| As the worldwide demand for energy increases, and | | | | dependence on fossil fuels." Soon after this $30 million |
| oil prices rise, many venture capital firms have begun | | | | fund was launched, it announced agreements with |
| to focus on the alternative energy sector. | | | | three leading venture capital firms: Nth Power, Draper |
| In fact, in June 2005, Pasadena, CA-based solar | | | | Fisher Jurvetson and VantagePoint Venture Partners. |
| company, Energy Innovations, raised $16.5 million in | | | | While some of the venture capital firms are new to |
| venture capital led by Mohr Davidow Ventures. At | | | | the energy space, Nth Power is not. The firm began |
| around the same time, Nanosolar raised $20 million | | | | investing in 1997 and has over $250 million under |
| (also led by Mohr Davidow Ventures), solar startup | | | | management, with investments in energy intelligence, |
| HelioVolt, based in Austin, TX, secured an $8 million | | | | power reliability, distributed generation and related |
| investment from New Enterprise Associates, and | | | | services. Other traditional energy VC firms include |
| Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers led a $16 million | | | | EnerTech Capital, founded in 1996. |
| investment in Miasolé, a thin-film solar firm. | | | | In the foreseeable future, energy and clean energy |
| The current focus on energy investments, and | | | | investments seem promising. Not only must |
| particularly "clean energy", will hopefully be a true | | | | alternatives to high oil and gas prices be combated, |
| win-win; investors will make a good return on their | | | | but nearly 20 states have already set goals for the |
| investments and our environment will be positively | | | | percentage of energy sources that must come from |
| impacted. In fact, The California Clean Energy Fund | | | | renewable sources. As a result, there are many, |
| (CalCEF) was recently launched to "make attractive | | | | many buyers for energy products; the challenge is |
| investments, but also to provide an engine of | | | | for entrepreneurial companies to invent them. |
| economic growth while reducing California's | | | | |