As the founder of one of the firms that has just been backed said: "My theory is that any company able to hold out to 2014 will be a winner."

"Introducing tax incentives for corporate investments in SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises], together with any capital gains and dividends from these investments, could help stimulate the necessary step-change in corporate investment behaviour."

The BP, Dow Chemical and Dominion Power-backed US-based developer of energy storage systems raises another $10m.

The unit of sovereign wealth fund Kuwait Investment Authority sets up a joint venture with the Germany-based energy efficiency and storage company in Kuwait.

The solar company backed by energy groups Total and Chevron as well as Japan-based imaging company Konica Minolta has raised more than $170m in its history.

The London-based institute is Intel's first research centre and hub looking at how technologies can improve the social and economic development of cities globally.

The clean technology investment firm and utility recruits Carbon War Room's Jigar Shah and Nomura's Russell Pullan.

The Japan-based conglomerate's stake in the wind turbine company is valued at $71.4m.

In February, US-army private equity fund OnPoint Technologies (managed by venture capital firm Arsenal Venture Partners) invested in Nanosolar's then-$20m round, which has now been increased to $70m.

Howard Janzen has joined as executive president from being chief executive at One Communications, where he oversaw the integration of eight regional communications companies.