If you ever wondered what happened to the algae fuel work between Synthetic Genomics and Exxon — it was scaled back and now is focused on long term research instead of commercialization. Read more »
2013 is a year where algae fuel makers are finally starting to try to reach scale where they can compete with oil. Will they make it? Read more »
One of the difficulties with investing in cleantech startups is that investors sometimes need to take very long term views of the companies they back, despite that companies can be risky. Next-gen biofuel company KiOR is a prime example of this long term, high risk phenomenon. The reality is that the liquidity of KiOR’s IPO could be locked up for a long time, potentially many years down the road, until — and if — the company scales up and meets expectations. This research note examines KiOR’s place in the market and what it means for other early-stage companies when it comes to investment. Additional companies mentioned in this report include Amyris, BIOeCON and Range Fuels and Solazyme. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Genomics guru Craig Venter and his startup Synthetic Genomics might be hitting some hurdles with their partnership with Exxon, but on Monday the company announced that it will create a joint venture with Mexican investing group Plenus to use genomics to create more sustainable crop production. Read more »
Biofuels made from algae that will be able to scale, and compete with oil, will have to be synthesized and will not come from nature, says genomics scientist and entrepreneur Craig Venter. That notion could put a damper on Venter’s current deal with oil giant Exxon. Read more »
Grab your biofuel startups fast, Lux Research says — the field of contenders with game-changing technologies for turning non-food feedstocks into useful hydrocarbons is getting sparser by the minute. The report sees Big Oil and consumer products conglomerates quickly winnowing the field of the best technologies. Read more »
Joule Unlimited, a startup that promises to genetically engineer an organism that eats CO2 and produces a drop-in diesel fuel, has landed a patent on its “recombinant biosynthesis” technology. Read more »
Dutch oil giant Shell and Brazilian ethanol giant Cosan sealed the deal Wednesday on a $12 billion joint venture to turn sugarcane into pump-ready fuel. How will the massive partnership affect Codexis, Shell’s biocatalyst partner and recent entrant to the public markets? Read more »
The billion-dollar balance sheet of Exxon and the brain of genomics guru Craig Venter have led to one of algae fuel’s biggest market breakthroughs. Now Exxon and Venter’s Synthetic Genomics have opened their first greenhouse test facility. Read more »
GE Chief Calls for Swift, Certain Climate Policy: “What’s most important for the U.S. is that we go from Copenhagen, go into 2010, and have the courage to act on clean energy,” General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt told a conference on renewable energy at Clemson University […] Read more »
