Jon Shieber at VentureWire had the scoop today about Tioga Energy's $10mm round and launch. Investors in the round included NGEN, DFJ, RockPort, DFJ Frontier, and Kirlan Ventures. Tioga is a solar financing effort akin to SunEdison, but aimed at smaller customers (small commercial and residential). The interesting thing about the Tioga story is that the company was originally known as CerOx, and was developing a waste treatment technology, after having raised $17mm. The redirect of the business model from a waste treatment equipment manufacturer to a solar project financing shop is intriguing to see.
Other news and notes:
If you enjoyed the John Doerr TED talk video, here's another one -- Vinod giving his biofuels talk at Google. It's an hour long, but full of content. (Cheers to Mark Wendman for the link)...
The second California Clean Tech Open is up and running -- Edgar Gunther has a nice overview of the goings on at the launch... He also worries that the paperwork for the new California solar incentives are too stifling...
Speaking of solar, Business 2.0 had a nice update on developments in the sector, and others are pointing out that Silicon Valley is becoming a strong solar cluster... Such clusters, it's now increasingly understood, are also strong engines for jobs growth... Speaking of Clusters, Tyler has a good column covering a recent speech by the Governator, and urging more cluster-building efforts in his neck of the woods... More cleantech investors -- this time it's two large Dutch pension groups... Asia, not North America or Europe, is driving cleantech spending (not to be confused with investments)... And with the two biggest recalcitrant carbon emitters (see here and here) now finally getting with the program, it's no longer a question of "if", but instead when a US cap and trade scheme for carbon will be implemented...
Wind power is doing very well...
Cleantech continues to go regional: A look back at the recent Austin conference, with award winners listed... And an upcoming cleantech conference in Georgia...
Fun items: It's true, it's a good thing no one has yet started using the phrase "Green 2.0", but it's gonna happen... I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of my waste heat being turned into electricity... And finally, nice to see good recognition for good ideas like this one.
