What Is the Appropriate Role for Government in Cleantech Innovation?
(This post originally appeared at Greentech Media.) It’s not a popular thing to argue right now, but yes, there certainly is a vital role for government in support of cleantech innovation. Let me start by acknowledging that I absolutely understand and quite often agree with the sentiment that government shouldn’t be in the business of...
What’s Going On With Corporate Investors in Cleantech?
(This post originally appeared at GreentechMedia.) Walt Frick posted a good rebuttal to the Wired “cleantech bust” article recently, in which he points out that venture dollars going into the sector remain high. This is true, but as one of my fellow panelists at the Kellogg PE/VC conference yesterday pointed out, a lot of those dollars...
Large Corporates and Family Offices: A Need to Connect
(This post originally appeared at GreentechMedia.) One thing many cleantech VCs are good at is connecting with large corporations’ strategy and venture groups. They regularly chat to compare notes, discuss market trends, share investment perspectives, identify areas of needed investment, opportunities to work with the VCs’ portfolio companies, etc. It’s a win-win. I was surprised...
“How Do I Get a Job in Cleantech Venture Capital?”
Around this time of year, the amount of inbound requests for coffees and "picking your brain" chats is always pretty overwhelming, as business school students and others start thinking about how they would love to be a cleantech venture capital investor. Unfortunately, much of what I have to give is simply tough love.
12 Predictions For ‘12
'Tis the season for making year end predictions, and even though I'm clearly not very good at it, I got dragged into doing them a while back... So here are some for 2012. Enjoy these with the appropriately-sized grain of sodium chloride.
Looking Back on 2011 Cleantech Investing Predictions
It's been a tumultuous year for a whole lot of folks, and the cleantech market has been no exception. As we near the end of 2011, I thought it would be good to look back on how our predictions from a year ago turned out.
Quick Hits: Boston’s Super-Angels, Nordan’s Smart Thoughts, and More
Rob Day on angel investing, the state of cleantech VC, energy policy and more.
Reinvent the Utility
In the last decade, cleantech venture capital was about reinventing the electric generator. It's time to reinvent the utility.
What Is “Cleantech 2.0”?
If cleantech looks skewed toward capital intensity, in large part it's because the financial model applied to the sector has been skewed toward capital intensity, not because of some inherent underlying factor applying universally across the sector.
Get Involved
Today, the Clean Economy Network announced a merger into the Advanced Energy Economy, a network of cleantech business leaders and regional organizations. It's been a fun ride to get to this important transition point.
How I’ve Failed
I've heard it said that venture capital is an apprenticeship business, that it takes about seven years for a VC to become a proficient investor. As I now get close to my eighth year investing in the cleantech sector, that aphorism resonates with me -- especially as I look back at the many ways...
Q3: One Last Bloom Before the Winter?
While the Q3 results are somewhat encouraging, it will be surprising to see that upward trend continue over the next few quarters.