Increase in Clean Technology Investing
About a month ago an Ernst & Young study was released showing that clean-tech venture capital investing had increased 70% in the first half of 2007 in comparison to the first half of 2006. Today I was thinking about this fact and thought I would post up some thoughts on the CragBaby as I know many of the CB readers are environmentally conscious.
The U.S. has been years behind other countries in implementing greener solutions and controlling its carbon footprint. It seemed that we as a nation were ignorant to our impact until Al Gore created the film An Inconvenient Truth and now that our impact can visibly be seen with extreme droughts and the melting of icebergs around the world. The recent VC investment increase shows awareness and action at the ground level with the entrepreneurs and early-stage investors.
Unfortunately if companies are being funded today, that means that mass adoption is most likely 5+ years down the road as it will take years for the technology to be proven and implemented, products passed through prototypes and created, marketing teams to find interested parties and then finally into the consumer’s hands. Yet, this investment means hope for things to come. It means an investment today will equal a change in the future. It shows that not only is the U.S. finally joining the efforts to protect our environment, but that we are investing $367.9 million more than we did at this time last year (and note that this data is just for the first half of the year). But most exciting is the fact that the venture capitalist are financing these projects. The venture capitalists will be motivated to see these companies succeed in order to be able to experience a return on their investments, therefore will help to increase opportunities for the companies.
Pictured above is H.I.P. #1’s solar charger he used while traveling.
November 1st, 2007 at 2:57 pm
E. B. White also said: “Government is the thing. Law is the thing. Not brotherhood, not international cooperation, not security councils that can stop war only by waging it…Where does security lie, anyway - security against the thief,a bad man the murderer? In brotherly love? Not at all. It lies in government.” Perhaps an idealist, but also a federalist.