Venture Capital for Clean Tech After the Market Meltdon
After a two-quarter period of falling venture capital investments in the cleantech space, the industry is finally picking back up again. But the prospects for early-stage companies and entrepreneurs looking for funding is mixed. "It's a challenge for the venture community to have the conviction to truly invest in the kind of venture-backed profile deals that we need and not invest in another 'me-too' deal that is defining today."-- Ira Ehrenpreis, General Partner, Technology Partners Despite the recent declines in investment, the macro-trends for cleantech venture capital are very positive — funds are getting bigger, the market for clean energy has grown to a respectable size and long-term signals from government are coming together. “This is a renaissance time for the cleantech sector,” said Ira Ehrenpreis, a general partner with the firm Technology Partners , at a recent panel discussion in New York City. “This is not an obscure area of investment anymore.” Last...