Congratulations to renewable chemical and biofuel companies who made it to this year’s annual Global Cleantech 100 companies!The list, according to Cleantech Group, is an annual barometer reading of the global innovation community’s shifting views on which companies, and the type of clean technology sectors, are most likely to have big commercial impact in a 5-10 year timeframe.
According to the report, energy efficiency remains the hottest and growing sector within cleantech. Within this category, lighting and enterprise energy management solution (usually for buildings management) are the dominant sub-sectors.
Since the list’s inception three years ago, companies focusing on green chemistry still remain underrepresented among overall clean technology sectors but the good news is that mainstream media is now recognizing the importance of the chemical/ advanced biofuel sectors.
Among those included in the list this year (that I recognized) are: Agilyx, Avantium, BioAmber, EdeniQ, Enerkem, Genomatica, Joule, LanzaTech, LS9, Marrone Bio Innovations, NexSteppe, Novomer, OPX Biotechnologies, Renmatix, Siluria Technologies and ZeaChem
Companies that has caught my attention are: FRX Polymers and in the sectors of recycling and waste: Attero Recycling, Beijing Goldenway Bio-Tech, Harvest Power and Recyclebank. I am actually due for a post about materials recycling focusing on this company called Lehigh Technologies…This I will follow up as soon as I can…
In the meantime, another topic on the report that caught my eye are the investing status within various clean technology markets. Remarks by US presidential nominee Mitt Romney on wasteful “$90bn green energy programs” during the last debate against incumbent President Barack Obama is still ringing on the green blogger’s ears by the way.
But this post will not talk about that although you can read an interesting opinion about it from the New York Times editorial blog post.
Back to the Cleantech report, it indicated that there were a total of 405 unique investing organizations that have made some form of investments in the 100 companies listed. Of these, 77% were private financial institutions, 19% were corporates and 4% were public sector entities.
These investors are based in 28 countries but heavily centered in North America and Western Europe. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers retained its position as the investor with the most companies on the list, followed by Draper Fisher Jurveston, VantagePoint Capital Partners, Khosla Ventures, and Generation Investment Management.
Braemar Energy Ventures and Bright Capital entered the report’s top investor list for the first time.
I have seen several inquiries on LinkedIn if somebody has a database of potential investors for renewable chems/biofuels, and I’m sure several market research and consulting firms (including Cleantech Group) have this list. I should have made one of my own…someday.
But I did compile funding announcements this year that could help identify who’s who that are active in renewable chems/advanced biofuels investing.
JANUARY
LanzaTech – $55.8m in Series C
Kior – $75m loan
Joule – $70m. Did not disclose funding source
Bioformix – $13m funding from GM Ventures
Renmatix – $50m that includes $30m from BASF.
POET – DSM investment through a joint venture
NexSteppe – DuPont undisclosed investment through a collaboration partnership
FEBRUARY
Amyris – $83.7m financing
BioAmber – $10m financing from Lanxess
MARCH
Zeachem – investment from ITOCHU through Zeachem shares
Allylix – $13.5m investment from BASF
Bioformix – $13.6m Series A-1 led by Braemar Energy Ventures
Virdia – $30m in private financing
MAY
Inventure Renewables – $5m from lead investor Wilmar International
JUNE
Biovation Holdings – $3m investment from MVC Capital
JULY
Elevance Renewable Sciences – $104m in Series E financing
Aemetis – $15m term loan and $18m financing from Third Eye Capital
Global Bioenergies – $3.8m from new shares issued
Amyris – $82m 3-year incremental funding from Total
Sweetwater Energy – $9m Series A financing
AUGUST
Genomatica – $41.5m led by Versalis
Matrix Genetics – undisclosed investment from Avista Development
Cereplast – raised $5m in capital
Segetis – closes $25.5m Series C funding
Solegear – completed undisclosed Series A financing
SEPTEMBER
Agrivida – raised $15m in Series C financing
OCTOBER
LanzaTech – secures $15m in loan from Western Technology Investment
Enzyn – S20m investment from Fibria Celulose S.A.
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