Energy

These pages summarise last month's deal activity with a corporate venturing involvement. To report a deal or add your data, email Toby Lewis at tlewis@globalcorporateventuring.com

A trend to watch for much of this year will be corporates coming in to lead rounds for exciting new technologies of a capital intensive nature. For contrarian corporates getting in, while others are pulling back, the opportunity is promising.

The US-based rechargeable battery company wins backing from Applied Ventures and In-Q-Tel, as well as DE Shaw Ventures and Generation Investment Management among others.

OnPoint Technologies, part of the US army, was joined backing the energy asset management software company by venture firms including Clarement Creek and Arsenal.

Nasdaq-listed vending group Coinstar is joined backing the electronics recycling company by Singapore billionaire Koh Boon Hwee, advisory firm AKS Capital and venture firms including Claremont Creek Ventures.

BASF Venture Capital and Total Energy Ventures were two of the leads for the US-based water desalination company's $40m fundraising, with $20m of debt also raised.

The Korea-based conglomerate and Ireland-based utility's corporate venturing unit back the US-based roof top solar business

Japan-based materials supplier JSR Corporation and a venture firm linked to US-based advanced ceramics business Coorstek invest in the ionic liquids company, which plans to be the first producer of the battery material in "industrial volumes".

Last month, Enerkem amended its regulatory filing and said it would sell 7.25 million shares at between $17 and $19 each.

The multi-track element signifies Astellas is developing its innovation toolkit - including R&D, venture-backed entrepreneurs and licensing - so various units can work relatively independently on similar medical problems and leave it up luck and judgement as to which one might work and then be distributed if successful enough.

Last month, Luca set the upper limit of its flotation range at $110.5m.