invest $34.5M in Rubber Recycler Lehigh « Earth2Tech — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:31:21 +0000

[...] June 23rd, 2008 at 12:30 pm in Startups Rubber recycling startup Lehigh Technologies today confirmed that it recently received funding from green VC bigwig Kleiner Perkins and London-based Index [...]

By: Skeptic

Skeptic — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:24:39 +0000

It seems to me that if many of these green startups are built on fanciful notions.

In this case, the company claims that the market for rubber powder could be billions of pounds per year but is currently only 15 to 25 million pounds per year.

It believes that the limited demand has been due to limited supply.

Yet it already operates a plant that can produce 100 million pounds per year. So where is the demand and why would it seek expensive equity financing to expand its manufacturing capacity?

If demand has been limited by supply, it would seem that it has enough existing production capacity to validate the notion.

Frankly, when it comes to the alternative energy market, I'm skeptical of startups that make big claims but seem capable of raising only equity financing. It's a red flag IMO.