Large corporate players are beginning to show interest in early-stage clean energy companies, both through corporate investment arms and through full acquisitions. Their behaviour displays promising parallels to the early days of the biotechnology industry.
Between 2006 and 2008, more than $1bn in venture capital was channelled into start-ups – seed and series A rounds – focused on solar, wind and biofuel technologies.
In the past three years, however, early-stage investments in clean energy production technologies have fallen substantially to between $100m and $250m per year. Many venture capitalists (VCs) are limiting their investments to the demand side – aimed at reducing energy use – rather than investing in start-ups trying to change the way…
