Inside Cleantech
Charting the Future, Connecting the Globe
Keeping you in touch with key trends, companies and people January 20, 2017
Trending Topics
Cleantech’s Four $1,000,000,000 Sectors
Our Quarterly Investment Monitor has just been released, including a round-up for 2016 to help understand the trends driving the past year’s cleantech investments. For the first time since 2011, we had four cleantech sectors pass the $1 Billion mark in global venture capital investment last year –Transportation, Energy Efficiency, Solar and Agriculture….
Blockchain meets Energy: Building the Community
For followers of our At the Cutting Edge subscriber research, the promise of using blockchain technology to improve distributed energy, IoT and logistics is nothing new. In fact, throughout 2016, you have observed organizations like LO3, Filament and Grid Singularity enter strategic partnership with large enterprises, deploy pilots and make the headlines…
We look forward to welcoming many of you next week at our 15th anniversary of Cleantech Forum San Francisco! With 140+ speakers, we know everyone will be inspired and re-motivated to kick off 2017 by discovering emerging trends, leading innovation companies, and key players in sustainable innovation. We’re also very excited to finally unveil the 8th Global Cleantech 100 and honor and celebrate successes in our community!
Feel like you’re missing out? You can still join us here (before the on-site rate begins tonight).
Innovation Calls
This section will feature some of what we are seeing across the world in terms of significant “calls for innovation,” saving you time by providing a scan on the live opportunities and programs calling for international innovation.
Free Electrons, a new global energy accelerator program backed by 8 utilities from across the globe, is open for applications from the “world’s most innovative energy start-ups.” Deadline: February 28, 2017
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CTG has a maximum of two places left on its 5th China Cleantech Tour, March 20-23, 2017. Who will stop procrastinating and seize the moment to develop their plans for the world’s largest cleantech market? Carpe diem!!
Deadline: Apply ASAP as the last 2 places will likely go in the next 1-2 weeks
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The EC’s Horizon Program is launching a new €3 million prize to develop an innovative and well-designed material solution that will reduce the concentration of particulate matter in the air. It opens next week (January 26).
Deadline: January 23, 2018
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Recent Deals
Liquid Light, a developer and licensor of process technologies to convert carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals, was acquired by Avantium. No financial terms were disclosed. Liquid Light’s technology will add to Avantium’s platform of electro-catalysis to commercialize new process technologies using CO2 as the feedstock. As we look forward to announcing our new 2017 Global Cleantech 100 list on Tuesday, we are pleased to see that both sides of this acquisition are Global Cleantech 100 alumni. Avantium has been a GCT100 company every year since 2010, and Liquid Light made the list in 2014.
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Farmlogs, a developer of software to help farmers improve crop yield through management tools and better information, raised $22 million in a growth equity round. In 2016 we saw large strides in the development of software solutions for agriculture, from network and data management solutions to precision agriculture. This seems set to continue in 2017 with this first investment in the sector. Investors included Naspers Ventures, with a host of other returning investors.
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Rethink Robotics, a developer and manufacturer of highly advanced, customizable robots, raised a further $18 million in growth equity, pushing their total paid-in capital to over $125 million. The company targets the industrial efficiency sector, in which advanced robotics are reducing costs and increasing productivity. Adveq and CRV joined existing investors GE Ventures, Goldman Sachs, DFJ, Bezos Expeditions, Sigma Partners, Two Sigma Partners, and Highland Capital Partners.
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Starship Technologies, a London- and Tallinn-based developer of self-driving local delivery robots, raised $17.2 million in its first funding round. Positioned as an alternative to drone-delivery which has been capturing headlines recently, the company hopes to transform the logistics and delivery industry with its autonomous robot. Daimler led the round, with participation from Shasta Ventures, Grishin robotics, and others.
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d.light, a developer, manufacturer, and distributor of solar lighting and power products, raised $10.5 million. $5.5 million of this came as grant funding from Shell Foundation and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of its Beyond the Grid program. The remaining $5 million was received as equity funding from Norfund.
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Looking for more? CTG’s Services keep you in touch with the emerging trends, the leading innovation companies, and the key players in sustainable innovation worldwide.
Companies to Watch
As part of our on-going tracking of satellite imaging companies, here we highlight three companies improving planet management by gathering high resolution planetary data:
Astro Digital is a developer of an API for gathering satellite imagery. Tellus Labs is a provider of satellite imagery with a machine-learning driven data analytics platform. Orbital Insight is a developer of advanced geospatial data analytics and processing software.
Partner Event
CTG is excited to invite you to a partner event EventHorizon (Vienna, Feb 14-15), the first global summit on blockchain technology in the energy sector. The event will feature some the world’s most influential minds in blockchain, including Vitalik Buterin and Dr. Gavin Wood, as well as 50+ start-ups developing solutions at the intersection between blockchain and energy.
As a CTG Connect member, claim your 10% discount on the event ticket by writing to [email protected].
Upcoming Events
Connect in Person with the Global Ecosystem
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Cleantech Forum
San Francisco Cleantech Tour
of China
Cleantech Forum
Europe
January 23-25, 2016
San Francisco, CA
March 20-23, 2017
Beijing & Shanghai, China
May 16-18, 2017
Helsinki, Finland
We hope you can join us! Questions? [email protected]
Feedback? Want to see more of something? Contact [email protected]
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