The Abrams Clean Tech Report

 

A quick review of a some venture capital firms focused on energy, the environment, and advanced industrial technologies…

Saturday, April 15th, 2006

The truth is, if you all knew how busy I was, you’d wonder why I was writing this blog. It’s a personal calling. That’s the truth. I have to do it. And I also know that I must contribute my part, because the only way any of us can effectively help make a difference, and effect positive change in this world is to do our part as a community. Over time, people can modify their behaviors, and therefore, their habits. Not so much because of just one person necessarily, but because EVERYONE starts doing something different. Herd mentality can be leveraged for amazing results sometimes.  I can’t feel completely good about the work I do all the time unless I’m contributing some of my energy also to evangelizing companies that are working to protect, and nurture the most fundamental thing that sustains us every day — our environment.  So the truth is, I often don’t get the amount of time I would like to work on my blogging, but it’s one of those things I just focus on sticking to, as the process is as much about educating myself, and ‘studying’, if you will, as it is to help educate anyone who reads what I write about.

Having now said this, I’ll just mention that Jon and I are sitting here munching some fried matzah. Yes, I’m typing here at the breakfast table. He’s on his laptop, and I’m on mine.  What a picture! :-)   He introduced me to fried matzah, and yes, it’s now one of my favorite breakfast foods. For some reason, I don’t remember us ever eating it at home growing up.  Anyway, we’re eating breakfast before heading over to Half Moon Bay to go see the bunnies.  Yep. I want to go see the bunnies this weekend over there. There’s a little barn downtown Half Moon Bay – more like a farmers co-op, and last time they were there, they had LOTS of bunnies running around. So we’re eating breakfast, and I’m catching up on my blogging, before heading out.  So back to the topic at hand…I’m taking the time I’ve got to write this blog up today, because I have to get this out the door… ;-) So –

One of the most fascinating areas right now is industrial technology. Why? The timing couldn’t be better to ‘upgrade’ our national, and international infrastructure.  The hard stuff has by and large been started, and done. By that I mean the Internet has created some very interesting opportunities for companies, and new ways of working. 

I personally work with what I think are some of the most interesting technology companies as it is — and for quite some time – have ended up working in part with companies focused on creating infrastructure technologies that can now be leveraged into the industrial technology sector with new industrial technologies themselves.  The level of sophistication in so many industries has increased exponentially because of just the Internet alone – i.e. think of e-procurement technologies that enable companies to stop using paper so much as being able to get online and buy and sell goods both in a business to business and business to consumer environment;  global enterprise logistics technologies that enable companies to manage global movement of goods, regardless of mode; internet marketplaces that serve as ‘hubs’ where industries congregate, aggregating their combined market presence to establish standards and transaction methodologies that have enabled them to buy and sell goods with suppliers and buyers of their markets also in an online fashion; data quality management or content management technologies, and internet security companies – - each of these categories of technologies has had a tremendous effect on the actual operating infrastructure of the U.S. economy, if not the world economy. 

From new building materials, to air cooling and water treatment technologies, to packaging and design innovations, the bust of the late ’90′s led to a flurry of creativity from which a wealth of interestingtechnologies have been born.  And it’s an incredibly exciting time to create some positive change with the clean technologies coming out of investing circles like Clean Tech, Investors Circle, The Angels Forum…and otherwise.

One of the venture capital firms focused exclusively on investing in technologies meant for the industrial sector is Blue Hill Partners (http://www.bluehillpartners.com).  Blue Hill categorizes advanced energy and industrial technologies as follows:

Renewable Energy: Technologies that produce power from renewable resources, such as solar, fuel cells, waste fuels, geothermal resources, hydropower, biomass and wind.

Energy Efficiency: Energy conservation and efficiency technologies and services, including lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation, and “demand side management” technologies.

Resource Efficient Manufacturing Processes: Technologies that make industrial processes more efficient and less costly, thereby reducing consumption of natural resources and generation of waste. Examples include process control technologies, precision tooling and robotics.

Environmental Remediation: Companies that are active in areas such as pollution control and recycling.

Resource Recovery: Technologies that produce marketable products from municipal, industrial or agricultural waste material.

Water and Waste Water Treatment: Advanced technologies and solutions applicable to water and waste water treatment.

I love it. A venture capital firm that’s got its priorities straight.  You’ll find Blue Hill on the Advisory Board over at Clean Tech Venture Network [www.cleantech.com] The company’s investments include those listed at http://www.bluehillpartners.com/portfolio.html.

Technology Partners [www.technologypartners.com] is another venture capital firm focused on developing companies in the areas of Energy and Water Technology.  One of the firm’s General Partners, Ira Ehrenpreis, also serves on Clean Tech’s Advisory Board, and Ira is probably one of the most visible, and active investors on the clean tech investing scene today.

For a full list of the venture capital firms that have thrown their hat into the ‘clean tech’ arena, go to www.cleantech.com, and check out their members’ list.   That’s probably the most comprehensive list I’ve found. But also check out The Biodegradeable Products Institute, and their member list – not of investors, but of companies creating interesting technologies. And look to those vc’s, if you’re interested in learning more, that are focused on things like Waste Management, Water Treatment, Sludge Drying and Re-Use and Conservation, and the like. 

Pick one area of interest, and go learn more about it. Or go talk to these vc’s I’ve mentioned above, and learn more about what they’re doing, and how you can do your part, too.  In the meantime…I’m off with Jon to go see bunnies…

Best,

L 

 

 

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