Cleantech investing: it’s no longer for the everyday general venture capital firm. Mass High Tech digs into data about 10 venture firms that made five or more new cleantech deals between 2003 and 2008, and then completely pulled back from new cleantech investments after 2008. Read more »
Is the greentech industry headed for a breakout year or is it retrenching for hard times to come? The first three months of 2011 provided evidence that could support both assertions, with a big rise in venture capital investment and a big drop-off in global energy financing. Solar power remained the largest green technology sector in terms of venture capital investment, while in the world of electric vehicles, GM’s Chevy Volt hybrid and Nissan’s all-electric Leaf — the first two mainstream plug-in vehicles — hit the showroom floors in significant numbers. Meanwhile the smart grid sector’s relative dearth of VC investment was more than made up for by the massive round of acquisitions. Companies mentioned in this report include NRG Energy, Microsoft, Silver Spring Networks, Tesla and BrightSource Energy. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Big investment firm Blackstone Group has reportedly shuttered its planned $500 million green fund after raising only $90 million – a sign that, amidst new green funds being raised, the sector’s weaknesses are also scaring some investors away. Read more »
A quick scan of the top cleantech deals for the near record first quarter, sent cold shivers up my spine. The deals may be getting done, but are we sure investors are making money? Three of the biggest deals represented 17 percent of the quarter’s dollars. Read more »
Greentech VC hit $2.5 billion in the first quarter of 2011, the second-highest quarter on record. Is that a sign of renewed investor confidence, or a sign that greentech IPOs are weak? Read more »
Greentech marked its best year ever in 2010, and part of that is thanks to the wealth of activity across sectors during the fourth quarter. Global investment in clean energy surged, and while wind power remained the biggest greentech area, solar power saw the fastest growth. The energy efficiency sector appears to have more room for smaller players to make their mark amidst a rapidly maturing market. Meanwhile, China’s stance as a growing greentech giant continued to complicate its relationship with the United States. Companies mentioned in this report include General Electric, Intel, ZigBee, iControl, People Power and EnerNOC. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
While Uncle Sam has tapped a select few companies as winners for its green car loan program, it has left a much longer list of loan applicants disappointed or stuck in limbo. Here’s the state of the ATVM awards at the end of 2010: Read more »
One of China’s largest automakers has tapped A123 Systems to supply lithium-ion batteries for an electric car slated to roll out in 2012. The deal was a silver lining to the disappointing earnings it reported yesterday for the three months ending September 30. Read more »
As part of a record-setting environmental settlement package, the bankruptcy estate of General Motors will set aside more than $11.7 million for the cleanup of an old factory site in Delaware where plug-in hybrid car startup Fisker Automotive plans to manufacture its Fisker Nina sedan. Read more »
Today, Motorola filed suit regarding three complaints against Apple over patent infringements. The complaints deal with antenna design and other associated smartphone technologies covered in 18 patents held by Motorola. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Apple’s legal problems. Read more »
Microsoft has backed off demands for content owners to use its proprietary streaming format for live video, enabling publishers like ESPN to stream video in HTML5 instead. That could lower the cost of video delivery and open the door for more content on the game console. Read more »
After posting Kevin Tofel’s demo of the struggles he had with Flash-based video on his Nexus One mobile handset, we’ve received a ton of comments, including response videos from readers who showed their own experiences with Flash on Android mobile handsets. Here are just a few. Read more »
General Motors’ long-awaited S-1 filing spotlights work on the Chevy Volt, OnStar communication system and Google partnership as evidence of GM’s commitment to next-generation technologies. Here’s 12 things to know from the S-1 related to greener vehicles and Car 2.0:. Read more »
In the second quarter of 2010, greentech startups scored record venture capital and increased spending despite a weak economy. Solar power retained its lead in greentech venture financing, while global investment for clean energy asset financing fell. China, meanwhile, underscored its rising might in the greentech industry, raising billions of dollars in green energy financing. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
DRM has a new name, and that name is “UltraViolet.” The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem today announced the name for its “Buy Once, Play Anywhere” digital content framework, along with a consumer website in which consumers will be able to manage all their content and devices. Read more »
As Tesla’s stock keeps on rising, Ray Lane, the Kleiner Perkins venture capitalist and former Oracle executive who has backed plug-in hybrid startup Fisker Automotive, says he sees an IPO for Fisker down the road. Read more »
A bankruptcy judge on Tuesday gave the green light to Fisker’s $20 million deal to buy a plant in Wilmington, Del. where GM once built Saturn, Pontiac and Opel GT models, and where Fisker aims to build its second-gen cars. Read more »
The newest music video by pop music sensation/possible crazy person Lady Gaga is a darker spin on her signature “out there” style. While free of product placement (as well as eyeliner) it’s getting a perfectly-executed premiere courtesy of Vevo and YouTube. Read more »
General Motors and Chrysler, in their bids for government loans for green car manufacturing, have cleared the hurdle of demonstrating financial viability. Now it’s a matter of showing that their ideas for producing more efficient vehicles are on the cutting edge. Read more »
Fisker, just days after closing on nearly $529 million in loans from the feds, has won approval from Delaware officials to receive a $21.5 million loan from the state. If the startup meets certain requirements the loan could convert to a grant. Read more »
Chrysler and Fiat plan to launch an electric version of the Fiat 500 minicar packed with lithium-ion batteries from A123Systems in the U.S. in 2012, Chrysler announced today. It will mark the pair’s first all-electric model, and a big year for A123 as it finds its […] Read more »
For A123Systems, the Massachusetts-based lithium-ion battery maker, 2009 marked the best year yet in its 8-year history in terms of revenue, an IPO and government funding: The company scored a coveted $249 million government grant and its $371 million initial public offering in September was the […] Read more »
Toyota’s ongoing recall and the safety concerns embroiling an automaker that climbed to the top of the global car market through a reputation for reliability, may offer an opportunity for competitors to seize market share, at least in the near term. But Toyota’s troubles, which most recently […] Read more »
The times they are a-changin’ for Fisker Automotive. The Irvine, Calif.-based startup working on a plug-in hybrid luxury sports car and mid-range plug-in sedan called Project Nina tells VentureWire it expects to close its $528.7 million loan with the Department of Energy by the middle of […] Read more »
Just a few months have passed since three-wheeled vehicle developer Aptera Motors announced one of its co-founders, Chris Anthony, would be “stepping aside from day-to-day activities,” and the other co-founder, Steve Fambro, would be taking an extended vacation amid rumors the pair were ousted in a boardroom […] Read more »
¡Ay, caramba! Youtube has added a ton of Spanish-language content with the launch of its Univision channel yesterday, bringing in programming from the programmer’s three major networks: Univision, TeleFutura and Galavisión. The launch of the channel marks the first time Univision content has been distributed beyond […] Read more »
For at least one green car maker out there, tomorrow may be the lucky day. According to a press advisory from the Department of Energy today, Secretary Steven Chu will — drumroll please — “make a loan announcement” related to the agency’s advanced technology vehicle loan […] Read more »
V-Vehicle, the auto startup backed by the venture capitalists at Kleiner Perkins and energy baron T. Boone Pickens, has begun testing prototypes of the vehicle it aims to build in Louisiana’s Ouachita Parish. V-Vehicle’s director of Louisiana assembly operations, David Hitchcock, tells the local Monroe News […] Read more »
Here at jkOnTheRun, we have some of the smartest and most well informed readers around when it come to mobile devices. With this in mind, we wondered what would happen if we asked you your thoughts about tech products such as smartphones and web tablets. So, […] Read more »
Not too long ago, EnerDel seemed mighty close to winning the contract to supply batteries for Fisker Automotive’s upcoming plug-in hybrid Karma. After several months of talks between the companies, EnerDel told us it had entered the in-vehicle testing phase, or what it described as “just […] Read more »
