U.S. VC Investments in Clean Energy Total $1.5 Billion in Q2
Posted in Investment on August 5th, 2010 by News Desk –
San Francisco – Venture capital investments in clean energy companies in the U.S. totaled $1.5 billion during the most recent quarter, the highest amount since the third quarter of 2008, according to statistics just released by Dow Jones VentureSource.
The quarter was highlighted by a continued increase in electric vehicle-related investments. Deals in this space included the $350 million second round investment in Better Place, a provider of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Fisker Automotive, a plug-in hybrid EV manufacturer, raised $35 million and Eco Motors, a maker of fuel-efficient diesel engines, raised $23.5 million.
Tesla Motors completed an IPO during the second quarter, then received a $50 million investment from Toyota as part of a strategic partnership to jointly develop electric vehicles. Meanwhile, Coulomb Technologies announced plans to provide nearly 5,000 free home and public charging stations for electric vehicles to nine regions in the U.S. through a partnership with auto makers, including Ford and Chevrolet.
Five of the top 10 venture capital deals in the most recent quarter were in the solar industry, which received $438.8 million — an increase of 183% compared to second quarter of 2009. The energy efficiency sector received $199.3 million dollars in 15 financing rounds last quarter, according to the report.
Dow Jones VentureSource website
